Dates: June 10-13, 2018
Route: Leon to Oviedo, Spain
Distance: 122.1 kms
Walking Days: 4
Average Distance/Day: 30.5 kms
Longest Day: 36.6 kms
Shortest Day: 24.8 kms
Camino de San Salvador – Day 0
The Camino de San Salvador is a 122-kilometer trail between Leon and Oviedo, Spain. It’s a bit of an oddity because it departs from the Camino Frances on what would be a more direct route to Santiago de Compostela, and heads north to connect to the Camino Primitivo. I had never heard of the Camino de San Salvador until I met a couple of pilgrims on this trip who had completed it. They both raved about the mountain views. And since I walked more distance per day than I expected these last few weeks, I’ve decided to try to fit it in before I start walking the Camino Primitivo back to Santiago.
The Camino de San Salvador is an important part of the full Santiago pilgrimage story. When the Moors swept northward through Spain in the Middle Ages, holy relics from the southern communities were moved north for safety. Many of them ended up in the Catedral del Salvador in Oviedo, which was the capital of Spain at the time. Outside of Rome, this cathedral was the most significant protector of holy relics in all of Europe.
When the Reconquista began, the capital city was moved to Leon. Over time the northern Camino routes were used less frequently as pilgrims preferred the Camino Frances, which travelled through Leon. But there were still some pilgrims, including a couple of kings, who wanted to include Oviedo in their itinerary because of the holy relics there, so a route was created to link Leon and Oviedo. And then once pilgrims were in Oviedo, they only needed to follow the Camino Primitivo toward Santiago instead of having to walk back to Leon.
The Camino de San Salvador isn’t used much today. The people I met who travelled on it said they only saw a handful of other pilgrims on the route. And I see from my research that the public albergues are quite small, hinting that there isn’t a large demand for beds. But it seems the trail is well-marked, so the trail volunteers are certainly interested in promoting this route.
I’m joined on this short hike by Birte from Germany, one of my new dear friends I met on the Camino del Norte. Since we said goodbye in Finisterre after walking together for a month, she’s been surfing on the Portuguese coast, freezing in a borrowed wet suit that doesn’t fit properly. She’s been wanting to do the Camino de San Salvador since she heard about it because of the promise of difficult mountain terrain and because of the views. When she heard I was heading to Leon, she jumped at the opportunity to walk this trail as well, although her schedule only allows us four days to complete it instead of the recommended five. Still, it will only be an average of about 30 kilometers per day. Birte is great company, so I’m looking forward to it.
We took the bus from Santiago to Leon, watching the rain splash against the windows, arriving mid-afternoon, which was too late to start walking for the day. We wandered around Leon and met a local woman, Alba, who invited us and her two American friends to a rooftop bar, where we enjoyed beer, wine, excellent conversation, and some terrific views. The sun even made an appearance for a couple of hours. What a great ambassador Alba is for her home city!
Leon to La Pola de Gordon – 36.6 km
I loved my stay at the Benedictine Nuns’ albergue in Leon. Lights are off by 10:30 pm, and the volunteers wander through the dorm rooms at 6:00 am, flipping on all the lights to wake the 130 sleeping pilgrims. It meant I could get ready for the day early without disturbing anyone.
Birte and I walked through Leon in the early morning light, greeting the street cleaners and other early-rising pilgrims. We spent some time admiring the pilgrim’s statue in the Plaza San Martin, which is the starting point of the Camino de San Salvador.
An hour of walking on quiet streets took us out of Leon, leading to a muddy trail that we followed for 15 kilometers. The forecast promised rain all day. We managed to walk for two hours, clearing the sidewalks of Leon, climbing the gravel and dirt paths into the hills north of the city, and enjoying a few excellent views before Mother Nature made good on her promise. And when the rain came, it came in full force and didn’t let up until moments before we arrived at our destination of La Pola de Gordon.
Birte and I did a quick calculation and figured that I have walked in the rain for the last 16 days straight. Eventually I’m going to be able to walk all day in the sun. Right?!
Birte and I seem to be the only two pilgrims on the Camino de San Salvador. We haven’t seen any others today. And it doesn’t seem that any of the locals have either. We stepped out of the rain into a cafe in La Robla to the pitying looks of patrons enjoying a Sunday coffee. The proprietor treated us like royalty, with a friendly smile and words of encouragement. “No,” she said. “This is not normal weather for Spain. It’s usually sunny, with temperatures in the 20s.” When we left the cafe, the rain continued its attack on us. I glanced up at the sign of a pharmacy, which flashed the current temperature. 12 degrees. Brrr. We picked up the pace to warm up.
