April 5, 2023 to April 6, 2023
Santa Olalla del Cala - Cordoba
Stage 3
Mornings are brisk up here, and dark. I left Santa Olalla del Cala at about 8 but could barely read the GPS screen because the sun was not yet up.
Conditions were great for the climb up to Almaden de la Plata where the sun was up so I stopped for coffee in the square.
Rural roads took us past pigs, cows, and sheep, some on the road, some behind fences. A chunky climb, that looked worse on paper than irl, was over before the heat of the day.
Cazalla de la Sierra was in full lunch mode when I arrived, so getting water from a bar was no problem. This is a lush green area, fruit trees in blossom and grass growing faster than its being eaten. The trail out of town was a lovely single track down to a river and under a rail bridge.
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The treat of the day was joining the Via Verde, which is an old rail line, fully sealed for bikes - no gravel here!
I arrived at Batan de las Monjas at around 4 and set up camp for the night. A messy but tasty hash of eggs, chirizo and potato made a filling dinner. I also gave Wally a bath and cleaned his teeth (and chain).
It was a chilly night and for departure I was wearing tights, vest, long sleeve merino, riding top, puffer vest, and puffer jacket. From the texture of the can of butt butter I'd guess it was about 2 degrees. Very stingey fingers as I packed up the tent, in the dark.
By first breakfast I'd only removed 1 layer, but by 1030 I was back in summer mode.
The trail started as usual on dirt roads, then a RH turn onto a sheep track was the beginning of 5 km of sketchy track - mostly the vague concept of a track. Frustratingly, it ran alongside a perfectly nice looking road - with a gateless fence between.
A bloke in a ute stopped to encourage me by saying I was nearly at the exit, but the spectre of a locked gate still hangs about! The gate was not locked, and I finally got onto the road.
After that it was sealed road, mostly down hill, and into a changed Iandscape of orange and olive trees. Who would have thought orange blossom could be become so ... overpowering and cloying?
Back in a more populated environment, the approach to Codoba was along a water race and there were a few riders out, getting started on their Easter break.
My water stop in Almodovar del Rio turned into an ice cream stop - yum! - and I think/hope there will be many more of these on this ride.
In Cordoba central it seemed as though the whole city was out for the Easter parade, and the atmosphere was very festive.
Hostel check in was followed by shower, laundry, shopping, drying the tent, eating dinner,... OMG, so much admin to get done!
That's Stage 3 done: 191 km, 2090m climbing was the plan; 174km and 2480m elevation gain was our actual track. It is difficult to see where I "saved" 17km but climbed an additional 392m - my small deviation before Posadas where I stayed on the sealed road, which ran parallel to the GPS track doesn't really account for the difference.
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Today's ride: 174 km (108 miles)
Total: 638 km (396 miles)
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