Camino de Santiago - Day 9 - Ponferrada to Triacastela

Biking Day 9

• Ponferrada ---> Triacastela
• 72.4 km (45 miles)
• 6 hours (with lunch break and breaks to rest)
• Total Distance Traveled: 575.8 km (357.9 miles)

Another beautiful day of biking, but physically draining and even harder inclines. I left Ponferrada around 7:30 this morning and started making my way out of town. I thought I might run into my two friends Danielle and Aubrey, who said they were leaving at 6:00 am, but I never did see them. It was a nice easy ride for the first etapa (stage), good way to wake up and get ready for the large incline coming up.

Leaving Ponferrada

The mountains that I was crossing today were not as high as the ones entering Ponferrada, but the incline was a little more over a way shorter distance. The day before only had a rise around 600 meters, roughly 2000 feet, over about 25 km (15.5 miles). Today was about a 650 meter rise (2150 feet) over only 8.5 km (5.3 miles). So it rose roughly the same amount in a third of the distance.

From Ponferrada to a town called Las Hierrerías was 38.7 km (24.1 miles) and was easy. I rode fast and it mainly was on streets until outside Ponferrada when it switched to dirt roads cutting through wine fields.

On the way to Villafranca

Crossing a cool bridge into a town for breakfast

From Las Herrerías to O Cebreiro was the large incline. It was hot when I started going up and the sweat was dripping from the visor of my helmet like crazy. The 6 km (3.7 miles) to a town called Laguna de Castilla seemed to last forever. As I was going up I ran into a few British women I have seen occasionally along the way, a mother and daughter, who were taking a break about a 1 km (.6 miles) from Laguna de Castilla. They said there was a bar there they were going to stop at so I pushed forward and got some lunch and waited for them to arrive. They think I am crazy because of how fast I do the stages. I enjoy going hard for short distances at a time, 50 - 70 km (30 - 45 miles), while they like to ride all day at a slower pace and go just a bit further. I ate lunch with them and they wanted to take a picture with me to remember the "crazy American" even though I don´t think I doing the camino that fast. (maybe just going quickly to each destination. I had a nice big sandwich and some fruit then finished the last 2.5 km (1.6 miles) to O Cebreiro.

Going up

hot day, needed a food break halfway up

Almost to the top

Once at the top I rested for a good 45 minutes. There was a strong brisk breeze that dried up all the sweat that was drenching my clothes and I sat looking down at the valley enjoying the views and the climb I did while I rested up.

At the top, resting at O Cebreiro

She needed a rest too

I planned on stopping there for the day, but event though I was tired I decided to do the next stage of 20.6 km (12.8 miles) to a town called Triacastela because the last 12.1 km (7.5 miles) were all down hill and on the road, so it seemed only logical to go forward.

Getting ready to go down the other side

Other side of the mountain, now the easy part

I got into Triacastela and found an albergue, cleaned up then went and got some food for lunch and dinner at the supermarket.


I planned on finishing the Camino on the 28th, but now I think I will be able to finish on the 27th. Tomorrow I am planning on going 81 km (50.3 miles) to a town called Melide and then the last day will be a relaxed 53.1 km (33 miles) into Santiago de Compostela.