It wasn’t all bad. The walking was terrific and there’s always a warm bed at the end of the day on the Camino, which we found at a cozy pension in La Pola de Gordon.
La Pola de Gordon to Pajares – 28.2 km
Today, Birte and I got what we came to the Camino de San Salvador for: mountain hiking, rugged terrain, and great views. We even had a bit of sun, nearly escaping the rain altogether except when it spat on us as we summited the high point on the Camino – Canto La Tusa, at 1572 meters.
We still hadn’t seen another pilgrim on this Camino until we got to our albergue in Pajares, where we were happy to discover seven others. We had seen some fresh footprints in the mud and dirt along the trail, and now we’ve met those who left them behind. Our new pilgrim friends come from France, Italy, and Uruguay.
A strange and embarrassing event occurred today. The trail took us up a grassy slope, but ended at an electric cow fence. Birte hopped over the first one, and then hopped over the second one, seemingly touching them both with no ill effect. Obviously, the electricity was off. So, I hopped over the first wire, touching it with my leg, feeling nothing. And then I went to hop over the second wire, straddling it carelessly, and then, yes, I took a shock directly to where gentlemen don’t like to be shocked.
As a side note, we hit a small milestone by crossing from the region of Leon into Asturias.
Pajares to Pola de Lena – 24.8 km
It’s the first day in the last 19 that I managed to walk from one albergue to the next without being rained on. But it didn’t matter. It had rained all night and the trails had become creeks in some places, and the ground had turned to mud. Two minutes of walking through rain-drenched waist-high grass and I was soaked to the core. My feet were enveloped in saturated socks for the duration.
It was hard for me to believe really how much mud there was. In one stretch of 5.4 kilometers, the mud, combined with a considerable amount of tree fall across the trail, we managed a pace of only three kilometers per hour, about half our usual pace.
Still, Birte and I loved the trail. It was rugged, challenging, and not for the timid. Despite the overcast weather conditions, we still enjoyed excellent views, and although we were completely soaked from the waist down, with our feet and shoes covered in mud, we agreed that the trail was still better than walking along the highway.
We had a few precarious descents on mud and wet rock, nearly falling many times but managing with a few deft moves to stay on our feet, that is, until we descended a steep slope from the church at Santa Cristina de Lena, where Birte slipped, performed some kind of twisting ballet move to try to keep her balance, and then finally did fall onto her backpack. She was unhurt, and we laughed until we were in tears.
We met some friendly locals today, and they all mentioned the rain, saying how bad it’s been and how unseasonal. One fellow suggested we forget the trail and just stay inside eating, drinking, and napping. Not a bad idea, I thought.
We are staying in an albergue in Pola de Lena for the night. It’s the best public albergue I’ve seen in a while, although it doesn’t have a kitchen. But it has hot showers, working radiators to dry wet clothing, warm, clean beds, and friendly staff. What more could one ask for?
Pola de Lena to Oviedo – 32.5 km
This is my final day on the Camino de San Salvador, completing a walk from Leon to Oviedo in Spain, for a distance of approximately 122 kilometers.
The walking today felt light and easy. The route followed mostly asphalt and sidewalks, but there were a couple of short treks through the woods that made Birte and I happy.
There wasn’t a raindrop to be seen, and I thought I might actually make it to the end of the walk with dry feet for the first time in 19 days, but there was a section through the forest that left me with the option of walking through water or trying to go around it through a nasty patch of nettles. I chose the lesser of two evils and walked through the water.
Birte and I couldn’t have asked for a better day to finish this Camino. The weather was great, we were lucky to find two cafes in which we indulged in cafe con leches and delicious pastries, the views were delightful, and all of the locals we met were friendly and helpful. One fellow pushing a wheelbarrow, seeing that we were about to follow the fleches (yellow arrows) down a steep path, suggested we follow the road instead. Although the path is shorter, he explained, it is steep and muddy, making it very dangerous. We heeded his advice and took the longer route down the road.
The Camino de San Salvador ends at the Cathedral in Oviedo, and it’s where I must part ways again with my friend, Birte. She has once again been a wonderful hiking partner, helping me keep fit with her speedy walking pace. This last day went by so quickly because Birte and I chatted away the entire day, laughing at silly things and smiling at the joy of simply being on the Camino in good company. I wish her the best in her upcoming journey to Porto, Portugal, where she will walk a short section of the Camino Portuguese with a friend.
As for myself, from here in Oviedo, I’ll continue on the Camino Primitivo to Santiago de Compostela for my last Camino of the season. I’ve still got 11 days and 303 kilometers of walking to go before I end this year’s Camino adventure.
