Difficulty rating: medium to difficult
Time: 4.5 hours
Ruta de la Sierra del Crespon. We did this walk backwards- starting in Soto and finishing in Villamorei . Take the ruta del Alba heading out of Soto. Just after the fish factory, there are 2 steep paths going off to the right. take the first one. Confusingly, it has a ‘no walking’ sign, but this is to keep those looking for the Ruta Del Alba on the right track.
- Ignore the ‘no walking’ sign
- 10 metres on, you get this.
Follow the path up and up and up towards some huts, until you can take a sharp turn off the the right.
- Looking back
- Sharp right turn here.
- Onward along a narrow path
Keep following the path upwards, until you get to a group of huts.
- Keep the huts to your right
- Keep to the left of the huts and you’ll see the ‘keep going’ signs.
- ‘I think someone painted it.’
- Gorgeous goats
- A guard dog escorts us past his goats.
The path continues along the line of a water pipe carrying water to Gijon, you have beautiful views to your right of Soto, Villamorei, Ladines, Campiellos.
You come to a clearing, head to the left of the rock and take up the narrow path again heading slightly down and along the side of the mountain.
- At the clearing, head left
- view of the valley
- Tricky bit, made safe with ropes
Follow the path until you reach a mountain hut. The keep going sign is on the front of the building, turn sharply to the right and look for another keep-going sign. This path will lead you down and towards the reservoir. When you come to a tumble down house with a stone wall crossing your path, go to the left and you will find the ‘keep-walking’ sign again.
- At this house, take a sharp right
- Signs to Villamorei- nearly there!
Keep going down, it gets quite scrabbly and steep and parts are best done ‘al culo’ (on your bottom) but it’s perfectly doable. When you get to Villamorei, head back to Soto or into Rioseco for a well deserved coffee/beer.