Today’s highest point is nothing special, but don’t let that fool you. The route goes up and down all day, and you get those 700-plus metres of climbing in small instalments. Just when you’ve found your rhythm, the path points uphill again.
So break the day into sections and take your breaks. You’ll be on the move for almost 8 hours, so there’s nothing to be gained by rushing. At the end, you walk into Bárcena de Pie de Concha, a village in the Besaya valley with the mountains right behind it. Rucksack off, boots off, and no more climbing to do.