Stage 7: Espinaréu - El Fresnedal

Espinaréu - El Fresnedal 8,85

The GR starts in Espinaredo, next to the church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves and, crossing the bridge over the river Espinaréu, continues between houses and granaries, following the directional signs, until crossing a bridge over the Sotu stream, in the direction of a narrow road that leaves the village.

The route ascends between meadows and copses of ash trees(Fraxinus angustifolia), oaks(Quercus robur), chestnut trees(Castanea sativa) and even holly trees(Ilex aquifolium), a species of special interest in the Catalogue of Protected Species of the Flora of the Principality of Asturias. During the ascent, we leave the road to the right that leads to the village of Rozapanera, and continue towards the rural village of Omedal, a route along which we can enjoy fantastic views of the valley formed by the river Sotu.

Once in Omedal, the route continues along a narrow path, which is taken around a stone drinking trough. This path of earth and stones, which runs between oak and chestnut trees, meadows and stone huts, climbs steeply up to the Collada del Sellón, in the middle of the Sierra del Sellón, where the ruins of the hermitage of the same name can be found and a thematic table that interprets the panoramic view that can be enjoyed from the area. Only the ruins of the old Sellón hermitage remain; only a few walls are still standing. Nearby, there used to be an inn or hospital that cared for travellers and the livestock that grazed in the surrounding area.

At this point we leave the GR-102 path, first on the right and then on the left, as they share a stretch of 200 metres. From here, the route begins, between meadows and heathland formations, leaving the village of El Moro de Arriba behind. The route crosses a narrow cobbled area, which is flatter, and then descends slightly through hazel bushes that mark the path.

On the last stretch, the path comes out onto the road at the entrance to Fresnedal and enters the village, where there is a washhouse next to which is the end of the stage signpost.

The small village of Fresnedal or El Fresnedal, with just 35 inhabitants, belongs to the parish of La Marea and overlooks the valley of the river La Marea, in the heart of the Sierra del Sellón, at an altitude of 500 metres. It has a modern chapel dedicated to San Antonio, which replaces another chapel that no longer exists and which used to stand nearby. Dedicated to livestock farming and, to a lesser extent, agriculture, it makes use of the sheepfolds of the Sierra del Sellón, such as the Rasu sheepfold, for stabling and grazing cattle. The hamlet of Fresnedal is on the so-called Pilgrimage Route (GR-105), which ends in Covadonga from the centre of the region.