Long-distance trails: when more is more and better
Breathe... No need to go to Nepal (the trekking destination par excellence), or to Peru or to Ecuador .
We talked about leaving the house on foot and not return to the nest for months . It is the purest form of travel, the oldest, the mother of all escapades . It is to feel like a nomadic hominid again. It is about stopping the continuum of the mind and meditating at every step. Great walking routes make you feel alive, animal, strong, alpha, at peace.
The Long Distance Trails are eleven huge walks through Europe that cross it from one end to the other (the acronym E and the red and white horizontal bands identify them) ; a network that merges local and national trails (which bear the acronym GR) and that have an international vocation . The macropath that crosses Spanish territory (E4) starts in Tarifa, crosses Andalusia, continues through Murcia, Valencia, Catalonia, continues in France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and ends in Crete (Cyprus). In total, 10,000 km.
To plan down to the smallest detail there are guides, such as those in _ Cicerone _ (only in English) , who are like that passionate friend, with experience in these feats, who He programs the whole trip impeccably for you And above all, he thanks you for accompanying him.
Made by expert mountaineers, climbers and connoisseurs of the territory (civil engineers and other birds), its pages not only offer maps but also suggest the kilometers you can cover each day (between 15 and 35 km is expected). Also and above all, tell you where you can stay . In this sense, they offer useful suggestions such as when you have to carry a tent on your back to rest (because there are no nearby accommodations) or if you prefer, where and how to take some public transport to pass through the area to rest in the nearest town and thus return to your route the next day.
Highlands: a matryoshka of Scottish essences
For example, your copy Walking the GR7 in Andalusia (which focuses on the journey from Tarifa to Puebla de Don Fadrique) delves into "one of the most diverse regions of the peninsula", according to the authors, two British (a mountaineer and a climber), who detail the details of the path, the obstacles that you can find , historical and geological notes, curiosities, information on fauna, flora, culture, idiosyncrasies, possible accommodation, "refreshment stops"... The GR7 passes through six of the eight Andalusian provinces, crossing the interior of some of its natural and national parks (such as Sierra Nevada, Los Arcornocales, Sierra de Grazalema, Cazorla, Segura...), but also visiting charming white towns, bars where you can have something typical, etc. A route of 1,183 km that it may take you more than forty days , as calculated by its authors.
Another interesting route (somewhat more modest) that also offers a great variety of landscapes is The West Highlands, in Scotland, which starts in Milngavie, a small town north of Glasgow, and ends in the small town of Fort William, capital of the West Highland. There are 152 kilometers that the lowlands (lowlands) and the Highlands (highlands) of western Scotland. As it reaches the foot of the Ben Nevis mountain (1,344 m and the highest in Great Britain), those who wish to continue walking ascend to the summit . * You may also be interested in...
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Walk, walk, walk...