April 22, 2019
The missing middle
restaurant station to Logrosan
For the first 14kms today continued on the Vias Verdes de la Jara climbing following a river on a sunny day as slowly a mountain range comes into view. Just before the mountain range the Vias Verdes stops at Santa Quiteria station, as the rail tunnel is flooded ahead.
At Santa Quireia station, a noticeboard was fallen over, which showed walking routes in the area so I could see a possible way ahead. So left the rail right of way behind and joined a paved road that slowly climbs to the small town of Puerto de San Vicente. Couldn’t find a decent shop but did get some muffins as I was getting hungry. From town climbing begins but it was a shorter climb than the descend afterwards which had a walking track next to it but it was stony surface so not great grip so used the highway to descend quickly to the bottom where we crossed the rail right of way which is over taken by nature and soon afterwards according to my map rail right of way was not even developed.
The walking route takes a more steeper route both up and down instead of going around like the road does.
Had to do more climbing and this sections is quiet mountainous and can understand why rail wasn't completed here as it would have been hard to build.
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Made it to Alia just after 2pm but got caught out by siesta as supermarket closed just as I arrived. So continued on to the town of Guadalupe, which is a religious town which had a high railway viaduct built here. Managed to obtain some food at one of the numerous restaurants open before cycling out on the viaduct. The railway station was built further east under the main road using a tunnel, so went for a look. Heading west the rail right is able to be cycled until meeting the highway, where it is not a surface you can ride.
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However soon afterwards the rail right of way becomes a track that branches away from highway just before highway begins a climb, so I followed it. It went through one tunnel where I had to walk my bike and then after a station another tunnel is a head but blocked by blackberries. So left bike and went for an explore finding inside that the tunnel was not completed as I literally hit a dead end.
Now I had to figure out how to get back to the road which was high above me, eventually finding a goat track where I had to push bike up a hill all the way to the pass. Where I discovered that the tunnel below was the reason why the railway line was abounded as the tunnel was found to be unstable and this confirm that trains never made it to Guadalupe despite the viaduct and numerous stations built before the tunnel was complete.
Had a choice between routes to descend to Logrosan deciding on the quieter less slightly less climbing route that also let me see remains of rail right of way more. Finding that embankments and viaducts and tunnels had been built but not possible to cycle on it until town of Logrosan. By now it was 8pm so found one store that was open to get some food before camping down at the railway station. Weather was looking more overcast now and I expected rain tomorrow.
Today's ride: 97 km (60 miles)
Total: 158 km (98 miles)
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