PR-PNPE-29. Pass Los Picayos, Picos de Europa
This hiking route “Los Picayos” is within the Picos de Europa National Park, starting in “San Esteban” (Asturias), to end in “Tresviso ” (Cantabria). It has a slope of more than 700 meters with areas of considerable hardness and lasts approximately four hours at an easy pace and with small stops to get supplies.
It is a demanding, beautiful route with history, as it was used by shepherds to go up and down from Tresviso to San Esteban. We only recommend it on the way up and on perfectly clear days. The best option is to then go down to “Urdón”, which will take us two more hours (be careful with vehicle logistics).
It crosses a forest of centuries-old beech trees (some with a perimeter of five meters) and several hills within the Picos de Europa National Park, looking out at various times to the Deva River as it passes through the Hermida Gorge, and you can also see the Cantabrian Sea and Tina Mayor.
At ten thirty we are in the parking lot in San Esteban, it is autumn and the town is gloomy and cold but beautiful at the same time. We can still see some chestnuts on the ground covered with leaves, while we organize our backpacks.
We started walking and soon crossed the recreational area, with its tables and barbecues submerged among century-old chestnut trees. Nice picture, but I don’t imagine who could enjoy sitting and eating on these benches without it being a warm day in July or August.
The path is narrow, somewhat confusing, which makes our pace a little slower than usual, a fact that pleases me because I was never a fan of just doing kilometers. The single file is mandatory.
The slope is continuous and far from giving a break, it becomes increasingly steeper, leading to having to put your hands down on several occasions. Steps with some danger make this route a daring one for beginners.
We are four mountaineers who are in good shape and two of us have already done this route before. We are accompanied by a “German Shepherd and a Border Collie” who we keep loose since they never leave our side and never bother other animals, wild or not, that we meet along the way. Keep in mind that one of the park’s rules is that dogs are on a leash.
We will be at about 750 meters of altitude when we turn over the Hermida gorge, with the Deva river below. We can see the Cantabrian Sea in the background, Tina Mayor, the beginning of the gorge, Peñarubia in front, the Cocón mountain range just above and Los Picayos under our feet. This image is what we were looking for when choosing the route. We still have a long way to go but it is the best place to have a lunch that on the other hand should not be a meal. The gathering is obligatory and as we always say – “Whoever had the brilliant idea of taking a shortcut here.”
We continue with more handrails and protected areas, difficult to climb and I don’t want to think about how this will be lowered with a little water.
We already see the path that goes up from “Urdón-Tresviso” which tells us that we will soon see this small Cantabrian town that has its entrance through Asturias.
It is half past two when we sit down to eat in a covered picnic area located in the town behind the church.
Today we will go down to La Hermida through “Urdón” which will take us two hours and we will finish the day by bathing in “Las Termas de la Hermida” at dusk.
Length: 7 km (one way).
Elevation difference: 700 meters.
Duration: 4 hours.
Difficulty: High. It has very exposed sections.
Tips: Go in the morning, only uphill, well equipped, only clear days, better without children, not suitable for people with vertigo, pets may refuse to take a step and it is not a place for them to go out running after some goat or other animals.
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