Wolfram Route and Peña del Seo
Lying in the northwest of the province of León and on the border with Orense is the region of El Bierzo, a beautiful land that offers numerous options to escape from the madding crowd and treat yourself to experiences bathed in a exuberant nature.
The Bercian region has a rich and varied history that goes since pre-Roman times, passing through the presence of the Roman Empire, which left its mark on Las Médulas, the largest open-pit mine in the entire Roman Empire, until the Visigoth or even the Middle Ages.
But on this trip we discover one of the most unknown corners of El Bierzo:** the Wolfram Route, in the Peña del Seo,** an area that enjoyed great wealth in the 40s. Here the tungsten was extracted, as in some other mines in Spain and Portugal, known as 'black gold'. Is about a very hard and dense steel-gray metal which is very rare in the earth's crust and can only be found on Earth combined with other chemical compounds.
During World War II It was a highly coveted material. since it was used to harden military weapons (tank armor and projectile heads), but also to make light bulbs or motors. Only diamond is harder than this metal.
El Bierzo was an important mining basin
ROUTE OF WOLFRAMIO AND PEÑA DEL SEO
We arrive at Villafranca del Bierzo (A6-Exit 407) to turn off to the town of Corullón, land of mystical legacy, geological force and vineyard culture, one of the most prestigious wine areas in all of Castilla y León.
We cross a winding road that in some sections narrows and turns in one direction, and after 14 kilometers we reached the town of Cadafresnas, where we are going to start the Wolfram route.
We leave the car at the end of the town where there is a sign indicating that it is a route of 16.5 kilometers round trip, with a drop of 850 m, medium difficulty and that it will take about five hours to do it if we want to crown the two peaks of the Peña del Seo, at 1576 m.a.s.l. The possibility of shorten the route and go only to the town of La Piela, This is just over 8 km along a track with very little incline that you can also access by off-road car. It is a path that We will return to the same place.
We are surprised by the outstanding landscape beauty from the first steps of the path, where we observe a steep mountainous relief of a valley surrounded by lush vegetation with spring hues.
In the distance we see the Peña del Seo that rises like a great queen , imposing, rough, beautiful and majestic. At the top is a geodesic vertex, one of the few flat peaks that can be seen from many points throughout El Bierzo, a kind of lighthouse where The first snows of the year usually fall.
We continue walking along the side of the mountain from where we glimpse, lost in the immensity, the mining town of La Piela abandoned a few decades ago. After 4 kilometers of smooth walking, practically flat, the remains of the town are reached, its ruins give off a mysterious and somewhat overwhelming charm added to the beauty of the landscape that surrounds it and that makes us think that living here, for a time, was quite lucky.
We come across few people, we know that it is a little known and somewhat forgotten area. Here we meet the berciana Estefanía Nieto, a graduate in Tourism, who tells us a little about the history of the place.
Ruins of the town of the Peña do Seo mine, in Cadafresnas.
A LITTLE HISTORY
"Between 1940 and 1958, a great mining activity. There were two very different stages: the first was a very chaotic time, when they sold wolfram to the Germans, who used it to shield weapons in World War II. They were years in which Spies came from both sides. Some, to get the precious material at any price, and others, to avoid it," explains Estefanía.
"The second stage was for the supply of tungsten in the Korean War to sell themselves to the Americans, the exploitation was much more organized and the town was built. There are several names by which this town is known: mining town of Peña del Seo, town of the Piela or town of the wólfram. It was a time when this area enjoyed great wealth that black gold rush to use in war", continues the graduate in Tourism.
We walk through the abandoned town that is in ruins but still enjoys privileged views of the mountain. Dozens of families lived here where hundreds of workers worked and facilities were built that had canteen, commissary, school and all kinds of comforts for the time.
Estefanía, who knows the area well, continues to tell us: "In 1958 the mines were closed due to falling demand, but there is still mineral inside. Until 1974, the guard lived in the town with his family and whom I was able to interview for my final year project. after he left the looting began and the collapse by abandonment. It is a forgotten area, I wish more was done to preserve it and give it the importance it has."
Yes indeed! this town It is included in the Red Heritage List organized by Hispania Nostra, a non-profit association that includes in this list elements of the Spanish Historical Heritage that are at risk of disappearance, destruction or alteration of its values.
Town of the Skin.
After the last houses we take a track that emerges to the right, now the road hardens, we go up in zigzag until we reach a fork, the path on the right goes to the foot of the Peña del Seo , point from which we will start the ascent. The one on the left drives to mining. We opt for the path to the right to reach the pass. At this point we take a small path next to the ruins of an old construction, the path is lost in some points so it will be necessary to keep an eye out for stone milestones that mark the route of ascent.
Get ready for sweat the shirt well climbing the Peña do Seo but the reward at 1,576 m.s.n.m is immense! When we reach the first peak, a pile of stones awaits us, which forms a kind of lookout we stop to have a snack and enjoy the panoramic views before reaching the second peak.
From now on you have to follow the cordal cresting until reaching the second peak where we will find the remains of a booth and a geodesic vertex. The views are heart-stopping! We surrender to the tribute that the landscape offers us: an imposing range of mountains and deep valleys that draw several postcard towns of Bercianos.
Getting up here gratifies the spirit in such a way that time seems to stand still at times. And the natural calm recharges the batteries of the soul for a long season. With a simple turn of the head and a good view, you can see, in the distance, how tiny the orange peaks of the Las Médulas gold mine seem. **
From these heights, the wind hits us hard in the face as we remember how small we are on such a huge planet. In the bowels of this rocky massif real stories resonate with name and surname, hard years of survival and wolfram trapeze, this mineral so coveted that today it is worth nothing.
After enjoying the magnificent panoramic view, we will return along the same path and on the way down we will stop to discover the remnants of the new and old laundry, as well as mining galleries.
You can see Las Médulas in the distance.
WHERE TO EAT AND SLEEP
11 kilometers away is Villafranca de El Bierzo, a charming medieval town through which the Camino de Santiago passes and that it was the historical capital of the region. We get lost in its streets, which hide an artistic heritage inside that is well worth a leisurely visit.
We stayed at the MicroHostal La Puerta del Perdón with which we fell in love with its flirty and cozy wooden installations in which you can breathe a haven of peace that invite you to rest, just what we need!
We have reserved a table to sample their cuisine based on a selection of the best local products. Jazz music plays and from the window we see the castle of the composer Cristóbal Halffter.
We tried a Bierzo pepper geleé with pickled mackerel old-fashioned, sweetbreads with scallops, north tuna tataki with braised pineapple accompanied by a DO Bierzo wine, Fuente de San Lázaro de Demencia Wine, with an extraordinary fruity, tasty and balanced sensation that makes us taste this moment with greater intensity. And for dessert, a Santo bite –puff pastry with cream, whipped cream and chocolate–. El Bierzo reminds us, once again, that trips are finger licking good. We will be back!