The moment you leave Noia behind, the climbing begins. It’s not a steep wall, but a long, patient slope that draws you away from the ría and up into the hills. You climb well over 500 metres, and you’ll feel it mostly in the first few hours.
Once you’re up top, it gets a lot more relaxed. You descend far less than you climb, so your legs do most of the work at the start. The effort level is low, and rightly so, as long as you take the climb steadily. After more than 5 hours of walking you arrive in Urdilde. You put your rucksack down, take off your boots and the afternoon is yours.