Teruel day 2

October 17, 2023

We’re both heading east of town today. She’s hikin’, I’m bikin’. I’m out the door first, so we’ll start there.

Bike

I’ve got an ambitious ride plotted out for myself today, one I don’t really expect to complete all of. It’s a forty mile out and back to Cedrillas, a village in the mountains east of town that has a ruined castle crowning the hill behind it. It’s been a day or two since I’ve seen a ruined castle, so I’m pretty charged about that idea.

With a 2:00 lunch date at the same place we ate yesterday to get back for, I get an early start to give myself the best chance of getting far enough to see the castle. I’m out the door by just past nine, smartly saving myself a few minutes by not leaving one of my gloves jammed in the elevator door this time. After a couple of miles escaping town and crossing the autovia I come to my turnoff to Cedrillas and the real ride begins.

Besides the time constraint, the real reason I’m not optimistic about making it to Cedrillas is this eleven mile climb staring me in the face, the most significant climb I’ll tackle on this tour. With over two thousand feet of elevation gain, I’m not really sure that it’s going to work in my current condition. I’m not really concerned about it though, because if it’s not working out I can just turn around and coast back.

My prospects dim somewhat when it occurs to me that I didn’t remember to refill my water bottle and charge it with electrolytes. I’m about to reach down to see how full it is when I remember that I didn’t just forget to fill it - I forgot to carry it down from our hotel room. A quick glance confirms it - I’m out here in the remote, arid countryside climbing a mountain without water. I can’t wait to tell Rocky when I get back about how stupid I’ve been again, knowing that she’ll remind me for the umpteenth time that a check list might help.

Again though, I’m not overly concerned. It’s solidly overcast today and not at all warm. If I come to a village with a store open along the way I can pull off and try to get a refill; and again of course I can just turn around and coast back.

On the plus side, I’m carrying a lighter load up the hill without all that ballast holding me back.

You don’t need to get far east of Teruel at all before you’re all alone, surrounded by spectacular country.

I’m about halfway up the first of the three sections the climb is composed of that I look up the road and see an animal in it maybe two hundred yards off. A coyote is my first thought, as I immediately stop and reach back for the Lumix. But then as it runs off the road and starts scrambling up a slope a second one appears behind it. And I look up at the top of this low rise and see a different one closer by, intently staring back at me. Chamois!

She’s still there while I’ve got the camera aimed and focused on her, but I can’t get my hands to stop shaking at first from the exertion of climbing for the last two miles. Miraculously though she just keeps staring, giving me what must be at least a half minute before she finally drops off the other side of the rise, the other four members of her herd following behind. Wonderful. I’ll be thinking back on this encounter for a long time.

The followers. Apparently chamois travel in small herd of females and youngsters like this, the males staying away until rutting season.

So, back to the grind. The good thing about this climb is that it’s broken into thirds, so that you get breaks along the way. The bad thing is that all three take some effort, and are progressively harder as you climb. The first one gains about 600’ at a steady 5-6%; the next is the same but steeper, maybe 7-8%; and once you’re well softened up the third one rises before you, half again as long and steeper yet at 9-10% most of the way. Slow going.

Looking back toward the warehouse district north of Teruel from the top of the first climb.

Looking down at the autovia and what I think is the road south we’ll leave town on tomorrow. It’s pretty windy, fortunately generally in my favor, and the blades on the turbines atop yonder ridge are spinning.

Looks down but I’m still climbing, near the top of the second section.

I look back, taking heart from the knowledge that I’ll be coasting down this thing later.

Between the second and third climbs I come to the turnoff to Corbalán. Theoretically l could fill my bottle there, but the village looks small enough and off route enough that it doesn’t look worth the effort. And I’m doing fine without water so far because it’s still cool and the mild tailwind is keeping me that way - great conditions for a climb. I still haven’t even taken off my outer layer, and as I gain elevation it’s feeling even cooler and breezier.

Corbalán. What are the odds that this lonely village (pop. 109 at last census) will have a store open and sell me a bottle of water, because I wouldn’t trust the local supply? Low, I reckon, and keep climbing.

As I said, the third section is the longest and hardest, and steep enough that I regret that I can’t get into my lowest gear. At this point though I just slow down and grind it out, watching the remaining distance slowly diminish on the ClimbPro page of the Garmin; and soon enough the summit comes into view.

There’s more sky ahead as the land opens up and I near the summit. The pitch hasn’t backed off yet, but it’s heartening to see the end in sight.

So I was wrong a few days back. THIS is the high point of the tour.

This way too. Pretty empty country in all directions.

We’re up in the snow zone here, with snow poles and avalanche barriers lining the road. I can’t see the castle yet, but I’m not surprised. After about another mile there’s about a ninety degree bend in the road, and once around that corner it might be visible so I risk the investment and start coasting.

When I get there though, there’s still no there there so I turn back. With more time I’d keep going, but that would definitely make me late for lunch.

I’ll just drop through that gap and take a peek round the corner.

So, I turn back and climb back up to the summit. About the time I arrive there another lone cyclist approaches from the other direction, the only one I’ve seen since leaving Teruel. We give enthusiastic waves to each other as we pass, and then I settle in for the long descent ahead.

I’m not far into it when I feel a few sprinkles and start getting anxious about the weather, my exposure, and the fact that I didn’t bring my rain jacket with me either. Just how chilly is this descent going to be, I wonder. But it’s fine, and as I lose elevation it gradually gets warmer and the sky clears up somewhat.

One last delight for the day comes when I look ahead and see two large raptors circling ahead, likely griffon vultures. As I get nearer though a different pair of birds flies overhead - red tailed kites - and circle around long enough to give me a good look. And soon after, there’s a third pair passing overhead, ravens this time. They’re obviously all here taking advantage of an updraft.

I make it back to the room just before 1:30 - plenty of time. And I see that Rachael’s in the vicinity,maybe two blocks away but moving the other direction. I give her a call to make sure she’s not lost, but of course she’s just adding on a bit more at the end so she can round up to the next mile.

We’ll make better time in this direction.

Red tailed kite, obviously. Three views of the same bird. I especially love the tail-on view that shows the feathered wing tips and tilted tail.

Spectacular country. I’m going to miss it.

Heart

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Kelly IniguezThat is a very good day's work! I bet lunch was delicious!
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6 months ago

Scott AndersonTo Kelly IniguezYup. Ride was great, the chamois were great, lunch was great, the wine was great. It’s all good.
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6 months ago

Ride stats today: 33 miles, 3,400’; for the tour: 1,209 miles, 46,900’

Hike

When I was first looking for a hike in Teruel it didn’t seem like there would be many options. However, it turned out that less than a mile away there was an amazing trail. And when I came to the end of that trail there were several untraveled dirt roads that were also amazing. This hike goes in the top ten!

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Today's ride: 33 miles (53 km)
Total: 1,199 miles (1,930 km)

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