- Address Lena and Aller Asturias Centre
- Distance Distance: 30,7 kms
- Difficulty Difficulty: High
- Code Code: GR208 - Central Mountain Cycle Ring
- Mountain bike Mountain bike: 4 h. 20 min.
- Route type Route type: mtb
- Tour type Tour type: Crossing
- Layout of the route Layout of the route: Download kml
GR208 - Central Mountain Cycle Ring
The fourth stage of the GR-208 "Central Mountains Cycling Circuit" continues through the borough of Llena, taking the path in the village of Sotiello that passes under the A-66 motorway to head uphill towards Bendueños. This is a climb with very steep stretches that offer up spectacular views of both the ridge forming part of the previous stage and the Campomanes Valley.
Once you reach Bendueños, take the tarmacked lane towards Erías, a village where you bear right to take the route followed by the Way of St James along stretches of the old road and pathways.
Pass by the Chapel of San Miguel, which offers fantastic views over the Fierros Valley and La Carisa ridge, which you will have to climb up. Before doing so, however, you head downhill to Fierros from Fresneo, the last part of the trail running along paved lanes.
In Fierros, cross the N-630 road with caution, taking the paved access road towards Parana. Just before you get there, you leave the road to take the toughest climb in the entire Cycling Circuit, from Parana to the summit of La Carisa. This is a long, drawn-out climb with wide stretches and good ground, which little by little allows you to climb up to the old La Fasgosa Mine, which overlooks the entire valley.
You then reach La Cordal de la Carisa Ridge, thus arriving at Tunelón, where you turn left toward Portillín de la Boya Pass, a short, but intense climb up the ramp on the right accompanying throughout this stretch the GR-109 Inland Asturias Trail and crossing in turn the GR-100.1. "La Carisa". This latter route allows you to change slopes so as to reach the borough of Aller, where you can contemplate the magnificent landscape of the Murias Valley and the successive ridges that dot this borough.
Once on the Aller side of the ridge, there is a continuous downhill stretch, first towards the large plateau of El Rasón, whose mountain meadows you cross to once again take the GR-109 Inland Asturias Trail and head downhill towards Puente Viejo, where you join up with the road that allows you to easily reach Santibanes de Murias.
Sotiello - Bendueños - Fresneo - Fierros - Santandrés - Cruz de Fuentes - El Rasón - Santibáñez de Murias
Sotiello - Santibáñez de Murias 30
The fourth stage of the GR-208 "Anillo Ciclista Montaña Central" continues through the council of Lena and from the village of Sotiel.lo we take the path that climbs under the A-66 towards Bendueños. This is a climb with steep sections that give us intense views, both of La Cordal, through which we have ridden in the previous stage, and of the Campumanes valley itself.
Once in Bendueños, take the asphalted track that goes to Erías, a village where you turn right and take the branch along which the Way of St. James passes, on the basis of sections of old road and path.
We leave behind the hermitage of San Miguel, which offers spectacular views over the valley of Fierros and over the mountain range that we have to cross, that of La Carisa. But first we must continue on to Fierros, a place that is descended from Fresneo, the last part of which runs along asphalted tracks.
At Fierros we must cross the N-630 with caution, taking the road access to Parana, at the gates of which we leave the tarmac to start the hardest climb of the whole Cycle Ring, from Parana to the La Carisa summit. This is a long, long ascent that runs along wide, well-surfaced stretches, which gradually allow us to climb up to the old La Fasgosa Mine, which dominates the whole valley.
We then climb to the top of La Cordal de La Carisa, reaching the Tunelón, where we turn left towards Portillín de la Boya; a short but intense climb along the branch to the right, accompanying the GR-109 "Asturias Interior" throughout this stretch and crossing the GR-100.1 "La Carisa". This route allows us to change slopes to reach the municipality of Aller, where we can see the magnificent landscape of the Murias Valley and the successive mountain ranges that mark out the Aller council.
Once on Aller's slope, there is a continuous descent, first towards the great El Rasón plateau, whose meadows are crossed to rejoin the GR-109 "Asturias Interior", and descend towards Puente Viejo, where it connects with the road that allows us to reach Santibanes de Murias without any problems.