[TSIboy]

Disclaimer: This is going to be a really short travelogue, I doubt if I can call it a travelogue. But I can assure its one filled with my ramblings and amateur grade pictures & videos about a drive I did back in the last week of January this year.

I am not or never was really much of a ‘writing’ kind of person. That is until I found myself in one of the global epicenters of the disease, under curfew, in a country that is only second to the USA in the number of Covid-19 cases. I have tons of time to kill, nothing to do and lots of memories. So why not give writing a try while taking that much deserved break from whatever hectic schedules I had. Here goes a child of circumstances, my first ‘travelogue’ on Team-Bhp and hopefully, the first of many to come.


A view of the national park. Source: Google Images

The Place

The Picos de Europa ("Peaks of Europe") are a mountain range in the north of Spain in the districts Asturias, Cantabria and Castile y Leon, forming part of the Cantabrian Mountains. The mountains are known to have some of the world’s deepest caves. The mountains are also home to the Parque Nacional de Picos de Europa which is a popular national park which is quite popular for its hiking trails.

The roads that take you around the park is just amazing. Passing through tiny beautiful villages, with those twisters we all love as we head up the ranges, incredible views and most importantly, some pure air that’ll give you a detox.

The Plan

I had just come back from Kerala after the Christmas break and January was really not passing fast. I needed to hit the roads. Since the national park is only a 2 hour drive from where I live, it was always on the radar for a trip.

One fine Thursday night, a couple of beers down, me and a friend decided to go hiking through Picos but then it was only January, not really the best month to go hiking in the mountains of Europe. Unless off course you’re into walking through snow up to your knees. Even for a drive, not much as the roads higher up in the ranges could be iced or covered in snow.

Nevertheless we both decided to go on for a drive to the edge of the national park and then decide if we should head to the Fuente Dé cable car or return. The Fuente Dé, the longest single span aerial lift in Europe is an incredible piece of engineering and is a must visit place in Picos. The alternate was to go to the ski station of San Isidro which also wasn’t so far way, do a bit of skiing or snowboarding and head back home.


The Fuente De cable car. Source: Google Images

[TSIboy]

The Drive

Leg 1: Leon to Riano



Saturday. We started early from Leon and headed up north on the N-621 till the small town of Bonar, from where we had to take the CL-624 until a T-junction in the middle of nowhere that would put us back onto the N-621 again, all the way to Riano.

Though the city of Leon isn’t very big or busy, the beauty of the countryside hits you as soon as you leave the city heading north. The farms, tiny villages, the mountains far away on the horizon all gives you feeling that you’re going back in time.

Kerala being my home state, I always enjoy the feeling of these open roads, passing endlessly through empty countryside. Something which is becoming almost impossible to get back there. It’s my single most favorite thing about driving in Europe and even other states in India for that matter.

All the way until the T-junction to join back on the N-621, it was a mix of long straights and gentle curves around the little hills. After this the road starts climbing, making its way up until it reaches the base of Presa de Riano, a small arch dam that holds back a large lake.

Two hairpins and a tunnel, you are already on the top of the dam and on towards the town of Riano and the lake.

Getting a glimpse of what’s to come.

https://youtu.be/wBV4ceo_bUM

We stopped for a while to stretch out, catch some fresh mountain air and take a couple of pictures.

“The mountains are calling, and I must go”


Guess I forgot to mention my humble ride. A pre-facelift E90, 320d putting out a modest 174hp & 350Nm of torque. And yea, rear wheel drive. Just perfect for the roads that laid ahead!


It was then I realized that I dint charge my camera overnight and freezing cold does not do great things for your battery. I accepted the dark reality and moved on, on a few miles before taking a tiny detour which would bring us onto the banks of the reservoir.

https://youtu.be/0qdise5qXRs

The cold, still waters of Embalse de Riano.

https://youtu.be/VpVDUl9cAnI

The town of Riano across that bridge. The foothills of Picos de Europa behind.

[TSIboy]

Leg 2: Riano to Posada de Valdeon



Since it was still very early, none of the cafes in the town were open. We decided to skip on that caffeine dose and head on, into the big mountains.

