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Trail Run Picos de Europa: The Anillo
Cangas di Onis, Asturias, Spain
Hotel Lagos Nature, Cangas de Onís, SpainWed 22nd July 2020
Organiser's Description
We set out to run the 'Anillo' (The Ring) which covers an immense circular trail throughout the National Park. This trail run has everything and more - rocky crests, gorges, lush valleys, vast glacial lakes, and leafy forests. Over 5 days we’ll experience the very best of what the Picos de Europa has to offer, staying in high mountain refuges and covering rewarding daily distances, all the while surrounded by blissful lofty peaks.
Races
-
Deposit for One Person
Final Balance of £445 Due 12 Weeks Before Departure
£250.00
CLOSED
Book
-
Deposit for One Person
Final Balance of £445 Due 12 Weeks Before Departure
£250.00
CLOSED
What's Included
2 nights accommodation at the Hotel Lagos Nature in Cangas de Onis
2 nights accommodation at Vega de Ario and Vegabaño mountain refuges
Semi-supported trail running trip
Breakfast and dinner throughout the trip
All transfers
1 : 4 guide to runner ratio
3 days of trail running on empty trails
Price is based on twin/double share. Single supplement available.
Location
Hotel Lagos Nature, Cangas de Onís, Spain
How To Get There
We have selected this journey to begin on a Wednesday and to finish on a Sunday to make the most of convenient direct flights to Santander from London Stansted, Edinburgh and Manchester.
We transfer you to the pretty mountain town of Cangas de Onis, which should take 1.5 hours.
Course Details
Demanding
We cater for a full range of running abilities on all of our trips, however there is an assumption that participants on this trip have a solid base level of fitness and have the ability to run up to distances of 20km+. This is a demanding trail which involves three-days of back to back running and suits individuals with experience of mountain running/walking.
Our daily distances on this journey sit between 20-25km, with steep, long climbs and descents involved on all of our running days. You can expect on average to make 1400m climb/-1000m descent per day.
Underfoot conditions vary, from hard-packed trails to mountain passes. Whilst we have picked the very best time of year to visit the Picos de Europa, being in the mountains dictates that you should be prepared for all weather conditions.
Highlights
Trail running the ‘Anillo’ (The Ring) as we make a circumnavigation of the Picos de Europa
Run amongst stunning landscapes which offers immense views from the heart of the National Park
Explore the ancient stronghold of the Cantabrian tribe who fought against the Romans
See a rich variety of local fauna, including chamois and griffon vultures
Stay in high mountain refuges which gives the journey more of an expeditionary experience
Detailed itinerary
GROUP SIZE: MAX 12
Day 1 - Arrival into Santander - Cangas de Onis
No trail running.
Welcome to the Picos de Europa!
You will likely arrive into Santander (SDR) on the Ryan Air flight around midday. Once you have collected your bags make your way through to the arrivals area (you won’t miss us!) and we’ll be waiting to pick you up.
We transfer you to the pretty mountain town of Cangas de Onis (the journey should take 1.5 hours) and onto our hotel for check-in.
With some time to relax and to get your bearings after the flight, we’ll all meet up with an adventure briefing over dinner to explain about what to expect from the next few days.
Overnight Hotel Lagos Nature, Double/Twin Room, incl breakfast
Day 2 - Covadonga Lakes - Vegabaño.Hut
Approx. 14 miles. Gradient: + 1300m / - 1100m (5 hours Trail Running)
Departing our hotel after breakfast we transfer to Covadonga Lakes. We start this amazing journey by crossing the ‘vega de enol’ and head up towards the Vegarredonda shelter which is surrounded by amazing mountain scenery and gets us straight into the action.
The trail continues upwards until we reach the Collado Les Merines (2,100m) which is a blissful peak with jaw dropping views.
The terrain soon changes from lush grass to rocky limestone with plenty of rest stops planned along the way, particularly at the Prieta spring which is a perfect place to drink some cool mountain water.
Our trail traverses until we reach the Vega Huerta - a mountain shelter - and continues along the path southwards down the Canal del Perro to the Frade shelter. From here it’s an easy descent through beech forests where we pass some extraordinary beauty spots including the source of the Dobra River and a thousand-year old oak tree at Vegabaño.
After a well-earned rest, we’ll talk about the stage and the next day. Before tucking into a mountain dinner and good nights sleep in the mountains.
