Mountain Road or Ballota Route

It’s not that hard and it’s beautiful, you should do it !

Just to put things into perspective: I’m a sure-footed 55-year-old woman who grew up in the country and considers herself to be in pretty good shape. I hike in pants and mid-top boots, and I use trekking poles—so take that information for what it’s worth!

If you’re a social person who would rather be surrounded by people, concrete, traffic, and have unlimited access to coffee, day old jamon sandwhiches and tortillas, throughout the day, I’d recommend staying on the coast.

However, if you enjoy a peaceful walk in solitude, small Spanish villages with white stucco walls and red clay rooflines nestled in lush green valleys, with fog draping over the mountains like a warm blanket rolling through the landscape, a cool breeze, birds chirping, and the distant sound of bells from grazing animals, this may be the route for you.

The mountain route.

The first 5 km is mostly a dirt trail—wide enough that an off-road vehicle could navigate it—with the exception of the first of three steep inclines. That climb lasts about half a kilometer.

After the first 5 km, the Camino moves onto a blacktop road. For the next 2 km, the road remains fairly level with only a slight incline. I saw exactly three vehicles during this stretch.

At around kilometer 7, you’re back on a well-maintained dirt road that appears to have been built primarily for accessing the power lines. After a short but steep half-kilometer climb—the second of the three—you’ll reach beautiful open pastures, complete with guardian dogs keeping watch over the herds.

Yes, the dogs approached. Yes, they barked. But with my enrrgy, I let them know I was the alpha, and they respectfully kept their distance.

Just before reaching the 10 km mark, you’ll tackle the final ascent—the third and last of those steep half-kilometer climbs. At this point, you’ve completed the majority of the elevation gain, aside from some smaller ups and downs along the way.

You’ll then enter a cow pasture, and chances are you’ll encounter cows. Don’t be afraid. Just walk past them the same way you would pass slow traffic on the road. Give them some space, keep moving, and carry on.

Once you exit the pasture, you’ll begin the single-track portion. This is where trekking poles can be helpful, although they’re certainly not necessary. The trail is rocky and slightly overgrown in places, but it’s absolutely passable.

Just past kilometer 12, the single track opens onto a rough double-track dirt road. Somewhere around kilometer 14, you’ll return to blacktop, which you’ll follow until reconnecting with the coastal route at approximately kilometer 17.5.

All said and done, you’ve just completed nearly 2,300 feet of elevation gain in 17.5 km’s

See? It wasn’t that hard!

Ich habe die Bergroute gewaehlt, obschon ich zuvor einige Kommentare sah, die davor warnten: sie sei nur fuer berggewohnte und trittsichere Pilger. Ich habe es nicht bereut. Der Weg ist gut markiert und unterhalten und bietet keine besonderen Schwierigkeiten.