O Cebreiro y Cruz de Ferro
Hi Everyone,
Today we hiked the highest points on the Camino. The trail to Cruz de Ferro and the mountain climb up O Cebreiro.
Cruz de Ferro is a special spot on the Camino. Each pilgrim carries a stone with them as they hike, something represents the past and something they want to leave behind. When they reach Cruz De Ferro, its time to let it go, and leave behind their stone. The wooden post with the iron cross at the top has a massive pile of stones at its base, one from every pilgrim.
Because of how special this site is, most pilgrims ascended in silence. Our group hiked up separated and each alone, and most pilgrims we passed didnt say anything more than "buen camino", many didnt even say that. The air itself seemed to know the significance of the site. The temperature steadily got colder as we climbed and the wind blew steadily harder. The clouds overhead were moving fast and getting darker, as if encouraging pilgrims to give up and to skip Cruz de Ferro, continuing to carry whatever weighs them down.
The hike was only 2 km though, and so there was no turning around. One by one our group arrived at the top along with many other pilgrims. We each took our tome and separately dropped off the rocks we carried. Some of us just dropped them and kept going, others tossed them into the woods where we could never find them again. Still others took their time and only left their stone after much deliberation. Slowly but surely, each one of us left something behind and continued the 3 km to the next town.
After a lengthy bus ride from Cruz de Ferro, we arrived at the base of O Cebreiro. The climb is 8 km long with a rise of approximately 700 meters. This hike was done with much less ceremony in comparison to Cruz de Ferro. Our group was once again cheery and talkative as we set off up the trail.
I hiked with Becca while going up O Cebreiro and early on we decided we wanted to be the first to the top. The problem however, was that the "marathoners" (John, Andy, and Peter) were already ahead of us, and so were Aly and Andrew. The two of us powered up the hill and managed to pass Aly and Andrew. In the village around 2 km from the end we found the marathoners taking a break at a cafe. Becca and I got a stamp from the bar for our Pilgrim's Passport and then continued on our way, proud to be in the front. However, after walking just a few hundred yards down the trail, we say a pink sweatshirt about quarter mile ahead of us. Resigned to second place, we continued up the hill.
At the top of the hill, we found Aly, Henry, and Catalina waiting for us (the latter two didnt hike today). Everyone ate lunch at the restaurant with many of us ordering Caldo, a potato and greens soup. After lunch the group headed for the bus to hear Paige's presentation and go to the Albergue a few towns down the mountain.
Cruz de Ferro is a special spot on the Camino. Each pilgrim carries a stone with them as they hike, something represents the past and something they want to leave behind. When they reach Cruz De Ferro, its time to let it go, and leave behind their stone. The wooden post with the iron cross at the top has a massive pile of stones at its base, one from every pilgrim.
Because of how special this site is, most pilgrims ascended in silence. Our group hiked up separated and each alone, and most pilgrims we passed didnt say anything more than "buen camino", many didnt even say that. The air itself seemed to know the significance of the site. The temperature steadily got colder as we climbed and the wind blew steadily harder. The clouds overhead were moving fast and getting darker, as if encouraging pilgrims to give up and to skip Cruz de Ferro, continuing to carry whatever weighs them down.
The hike was only 2 km though, and so there was no turning around. One by one our group arrived at the top along with many other pilgrims. We each took our tome and separately dropped off the rocks we carried. Some of us just dropped them and kept going, others tossed them into the woods where we could never find them again. Still others took their time and only left their stone after much deliberation. Slowly but surely, each one of us left something behind and continued the 3 km to the next town.
After a lengthy bus ride from Cruz de Ferro, we arrived at the base of O Cebreiro. The climb is 8 km long with a rise of approximately 700 meters. This hike was done with much less ceremony in comparison to Cruz de Ferro. Our group was once again cheery and talkative as we set off up the trail.
I hiked with Becca while going up O Cebreiro and early on we decided we wanted to be the first to the top. The problem however, was that the "marathoners" (John, Andy, and Peter) were already ahead of us, and so were Aly and Andrew. The two of us powered up the hill and managed to pass Aly and Andrew. In the village around 2 km from the end we found the marathoners taking a break at a cafe. Becca and I got a stamp from the bar for our Pilgrim's Passport and then continued on our way, proud to be in the front. However, after walking just a few hundred yards down the trail, we say a pink sweatshirt about quarter mile ahead of us. Resigned to second place, we continued up the hill.
At the top of the hill, we found Aly, Henry, and Catalina waiting for us (the latter two didnt hike today). Everyone ate lunch at the restaurant with many of us ordering Caldo, a potato and greens soup. After lunch the group headed for the bus to hear Paige's presentation and go to the Albergue a few towns down the mountain.
posted by Unknown @ 1:55 PM
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