April 29, 2012
Puerto de San Glorio
up the N-621 and down to Llanaves de la Reina
There's a certain amount of negativity and pessimism in my head (understandably given the weather during the past couple of weeks in Spain) before I peer around the bedroom curtains at just after nine o'clock. What that does is make the joy of seeing blue sky and white peaks all so much sweeter and everything gets rammed back in the panniers, I scoff a sandwich for breakfast while sitting at the bar downstairs, then load up the bike.
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Some of the sunshine has dissipated by the time I've ridden to the southern edge of Potes,with the sky-high summits obscured now by clouds, some of which linger low in the valley, looking pale, and it feels pretty chilly in sandals. It is, however, dry, and for that I'm extremely grateful.
The incline is okay, not too difficult. It's a 30km climb up to the pass, according to the hotel guy and a woman in the turismo office that I popped into yesterday, wondering if it's possible to escape the rain in Potes by getting a bus, but she said the village is the end of the route.
A couple of cyclists with Ortlieb panniers cruise by me as I'm getting the tripod set up for a self-timed shot. I'd seen them getting their bikes ready in Potes as I left and had felt bad not having stopped to talk, what with me focused on getting the hell out of there.
The sun tries to come out, but it doesn't seem to have the drive, although every so often areas of the landscape appear dabbled in light, either the snowy mountains or the green meadows lower in the valley. One eye is kept on the rain clouds that loom over the near horizon.
The quiet N621 - a car goes by once every 10 minutes - passes through a couple of villages which have accommodation signposted. The last place is around 15 km from Potes, after which there doesn't seem much at all - not even bus shelters.
Around 7 km from the pass is when the rain comes.
With no buildings to offer shelter, I duck under a rock that's sticking out of a grassy embankment. Fortunately it's just a spring shower that is over in a few minutes. A couple of kilometers later it starts again - actually it's snow - and I hide against a rock face as the wind blows the flakes around me. Again, it's over pretty quick.
Looking behind, the storm clouds drift north, but more sweep over the white peaks to the south.
The final kilometers to the top are all out in the wide open, but luckily it stays dry.
My lowest gears are used most of the time and it's one of those inclines that doesn't look very steep, but which keep me spinning away and my computer reads around 7 km/hr.
Patches of snow began to appear by the roadside yet I'm sweating in my short-sleeved wool top.
A mirador with a viewing platform has a great vista and it makes a good excuse to stop and look back down at the winding road. The sun comes out for a minute and I eat the second orange that I bought in Potes; glad that I did so as there's nowhere to get a bite to eat here.
Thirty kilometers isn't far if it's flat, but each one has been up.
At 1,609 metres, it's very chilly standing on Puerto de San Glorio, with the wind blowing over the pass right into my face, like an icy slap. I set up the tripod for a photo of me against the altitude sign and it starts to snow. Marvelous; just what I need.
It's a quick stop and after donning my fleece and yellow windproof, it's time to get out of here.
The drop twists ahead, the tarmac winding across a landscape of a broad valley with snowy mountains ringing it and I freewheel because my fingers and toes really suffer the bite of the low temperature if my speed goes over 40 km/hr.
After 5 km, the one-street village of Llanaves de la Reina has a hotel and although it's only four o'clock, enough is enough and in my mind, there's a decent chance that the following day will bring better weather, perhaps some sunshine, and there's no rush.
A woman in the hotel gives me some useful advice about the road heading north. This is a cul-de-sac that ends at a place called Cains and hopefully the weather will be kind and I can make it there for a night before starting to double back.
Today's ride: 35 km (22 miles)
Total: 2,323 km (1,443 miles)
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