This 17 day series of Amanda’s first ever multiday bikepacking trip is exclusively available to Singletrack World Members. It gets more scenic as the journey unfolds, so stay tuned for more updates!
Catch-up:
Vilafranca – La Puebla de Valverde
- Distance: 102km
- Ascent: 1,930m
Today should be a relatively easy day on the bike. We’re well rested, having spent a full day off exploring Vilafranca and relaxing in the massage chairs, and the route profile is a nice balance of ups and downs.
We enjoy a very lazy morning and begin to tackle the steep gravel track back up to civilization at around 10.30am. A couple of pedal strokes in we both realise that hiking through huge caves on our day off wasn’t the wisest move, as we’ve used a bunch of previously neglected muscles. We’re both very sore.
By noon we’ve completed a photoshoot at an ‘Altitud 1,500m’ sign, supposedly our highest point today. Shortly after the sign we pull into a clearing used for log stacks that has a bench and a religious monument and tuck into our pre-made bagels. There’s a huge network of gravel tracks crawling out in several directions, and I really want to sack off our plan for the day and explore. We take this picnic opportunity to stretch out our hiking aches, and upon seeing a train of processionary caterpillars, I quickly get my head back into the plan and have no desire to ride far off the road.
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Following a fast descent with dangerously distracting views of mountains as far as my eyes can focus, we pedal up to an ‘Altitud 1,665m’ sign and we don’t bother with a photoshoot because it’s cold. I am curious as to what our highest point may be today, since it has become clear Rhys either has no idea or he’s fibbing to get me to carry on going. Having a rest day has completely thrown me in terms of knowing what’s in store for the day – we’re on day five of the trip, but day four of riding, and I think I might have scanned over our day five route last night. I’m not entirely sure where we’re headed at this point.
The rest of the day is a very easy pedal with constant distractions from how our legs feel. The view has been pulling us forward, and when that fails we catch sight of goats we want to see, or huge caterpillars nests, beautiful bridges, extravagant buildings with murals worth getting to for a closer look, petrol stations that aren’t closed for a siesta. A full day of carrots to chase, all of which results in us running out of drive before we’ve run out of daylight for the first time this trip.
We’ve stayed at high altitude all day, not dropping below 930m, so despite the route being a gentle, forgiving undulation for the most part, we’ve ended the day at 1,200m in La Puebla De Valverde. Given the amount of unexpected snow we’ve seen so far this trip, we have no intention of sleeping outside up here, and take a chance on a very cheap hotel. Of course, it is a 19th Century hotel with gorgeous wood-beamed high ceilings, featuring a Michelin Star restaurant. Spanish winter (it’s still mid February) is far more pleasant weather than we have in the UK in July, it’s quiet, and we’re being charged more for a bowl of olives than we are for the actual accommodation. We feel like we’ve struck gold in terms of planning, and celebrate with a meal that shocks our taste buds, having lived off Oreos, Lidl €0.99 spanish omelettes and far too much Red Bull up to this point.
We’re overlooking the Sierra de Javalambre mountains, where Rhys tells me there’s a ski resort we can add onto the ride tomorrow. I take this opportunity to ask him to straighten out my confusion over what day we’re on, I check the GPX for tomorrow, and I almost vomit up my Michelin Star risotto when I see the numbers.
Coming next…
Do we pedal up to the ski resort? Why do we throw our food off a bridge? Is this road closed?