From Riano, the N-621 splits into N-625. With both roads heading to the two different ends of the national park. Continuing on the N-621 was the direct route to the Fuente de cable car while the other one would take you on a circuit around the foothills (I’d rather say foot-mountains) and then join the N-621 again much further up north.

Being petrolheads, I think that long route vs short route decisions are ones we easily make.

I decided to take the N-625 and do the circuit and then head onto Fuente de. As road headed higher up into the ranges, the landscape slowly started changing from green to bits of green and white.

It was obvious there was going to be snow further up. Thankfully I still hadn’t changed my snow tires after coming back from the Christmas break so the only thing I had to worry about was my lack of driving skill. Finally we reached a T-junction. The N-625 going on to the left and LE-2711 to the right. Everything to the right was white, the road was narrow and had snow piled up on both sides. Time to head into the snow!

The sun trying to break out from the clouds


I had to do what I had to do. We took the LE-2711 and headed on. Soon we reached a view point, Mirado de Pandetrave. It’s a picnic spot & starting point for a hiking trail and has nice views on both sides.

https://youtu.be/fc_ibEN6j0A

Snow covered.

https://youtu.be/L7CbTNLY9Fk

https://youtu.be/Nf2Jg-VabX8

We headed on and after a few curves there was another viewpoint, Mirado de Valdeon. We could see a couple of tiny villages in the valley below and after a short break we hit the road again.

https://youtu.be/kApjFuyP66U

Hey there beautiful!


Now the roads were descending down into the valley and we passed by the villages we saw before until we reached the little town, Posada de Valdeon.

This is a small town is at the edge of the national park and beyond it the road splits into two again. One the road we were planning on taking and the other leading to Cain, a small village right in the heart of the park.

Posada de Valdeon. Imagine waking up to that view everyday.


Once again, it seemed we were a bit too early for the town and a friendly local told us we should head back to one of the small villages we passed if we wanted some breakfast.

We backtracked a kilometer or two, back to one of the villages we passed to grab some breakfast. As expected from local café in the countryside, the food was simply delicious. After a chat with the owner, we came to know that it would take much longer than we expected to reach Fuente de.

Soto de Valdeon. We had breakfast from this village.


Since these villages are located in this valley, all of them have those towering mountains in the backdrop.

It was time for a plan change. We decided to come back another day to go to Fuente de and instead complete the circuit and head back to Riano. If we had still time left, then we would go on to the San Isidro ski station, get a bit of skiing/snowboarding done and head back home.

[TSIboy]

Leg 3: Posada de Valdeon to Portilla da la Reina



We left the quiet village and went back to Posada de Valdeon, continuing the circuit and again the roads began to climb. A few miles on and the landscape began to change again. Ice and snow again. The roads too deteriorated in quality. I was expecting it as it was a road that was only used by the locals & hikers who used it to drive upto some of the starting points of trails. There was considerable amount of dirt, ice & snow on the road too. Thank god for them snow tires!

How the road became...

https://youtu.be/qfSEkOcHq6U

The progress was very slow but extremely fun. Probably the most fun I’ve had while driving in quite some time. Must’ve had hundreds of mini drifts when the car would pass over patches of clear ice and the rear would lose traction & slide out. Wholly enjoyed it! And finally we made it to another viewpoint along the way, Puerto de Pandetrave.

This has to be seen in real! These photos do no justice. Apologies.

https://youtu.be/MPDI-tJguP0

The crusty top layer. The snow under will be perfect for making snowballs.


We moved on again, the road still showing no signs of change. Slowly and steadily we made it through snow world until finally, the white landscapes began transitioning. It was almost 11 in the morning by now and we decided to speed up a bit once we hit better roads.

Perfect conditions for a RWD!

https://youtu.be/tQhQQVPaJj4

Still trying to break out.


Beautiful landscapes.


The surface of the road was not in perfect condition.


After this point the roads became much better, passing through pastures and farms all the way until our next check point, the village of Portilla de la Reina. Just had to watch out for the occasional cow or horse crossing the road. There was nothing much to see here so we decided not to stop and head on. The road we were on ends at this village and joins the N-621. We had to make a decision here. To head north along N-621 to Fuente de or south, back to Riano.

