This day calls for patience and strong legs. You’ll be on the move for around six hours, and it’s almost constantly up or down. It’s rarely nastily steep, but the hills just keep coming, and together they add up to more than 500 metres of climbing.
After Gernika you quickly leave the buildings behind and head into the green hill country of Bizkaia. Woodland, meadows, the odd farmhouse, with a stretch of tarmac in between. Just as you find your rhythm, the next slope appears. Take the climbs steadily and you’ll still have some energy left for the final stretch to Lezama, a quiet village close to Bilbao. You’ll arrive with warm calves and a contented mind. Walk at your own pace, because the hills aren’t going anywhere.