Picos de Europa Ring’s central massif 4 day hike
Join Ruben, an AEGM certified guide, on this 4-day trek through Picos de Europa. Explore one of its most magnificent peaks, the Central Massif, and all the wonders around it.
Cantabrian Mountains
4 Days
Jun - Aug
High
Intermediate
Description
In between the provinces of Asturias, Leon and Cantabria lies one of the most beautiful places in Spain, the Picos de Europa National Park. Come with me and explore its central massif on this 4 days adventure.
This park was formerly known as the Covadonga Mountain National Park. And it is a National Park for many reasons. One of the most important ones is to preserve the natural beauty of the place, and the traditions of the people that live here.
I want you to experience both, nature and culture, on this wonderful trip. So I’ll take you through paths amongst magnificent peaks, guardians of this land. Each, Western (Cornion), Central (Urrieles) and Eastern (Ándara), guard their own beauty and their own story. But we will be able to admire all of them!
However, on this trip, we will be spending more time exploring the Central Massif, Urrieles. Departing from the Poncebos bridge, we’ll trek through the famous Cares Route until we reach the town of Cain.
We’ll also trek through different landscapes. So, we’ll find gigantic patches of grasslands, and enchanting woods. And, we’ll trek through dazzling meadows and charming sheepfolds. What’s more, we might even see the rebecos, an ibex native of this area.
Moreover, we will be staying at some of the most welcoming mountain huts and hostels in the region. Some are: Collado Jermoso, Cabrones and El Diablo de la Peña. Not only we’ll recover our energies, we’ll also get the best views of the area on all of them! And, we’ll meet hospitable people, that will share the secret and traditions of their lands.
So wait no more. If you are interested in visiting this magical land send me a request. I can assure we will have an amazing time trekking through Picos de Europa.
Do you want something completely different? Check out this Toubkal ascent and trek in the Sahara Desert.
Price includes
- Accommodation included
- Guiding fee
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- Personal insurance
Price details
- Prices include: guide fee, three nights of accommodation in refuges, three nights accommodation in refuges, three halfboard (dinner + breakfast) in refuges, collective safety equipment, accident insurance. Price doesn’t include: transportation, any other item not mentioned as included.
Itinerary
Day 1: Cares Route
First, we’ll depart from Puente Poncebos (218m). Then, we’ll head into the Cares Route. Because of the magnificent gorges on this route, it is one of the most famous in the country. Upon completion of the route, we’ll arrive to the village of Cain (460m). We will continue going up the Cares River, to the plain and Mount Corona, where we will visit the Chorco de los lobos, to continue to the beautiful town of Cordiñanes, where we will stay at the Hotel Tombo, where we will spend our first night of the trekking.
Day 2: Central Massif
On the second day we’ll head to the Central Massif, and then we’ll walk across the Asotin Channel that will take us to the Asotin sheepfold. Then, we’ll head to the Collado Jermoso shelter, surrounded by the Llambrión peaks and with the best view of the Valdeón valley and the Western Massif.
Day 3: Picu Urriellu
Our third day will begin passing through the Central Massif. Then we’ll head towards the Picu Urriellu, a must stop place in our route. And, we’ll spend the night in the Urriellu shelter.
Day 4: Cabrones-Poncebos
On this day we will head to the Cabrones hut, where we’ll encounter the highest summit of the park, Torrecedo (2,648m). Also, close to the hut, we’ll find the Collada del Agua pass. This is one of the finest viewpoints to the Western Massif. Next, we will go, passing in front of another emblematic summit such as Cabrones, towards the refuge of the same name, where we will get supplies to make a long and pronounced descent from the Cabrones refuge (2,030m) along the slope of Trave and the Canal de Amuesa to reach the beautiful town of Bulnes(648m). From there we only have to descend the Texu channel until Puente Poncebos (218m), place of completion of our beautiful adventure.
Details
More info
There will be picnic lunches available for purchase at each shelter, in order to avoid carrying extra weight. Also, you’ll be able to find blankets on each shelter. Thus, with just a thin sleeping bag or bed sheet sleeping bag is enough.
Meeting point
FAQs
What are some recommended accommodations near our adventure location?
About the guide
Ruben
4.2
(5)
Mountain Leader
Hello!! My name is Rubén Cuesta Valparís and I am a Mountain Guide with official certification and AEGM-UIMLA accreditation (Member Number 913). I have extensive experience in mountain ranges around the world, from the Picos de Europa, my base and school, through the Pyrenees, the Alps, Patagonia, the Himalayas.
I love mountains and nature in general and from my experience and supported by my training, I like to enjoy them and make my clients enjoy them as much as I do, giving them the security they need to perform the activity they want, interpreting the landscape , flora, fauna, ethnography, and promoting respect for nature and the environment where activities take place. I speak Spanish and English.
From my company, Picos Outdoor, we organize activities of hiking, trekking, mountaineering, orientation, etc. and we offer introductory and specialization training courses (can be for groups and individuals) related to all the above.
Languages
English
Certificates
AEGM | UIMLA
What people are saying about Ruben
Amie
I came with my best friend who didn't have much outdoor experience. The entire walk was nice, the weather was half rain half sunny, but nature was super nice and clean. The mates we had in the group are cool, all in all, with Ruben a super experienced guide, we had a lovely hiking which we will remember!
Andrew
Fantastic trek with a very knowledgeable and experienced guide who puts safety first. A little late season snow and ice led to some challenging descents and Reuben made all the right choices in the interest of client safety. Spectacular scenery and Refugio hospitality and group friendliness made it a memorable experience.
adi
Excellent mountain hiker. Not a good guide. Leaving little to no time for stops and rest and provided no help when things turned bad in the 3dr day of the hike
Austin
From the beginning to the end, Ruben and the Explore-Share team were fantastic. Ruben made the 4 day hike enjoyable, educational, and overall a ton of fun. He was super knowledgeable and even during the toughest part of the hikes, we felt incredibly safe. Very thankful for finding explore-share and I'll definitely use them again. I also would be sure to recommend Ruben to anyone looking to hike the Picos!
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