Etapa 4: Miera - Espinaréu

Go to Image Stage 4: Miera - Espinaréu
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GR105 - Pilgrimage Route - Stage 4

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Stage 4: Miera - Espinaréu
GPS: 43.29211776093329, -5.425250447391695

Miera - El Fresnedal - Collado de la Rasa - Camin Real del Sellón - L' Omeal - Espinaréu

Miera - Espinaréu 9,9

We start in Miera, where the third stage ends. Here we take the road heading south for a few metres until we come to a path on the left before reaching a bend that enters the forest. Continuing along the path, the road changes direction, after passing a crossroads where we continue straight on, and then a slight climb brings us to a path with a stone wall in front of us.

Following this path to the right, we soon come across a watering place with a fountain in the middle, which seems to be totally integrated into the surrounding landscape. After passing this we are welcomed by the first houses of El Fresnedal, entering its narrow streets where the hórreos and haystacks, with their walls made of wooden slats simulating the undulations that the wind produces in the trees, seem to take us back to other times when the xanas and cuélebres protected the peasants from evil spirits.

Crossing El Fresnedal through its streets, we take the asphalted road that begins a slight descent just after passing a fountain where we must provide ourselves with water for the rest of the way, as the fountains that we can find at many times of the year are dry.

It is in this stretch where we can look back and see the descent of the third stage through the valley of La Muriosa. We ignore the first junction on the left and take the second turning, which has a large tree in the centre next to a wooden gate. The tarmac has been abandoned and the road becomes a grassy path that soon becomes a dirt track, with a stone wall on the left. We continue along this path, taking the wall on the left and the valley on the right, heading towards a cleft in the terrain in front of us.

On the left hand side we can see the rock outcropping, while on the right the rock is completely covered with trees. Continuing along this path we come to a crossroads that we ignore, it goes off to the right and descends. Next, when the path begins a steep ascent, we come to a wooden log fence and a path to the right, at which point we can choose between two alternatives.

We continue along the path to the left, which follows the wall and zigzags upwards, and soon enters a wooded area where the trees have invaded the path and it is quite muddy; in this section we come across a ruined house on the right (it is the muddiest place).

After passing the hut we find a diversion, taking the one on the right, which goes even further into the forest and without the possibility of the sun penetrating through it, we arrive at a large meadow with a hut on top of it, we border the meadow leaving it on the right until we find a large old tree on our left, towards which we have to go, and a few metres further up we arrive at a track. Take the track on the right that borders the meadow with the hut, until you come to a crossroads. At this point we can take a last look at the leafy forest through which we have been walking, with the crags protecting it on both sides.

Here you take the right-hand turn-off first and immediately afterwards take the left-hand one, which enters an area of meadow with ferns. At this point you should take the line of maximum slope and head towards the highest point. Once we reach the highest point, we can see how the path continues along a meadow from which we are separated by a line of various trees, including the occasional holly tree. At this point the route leaves the path and crosses the line of trees to enter the meadow and cross it on a platform.

Once past the meadow, take a path that runs under the trees and skirts three huts, to reach an area where there is a clearing in the vegetation. Here you should turn right and ignore the path on the left that descends, to immediately enter the meadow covered with ferns and climb the steepest slope until you come to a path that ascends slightly to the right, passing next to a watering place and arriving shortly afterwards at the Rasa pass.

From the pass we have a splendid view of the Camín Real de Sellón and the outlines of the mountain range of the same name. Here we come across a path coming from the right (alternative 1), with the peaks towering over the Miera valley in the background.

Taking the path to the left, it soon enters through the trees and skirts meadows with wooden fences until we come to a track, which we take to the left and climb upwards, ignoring the track on the right, which descends to the village of El Moru.

We start a gentle ascent along the track whose central area is covered with grass and which gradually reveals the roofs of the houses of the village of El Moru below us. Continuing the ascent brings us closer to the La Llamosa pass, where the GR102 Camín Real del Sellón (which basically linked the lands of Casinos and Piloñes) with the route we are following. Turn left here and share the path with the GR102 for a short distance, until you reach the meadow in front of you, which has several trees on your right. To the left of this meadow and at the bottom of the small valley there is a water trough where you can replenish your water supply.

Once in the meadow, we can approach the ruins of the old hermitage (it was the parish church until 1389), which are above us. From the hermitage there is a marvellous view of the Espinaréu valley and the surrounding peaks.

At the pass we leave the GR102 and take a track that goes off to the right and which in a steep descent leads us first to a crossroads on the right that we ignore and then to another next to a small building. Here a small path almost perpendicularly leads off into a wood, leaving a meadow on the right, this is the original path that takes us to La Gallera, but which we do not recommend as it is almost impassable along its entire length due to the enormous amount of mud it contains.

We should therefore continue along the path we were on, which descends and soon becomes completely paved to lead us to the village of L'Omeal, where we have a fountain with excellent, very cold water at any time of the year. After visiting the village we must return near the fountain to take the road, which in just over three kilometres downhill takes us to Espinaréu (the village with the highest concentration of hórreos in Asturias, as well as the oldest), the end of this beautiful stage.

Alternative 1,6

  • Alternative strech Alternative strech:

We take the path on the right which is completely covered with vegetation and leads us to a stream which we cross. Shortly after crossing the stream the path turns to the left and ascends until we reach a hut that blocks our way, which we have to go round, as it is on the path, Here the path turns to the left and heads north, turning east again after a short time and arriving at a small pass (Collado de La Rasa). Here we can see the Sierra del Sellón mountain range on the left.