Going into the mountains means ascents and descents (you've heard all of this before from me). Wednesday meant climbing to the "Cruz de Hierro" (the "Iron Cross") and Saturday meant mastering "O Cebreiro."
These two mountain passes are the last major challenges to the Camino de Santiago. There's no doubt that they are formidable.

For the Cruz de Hierro, I got up early and started the ascent. I was interrupted by a bar that promised a spectacular breakfast buffet for 3 €. I indulged myself, enjoying especially the muesli cereal. Then it was back to serious climbing.

The ascent to the Cruz de Hierro wasn't too bad, all told. It required a lot of stamina and endurance, but it seemed to arrive quicker than I had anticipated.

The Cruz has become a catharsis point for hikers, who leave rocks and stones, and sometimes worn-out hiking boots, wool socks, etc., symbolizing the burdens they've carried on the Camino. So the Cruz de Hierro has become something of a landfill.
The mountain passes were full of wildflowers (especially yellow and purple). A number of people have asked me the names of these flowers in English, and I'm embarrassed not to know. Anybody out there in reader-land know?


Since we were ascending on a sunny day to high levels, we were able to see the valleys below.

It was just a magnificent landscape of God's handiwork.
Coming down from the Cruz de Hierro was a different story. Apparently there are no rules on how steep a descent can be, and these descents were all of that and dangerous. That I didn't fall or sprain/break an ankle can only be attributed to God's mercy.
There were some unhappy hikers as we made the trek down the mountain. some of the Camino paths were fairly washed out, so it was dicey at best.

Eventually, everyone seemed to come out of it okay.
Saturday's trek to O Cebreiro was another story. This was a climb that would require a great deal of strength, character, and perseverance.
For O Cebreiro, I started the day extra early, as I wanted to get it over with. Climbing in the morning, when it's cool is far easier than the afternoon. Well, I climbed, and climbed and climbed. When I ran out of energy I ate all the remaining bread and dried sausage that I had left. Then it was further ascending, in a seemingly endless repetition. I thought that I'd never get there.
At a bar in La Faba, someone said that the worst was over. Gosh were they wrong! Note to self: don't listen to people for advice who haven't made the Camino before!


I was passed along the way by someone running up O Cebreiro. I was shocked by his strength.
Upon entering the Province of Galicia, the distance (mileage) stones began, starting with 150 km remaining until Santiago.

Finally, when I never thought it would end and my body was covered on sweat, I made it to the top of O Cebreiro. What a great feeling to be there! And the views on this sunny day were simply spectacular!


I stopped for a refreshment with my Irish friend Eugene. He's a much better hiker than I am, so I only catch up with him when he takes a break.
Then it was time to continue on. There wouldn't be a huge descent that day, as there were still some up and down peaks to climb. In fact, because I was so exhausted (but still had to walk another 10 km), these seemed harder than O Cebreiro. There was even a climb called the "Alto de Poyo."


I finally arrived, totally depleted, at the albergue at FonfrÃa. It was getting full, but there was still a bed left for me. What a great end to a great day!