Day 24- The Intimacy of Struggle
What a day Dad had.
I embarked early on what is supposed to be the toughest day of all Caminos- and that’s in good weather. I started early as the rain was supposed to start around 9:00. It started earlier and lasted almost the whole 9 hours it took me to finish. I could not take pictures- too wet and rainy for my phone. About 2 hours into my walk, I met up with a couple of guys I’ve been encountering off and on. At the 10:30 mark we stopped for coffee and the other 2 guys called a cab. I went on for another 6 hours. There was steady rain (heavy much of the time)whipping winds and lots of fog. While the toughest, this stage is also supposed to have breathtaking scenes. The fog hid them and the driving rain made me keep my head down, so did the washed out trails. I only saw my feet and the trail. I felt strong. It was the elements and the ascents and descents the took me to the limit. The route was really rustic and there were no towns or services for most of the 20+ miles. As I could not take pictures, I knew I’d have to rely on the video to recount my walk. Turns out my trail apps that record my walk all shut down at the 7 mile marked. The sun peeked out the last 30 minutes and I was able to take a few pictures.
Today was a struggle mentally and physically. Throughout the day, I asked God to give me the strength to battle the elements facing me, to give Will to forge ahead no matter what I faced. I asked him a lot. I found an inner strength not to quit, to keep putting one foot in front of the other. After an incredibly long and arduous stretch of trail (see the elevation photo below) I asked God for some pavement. I do not ask God for favors so this was a new one. No more than 2 minutes after my request, I came across a road I knew ran parallel to the trail. It had a fence blocking my way to the road but it was broken a bit, no doubt other Pilgrims wanted a break from the trail and they rigged the fence so you could crawl under it, pack and all. I felt God’s presence most of the day. I needed him and he was there. He always is. It was a special feeling in the midst of a maelstrom. So on one of the toughest most beautiful days, I have few photos, no video, just me recounting how I made it though with the help of you know who.
Early departure to get a little time on the trail before the rain
Yeah the bridge helped
The trail split at one point, one route went by the ruins of 3 pilgrim hospitals. The other(red one above)stayed on low ground for a while then on to a crushing ascent and descent. Given the weather the guidebook said in such weather it’s too dangerous to walk the hospital route. I took the red route. The ascent was as bad as it looks. I had to stop frequently to catch my breath. The trail was like a river and very dangerous. Fog and wind made it even more treacherous. About halfway up, I saw a figure in the distance just standing on the trial, not moving. As I got closer, I could see it was a woman. She was a pilgrim with a full pack. She was just standing still. I asked her if she was okay and did she need help. She just shook her head no. I felt bad but she did not want any help. I barely made it to the top and once I did, there was a big open field but it was so foggy and my glasses were covered with rain I could barely find my way to the descent, which while not as exhausting as the climb, the steep grade, washed out trail and all the rest made it equally harrowing.
The day’s end. An ugly sign but it looked beautiful to me.