We decided to come back another day for Fuente de and to head south we chose.

Do note that in all the screenshots of the routes, the duration of the journey is show for the time the screenshot was taken. It will change depending on the weather conditions. (These screenshots were taken in March & this month i.e. no snow or ice in those passes).

[TSIboy]

Leg 4: Portilla de la Reina to San Isidro



This would be the final leg of our circuit we planned, taking us around the mountains and back to Riano. This stretch of road was simply serene. Fast curves, a beautiful lake one side, mountains on the other, a RWD car and no traffic at all. It was the kind of road that made me wish I was driving a GT3 Touring. It was just heaven!

Loved this road to bits.

https://youtu.be/1Kb_hoSX2RI

From Riano, we took the N-625 again for a short while before joining the CL-635 to another junction in the middle of nowhere. From there LE-333 and onto LE-331 we finally reached our destination. Estacion de Esqui San Isidro.

Was I tired? Yes. Was I tired enough? Not even close.

Ultimate driving machine albeit a really old one.


Snowboarding at San Isidro

The station was pretty crowed by the time we had arrived but we both managed to get the equipment. All the stuff you’d ever need for skiing/snowboarding can be taken for rent from the many store that are at the station. It’s what most people do unless they are regulars. And they are cheap too, the whole kit costs around 30€ for the whole day.

The tickets for adults costs 27€ and an optional 3€ for the insurance. Yea they’ll airlift you to the nearest hospital if things go out of hand. Since it was a Saturday, it was full of people but most of them were done and heading home, so the slopes was rather clear for us.

Two of the slopes. Trust me, they are way higher than they look.

https://youtu.be/JwJaT4VDQAk

The last picture I took before hitting the slopes.


The Anti-Climax

A rather sad ending to a beautiful day. I’ve had constant problems with one of my knees after I almost dislocated it 5 years ago. Ever since it was always a cycle of recovering and having an ACL sprain while running or football. It was only a matter of time until the next injury was due and then I had a fall.

Heard that ‘pop’ again, the signature sound of your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) getting sprained. After the first few seconds of shock passes, the pain hits you. If you’re lucky, it’s only a sprain and you can stand on your feet after few minutes. If you can’t then it’s a surgery and weeks of bed rest & physio for you.

Guess it was my lucky day. It was only a sprain but it was game over for the day. We slowly made our way back to the car and my friend drove for the rest of the way back home.

[TSIboy]

Leg 5: San Isidro to Leon



The final leg, LE-331 all the way until the town of Bonar until it becomes CL-624 and then retracing the same road we took out in the morning all the way back to the city. The LE-331 is another beautiful winding road which I certainly missed out on driving, thanks to my knee. No points for guessing who was extremely grumpy all the way back home!

A random picture I took when we stopped for a coffee.



Finally the end of the day, the end of a long fun drive, we were back to base. The beautiful little city of Leon. Went straight home, took that much needed hot shower, put on my knee brace and vowed I’d never forget to charge my camera before a trip.

Thanks for bearing with me until here. Hope each & every one of you and your families make it through these tough times. The covid-19 situation in India is still not as bad as some other countries and hopefully under control. As Bhpians, let’s all be responsible and do as much as we can to stop the spread of this virus before it’s too late.

Till then take care, stay safe, stay strong and most importantly stay home.

Cheers!

[BlackPearl]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues Section. Thanks for sharing!

[ChiragM]

Nice travelogue and pictures TSIboy.

Snowboarding must be fun. Want to try it out someday. Do they have a training session or something like that for newbies and first-timers? Or someone accompanying you to help out of need be?

[TSIboy]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

Nice travelogue and pictures TSIboy.

Snowboarding must be fun. Want to try it out someday. Do they have a training session or something like that for newbies and first-timers? Or someone accompanying you to help out of need be?

Thanks! Snowboarding is really fun & I will be definitely doing it again.

Almost all of the ski stations have certified instructors and one can take lessons individually or as a group. It is highly recommended before heading out on our own. This particular ski station had a seperate slope reserved for beginners/learning.

[microaubin]

Enjoyed reading through this...lovely pictures and videos!