Cares Gorge (Holiday 6/14)

(bottom right, the little purple bit on the outcrop, that's Mel. For scale)

The Cares Gorge, I'll put this right up front, is an astonishing place. It carves a scar through the landscape, and not long after starting the 20km or so walk out from Poncebos to Cain and back, a few kilometres of climbing puts us about halfway between the river flowing at the bottom of the gorge, and the craggy peaks rising on either side. The weather is grey, but there's no loss of grandeur for all of that, mist clinging to the sides in places, rain occasionally making the way slippery underfoot.

One of the good things about the drizzle is that it may keep the crowds away, the gorge is something of a walking hotspot, despite this also being something of an accident hotspot. Quick stat: 80% of all accidents in the Picos de Europa mountain range occur in this gorge. That's pretty sobering, but the reasons behind it are pretty simple - it's easy to get to (especially from the end we're starting at - we park 100m from the start of the walk), and despite the initial climb, the going is pretty easy. But what it also has is sheer drops from the edge of the path; and being easy to get to people turn up for a wee saunter in trainers, no real cover against the possibility of bad weather (and from Tripadvisor reviews no water or food....). It's like people at home wandering up Ben Nevis in flip-flops.

Even being 'quiet' there are a fair number of people about, and I'm not the world's most sociable person, especially when I want to get out into the great outdoors. But it's a large landscape that can soak up a lot of the people, as we look down on the path cut into the cliff edge, snaking away. There's one moment in a little side-cut, which is almost vertigo-inducing, looking over a 300 foot drop to the path just 20 or 30 feet over on the other side. Feeling like you're losing your balance with no guardrail beside that drop? That's adrenaline right there....

The gorge narrows as you get further upstream towards Cain, and naturally it's not as deep or as high, and here there are more of the tunnels cut into the rock side. Though it lacks the drama of the earlier part of the walk. But the other astonishing thing you see here and there is a canal cut into the rock, which feeds a hydro plant downstream. It's gradually sloping downhill, sometimes disappearing into long tunnels, the occasional window showing its presence; at other times, the upward path suddenly looking down on the running water. I get in my head it would be fantastic to canoe down.

I'm surprised there isn't a company offering it - this is a place where there are 'adventure sports' companies at almost every turn, the river coming out of the gorge turning into a wide watery passage with spots of rapids, all enticing watersports. Sadly I guess e-on (which owns the canal) might frown on the idea; and some of the tunnels might be a bit low, but even so, there must be a guerilla canoeist out there....

On top of the views and the canal and the tunnels the other thing to spot is.... Loads of little white tissues. I can't stop noticing them after Mel mentions them (and oh you then start noticing them everywhere you walk in the countryside), and it's not really pleasant. It seems that when the Spanish have a need to go in the great outdoors, they clean themselves (a good thing), but then toss the tissue on the ground. If you want to know where not to put your bag down, just look for the tissues.

Oh, and first proper sighting of Griffin Vultures - we'll see more, I'm sure, but I love these guys. And the Choughs. And a little juvenile Black Redstart. And first ever spots of Crag Martins and a Rock Bunting. And Goats (c'mon, you weren't going to get a holiday journal without wildlife reports...).

Worth looking at the extras.

* * *

A rather more exciting morning, before the walk, than hoped for. I don't know why I decided to check on my wallet, but finding it wasn't in the room, then not out in the car.... I've got an app on the phone that tracks a little 'tile' in the wallet, so a check of that and,, bugger, last seen on a road 6 or 7 miles away over a hill on the other side of the valley.

And so out in the pouring rain to try and find it. It wasn't where the app said, but it pings every few minutes so it could have been a little closer to home, and right enough, just as I was giving up, there it is lying in the road! A few cards lying spilled out, and everything soaked, but all there.

After the walk yesterday I can only think I was faffing with bags, and put the wallet on the roof of the car. Though it's then taken about 5 miles to fall off.... Second time I've done that - last time, near Edinburgh, I lost everything (including a very nice wallet annoyingly).

Don't know how long it'll take to dry out though....