August 19, 2015
Wind-turbines Aren't The Only Renewable: Rio Jabalon to beyond Fuertecaliente.
I am up at my usual time as the sun is breaking over the horizon. About when two fishermen arrive nearby in a car and without looking toward my tent, take their rods and gear and go down to the water's edge. Then a lot more turn up and later, when I've cycled back out to the road and am crossing over the bridge upon the road onwards, a group of boys on rocks on the opposite riverbank looking over to where I'd camped, shout up at me "Buen viaje!"
Just up the rise from the river, road CM413 splits off right toward Aldea del Rey. The countryside olive grove and stubble field plain edged by rocky hills on either side.
I reach Aldea del Rey after twenty-six kilometres. A village off to the right of the highway which, I turn off for at a roundabout, hoping to find a supermercado, but passing through the narrow main street, only pass a café with loud animated chatter within. Then pass a woman selling red peppers and other local produces from the front of her house. Then a second café and more chatter. In short, nowhere to stop and resupply for the day.
I re-join CM413, where the next place, Puertollano is twenty-seven kilometres further. The way continuing flat with smooth road surface and ample shoulder, allowing me to bowl along and cover the distance fairly fast; until seeing town from five kilometres off, a sizable place spread out over a hillside ahead. The final kilometres are autovia, so I ride upon a service road alongside, going steeply up and terminates at a roundabout where the turning for the centre leads into a commercial park, an avenue with out-of-town stores along one side and at once see a huge Carrefour.
I spend some time inside the hypermarket making sure I've everything necessary for the day; even buying emergency food, a can of baked beans, in case there's a remote section ahead. Most of what I have is fluid to quench thirst: five litres in addition to three litres of water.
The way on with a heavily laden bike is further uphill pass the town centre, then a sign "Cordoba 162 km" at kilometre 162, having re-joined N420.
Once over the crest of the hill, the other side of town resembles a post nuclear attach, inasmuch as the whole valley to the left of the road is a disused open cast mine with a mountain of spoil.
I see on the Michelin map two inverted arrows in three places on the road ahead, meaning three climbs. And shortly after approaching a range of hills, I'm climbing the first of them, which is a moderate seven per cent grade going diagonally across the hillside and before long summits at about nine-hundred metres. Swooping down the other side and levelling out in a valley almost ten kilometres wide of whitey-light brown rough pasture with a sturdy over two metre high chain-link and barb-wire fence by the roadside, thereupon are warning signs not to enter.
At this point I lunch under a tree along a farm service road, also with high fenced in pastured either side. And from here I see the reason for the high fences and warning signs as clusters of cattle loll about in the pastureland. Looking closely they are all bulls being rear for beef. An associate worked on a farm in Ireland rearing bull-beef, explained: not being castrated, they grow very quickly, being ready for slaughter at about twelve months of age, having spent life indoors with high pen divisions as otherwise they'll jump over anything lower. And of course, bulls are aggressive: he mentioned one day, someone left a gate open and the bulls escaped from the shed and for safely, he had to scrabble into a tractor cab out of their way. Hence the high fence and warning signs around the pasture here.
The second climb is tougher at about ten per cent gradient and longer, being five kilometres from the first steep hairpin bend until the final incline to the summit. The road on the other side sweeps down into pleasant pine forest countryside rising to rocky escarpment either side; itinerary, which would remain unchanged for the remainder of the afternoon.
I continue to near dusk, until kilometre 86, whereon a long incline there's a section of old road to the side, where I find a place for the tent on the old road's verge.
Today's ride: 109 km (68 miles)
Total: 9,437 km (5,860 miles)
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