Winter is coming…

I headed up into the mountains today for a run, after frustratingly not being able to find anyone to go climbing with in the first spell of good weather we've had for nearly a fortnight. I knew where I was going, I'd been before with Simon. Blast down the motorway towards Léon, come off at Campomanes, then follow the signs to Sotiello, through Tuiza and on to Tuiza Arriba - the end of the road. After getting stuck behind some heavy machinery on its way to one of the many construction sites for the new high-speed railway, I passed the last half built tunnel, and I was away, slowly twisting my way up the winding switchback road to the top. After the steep climb of almost 1000 metres (poor car!) which had my water bottle crackling all the way up with the pressure, I parked up in Tuiza Arriba, got out of my car and stared at the mountains in front of me.

Snow on the mountains behind Tuiza Arriba (1300m), Asturias, Spain

They were covered in snow.

Of course, I knew that the first snows had hit the Picos de Europa last week, but this was some one thousand metres lower in altitude, and still there was a decent covering. My mind was racing with the possibilities for climbing in the big mountains. Now the need to find a partner of equal ability and experience is even more pressing. I pulled myself away from the view and after a quick stretch - I never was a great believer in long warm-ups - I set off running. I wanted to reach the col above the village so that I could see the view on the other side, and with sunset in two hours, I was going to have to get a move on. Oh well, I thought, I've packed a head-torch, what's the worst that can happen.

As it turns out, Bulls. Lots of bulls, all over the path I was running along. I'd driven nearly an hour to get here, there was no way I was turning back. I started trotting towards them, and to my amazement, they all turned and ran away. It must have been a bad hair day. With my bovine obstacles out of the way, all that stood between me and the col was... well, a very steep hill. I arrived at the top, some 400 metres higher and 4 kilometres along the track, panting and spluttering my way to an incredible view. After soaking it up for a few minutes, I noticed that my hands were numb. It was windy and cold up here, and I was dressed for running, not for hanging about. Better get back on the move, before I get so cold that I injure myself. I looked behind me at Tuiza, my starting point. It seemed a long way, although thankfully now it was a long way down, instead of a long way up.

Looking down on Tuiza from the col above. You can just see the village in the valley below.

I tumbled back down, my earlier adversaries nowhere to be seen, and had a quick look around the village before getting into my car and riding the brakes all the way down to the motorway. This is how I want to spend my afternoons. This is why I came here. This is Asturias.

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