| :: Bears in Redes? |
DESFILADERO DE LOS ARRUDOS (Between 5 and 6 hours)
Access: From Oviedo through the A-8 motorway up to the junction with the AS-17 runs through Pola de Laviana up the dam of Tanes. A branch on the left will take you to the village of Caleao, where you will park your car.
Description of the route: The path starts near the windmill. It will quickly lead you to the hermitage of San Antonio Abad and runs through the hamlets and winter sheds of Ría Fresno, Les Corones, Fresnedo and Les Campes, before ending on a bridge which will lead you to the other bank of the river, to a sheepfold, where the trail ends.
The river starts forming the defile, the path gets narrower and goes up the several old mines; a little later, you will croos the wooden bridge know as La Calaboza, and then you will see "La Escalerona", a steep paved path that will take you the prairie of Colladín, where you can admire the Contorgán passes and Pico Valmartín, which is 1.971 meters high. Follow the river and, before reaching the stream of La Robre, turn to the right and walk to La Fuentona, the place where waters are harnessed for the town of Gijón.
RUTA DEL ALBA (Between 4 and 5 hours)Access: From Oviedo through the A-8 motorway up to
the junction with the AS-249 to Langreo. From here, the AS-17 runs throught Pola de Laviana and leads you Rioseco, where a branch on the right, the SC-2, will take you to Soto de Agues. Leave your car there.
Description of the route: This route, also know as Foces del Llaímo, starts in the village of Soto, near the washing place, where you can stock up with water. An easy, flat path will take you through a fish hatchery and several meadows to an old mineral loading platform; afther walking past another fountain, you will reach a crossing with cabins where the trail ends, on a crossing with one path on each side; walk straight ahead and get into the defile. The path gets narrower in some parts, but is still good and you can make it little less than one hour. After crossing two bridges, you will get to a small slope that will take you to the Cruz de los Ríos, the point where the rivers flowing down from Pico La Forcada and El Retriñón meet. A last bridge separates you from Vega del Llaímo. Use the same route to return.BEZANES / BRAÑAGALLONES (Between 5 and 6 hours)
Access: The Road to Brañagallones starts in the village of Bezanes, located on the boarder of the AS-17 Regional Road leading to the Tarna Pass.
Description of the route: The hike goes along a path which is covered with cement only on its streepest stretches. The path goes up smoothly into the heart of the Natural Park, and finally reaches the Brañagallones sheepfold, where an old inn transformed into a hotel is located. At the beginning, the path runs along the shade of a thick chestnut grove, but the landscape soon opens to the heath areas before the Texu l' Oracion. From this point, it is possible to see Peña´l Vientu. La Rapaona and the confluence of the River Monasterio and the Nalón, offering a splendid landscape. The climb becomes easier after this point, making it possible to enjoy the variety and singularity given to the landscape by the numerous pasturelands adorning the path: first El Raigáu, and later El Fondín, Blaiz and Andorvíu, where you will find the fountain. After walking through the Grandiella sheepfold, the route becomes steep again before reaching the Argayo´l Llobu among beech trees and birches. If you are lucky you will see here some of the herds of chomois grazing in the meadows, at the foot of the Canto l´Oso.
You will then cross the Crestón Bridge, behind which you will see, in the west, the thick beech groves that abound in the Monte de Redes. From here, there is only an easy climb through the trail leading to the meadows of Brañagallones. The current fertile plain results from the natural filing and sealing of an old lake of glacial origin.
PEÑA DEL VIENTO (Between 5 and 6 hours)
We depart from Brañagallones, following the track that, departing from the refuge of hunt for La Vega, thinks up for the valley of the river Monasterio up to reaching Valdebezón's sheepfold. The way continues course west and, after a strong ascension, we continue in south direction up to reaching the high, with the Peña del Viento at sight.
We begin then to descend for the same path, go for the south slope of the Peña del Viento up to coming to the collada of the Raya l'Acebal. We connect in this point with the so called Camín de Castilla, which we will continue up to coming again to Brañagallones.VALLE DEL RIO ENMEDIO (3 hours)
We depart from Orié, together with the cementery, and to the exit of the people we take a cement track for, in the first curve, turn aside to the left side. We continue for a track of land that ascends towards the Valle del rio Orié, and to approximately 200 m we turn aside to the right rising for the Valle del rio Enmedio. We leave the river to the right and continue up to coming to a bridge of trunks, which we cross for, little later, crossing again the river for another bridge. On having come to a crossing way, we take the one that goes more to the left side and that promotes even the outdoor ones of The Vocín. Later on we find a stable, which we will leave to the left side, to descend for a way towards to the river. After crossing it a track takes to the left side that takes to us again Orié.