Overnight Vegabaño Mountain Refuge, Shared Room incl breakfast and dinner.
Day 3 - Vegabaño - Vega de Ario
Approx. 14 miles. Gradient: + 1600m / - 600m (4 - 5 hours Trail Running)
After breakfast we leave the Vegabaño shelter behind us and enter a beech grove and virgin woodland which routes gently uphill.
The trail then begins to descend into the Valdeon valley, over bubbling brooks and the trail becomes wider as we enter the village of Caldevilla.
Having reached this point we follow the course of the Cares river to the village of Posada de Valdeón where we will spend some time relaxing and to buy lunch (not included).
After, our journey heads towards the village of Cain which is a beautiful 8km stretch along the Cares river. Arriving into the village we enter the Cares Gorge, crossing tunnels and bridges as we go.
Just before we reach the Bolin bridge, a sign indicates the start of the harsh Canal de Trea, a steep, long ravine that offers no respite until we reach the meadows of Vega de Ario higher up, where we will take a well-earned rest and finish the stage.
The impressive views of the central massif from here are your reward. We then check into our mountain refuge to relax and have dinner.
Overnight Vega de Ario Mountain Refuge, Shared Room incl breakfast and dinner.
Day 4 - Vega de Ario to Covadonga
Approx. 13 miles. Gradient: - 1600m (4 hours Trail Running)
With the hard day of yesterday behind us we can look forward to a more relaxing trail ahead of us today.
From Vega de Ario we run to the Ercina Lake which makes for easy running as the trail descends.
Our first stop is as the Collado del Jito with magnificent views of the Central Massif as we head towards the Ercina and Enol Lakes. The lakes are the famous glacial lakes of the Picos de Europa and make a perfect spot for us to sit down for lunch and to relax.
After lunch, we follow the “La Senda Roberto Frassinelli” - which is named after Roberto Frassinelli, a German local who lived nearby the Picos de Europa in the 19th century. He was a great lover or the national park who frequented this route to access the high mountains of the western massif.
As we run into Covadonga it’s all smiles as we have successfully completed our circumnavigation of the Picos de Europa. The ‘Anillo’ or the Ring is finished!
From here we transfer back to Cangas de Onis for check-in with time to relax before a celebratory dinner to toast our journey.
Overnight Hotel Lagos Nature, Double/Twin Room, incl breakfast
Day 5 - Cangas de Onis - Santander - Home
No Trail Running.
It’s time to pack up and bid farewell to your new-found trail running friends and our local team.
Our group transfers back to Santander International Airport (SDR) in time to connect with your onward flight back home.
Faqs
FLIGHTS
We specialise in arranging excellent trail running holidays, but do not book International flights. We have designed this journey to begin on Wednesday (22 July) and finish on Sunday (26 July) to work around the direct London Stansted - Santander (SDR) flight, which works to the best timings. It is also possible to fly to Santander from Manchester and Edinburgh airports.
We will discuss with you about our trusted and recommended ways to book international flights through excellent ATOL protected partners who offer great value, ease of service and flight protection.
VISAS
British citizens do not need a visa to visit Spain.
GROUP MANAGEMENT
Being a group of max 12 runners with a mixture of ages and running abilities, we may decide to split into flexible groups, all of which will be supported by our running guides who will travel with us on the trip.
Splitting the group will allow us all to move more fluidly, allowing all team members to run at their own comfortable pace, without feeling pressured.
TRAIL RUNNING
Trail running on this circumnavigation of the Picos de Europa involves three long days of trail running amongst remarkable mountain scenery. One of the joys of the Picos de Europa is that few travellers outside of Spain generally visit, which means we benefit from relatively empty trails.
Our route is challenging and involves distances of approx 14 miles daily, inclusive of steep up hill (up to 1400m) and steep down hill sections (as much as -1000m). We can expect to be on our feet anywhere between 4 - 6+ hours.
The terrain is ideal for trail running and we can expect a mixture of lush green grasses, beech and virgin forests, to the rougher limestone rocks that characterise the central and western Massifs of the National Park.
TEMPERATURES
In July we expect long, Summer days with blue skies and lots of sun. Being above 1000m should mean that daily temperatures are perfect for trail running, but it must be stressed that, given our journey routes around the Picos de Europa, we need to be prepared for all weather with the possibility of rain and foggy conditions. At night/early morning, temperatures outside will dip, but these soon vanish as the sun comes up.
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