Stage 14 Frómista-Carrión de los Condes

Description of stage 14 Frómista - Carrión de los Condes of the French Way

 

From Frómista to Población de Campos 3,5 Km

 

We started the route at the same crossroads where we finished the day yesterday. Opposite the street that brought us to Frómista (0h 00min) we see, as soon as we cross the road that cuts it, a couple of streets bordering a wall.

One goes almost straight on and the other turns left, this is where the French Way continues. 

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This street and its sidewalk delimited by an endless number of trees will gradually take us out of Frómista, in a gentle ascent, which overcomes the unevenness that the terrain has, forced by the nearby dual carriageway.

At our exit from the locality we bordered the two roundabouts of access to the highway, to descend again in search of the andadero that awaits us.

The wide plain where the route runs and its relative proximity allows us to see the next town where we will pass. The andadero and the road accompany us for almost the whole of today's stage, unless we decide to take the Villovieco bypass.

Almost without realizing it and leaving behind the few access roads to the estates that border the andadero, we reach the height of the hermitage of San Miguel, which is on the other side of the road.

Just after this section of the andadero ends and to our right begins an asphalted road where we have to follow and that takes us to the first houses of the population.

When arriving at them we find a crossing of streets having to continue straight and to follow the course of this street that nothing more to begin turns to the left introducing us definitively in Población de Campos (0h 50min).​

 

From Poblacion de Campos to Revenga de Campos 3,4 Km

 

Continuing along this main street, forgetting how many crossroads we come across, we come back to the meeting of the road.

Our route now follows a short stretch of the road that winds between the houses until we reach the bridge that crosses the river Ucieza. 

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This is the moment when we have to decide whether to follow the Way, which goes along the andadero next to the road, or opt for the variant that adds a little more than 500 m to the usual route and that takes us near the banks of the river.

If you follow the andadero, it starts on your right as soon as you cross the river.

After leaving behind a few agricultural pavilions a characteristic cruise marks the limits of Población de Campos and the beginning of the long straight that takes us to the next town.

This new section of the route, similar to the previous one, continues between the fields and the road, leaving behind as many access roads to the fields we find. Just before our arrival to the next town we can enjoy a small rest area and part of the little shade that we find along the way.

After this short rest, the Way of Saint James leaves the andadero again to continue along the narrow sidewalk that, following the road, takes us to the interior of Revenga de Campos (1h 40min).​

De Revenga de Campos a Villarmentero de Campos 2 Km

The road serves as a guide as it passes through the town, following its layout without deviating we will gradually cross Revenga de Campos, until we leave it definitively at the crossroads with the road that leads to Villovieco.

As soon as we cross this road, we find the path that takes us to the next town on the route.

In an almost inappreciable ascent the walker crosses a path that we will not pay attention to, to reach the nearby Villarmentero de Campos (1h 55min) where it will again yield the baton to the road that leads to the meeting of the variant that comes from Villovieco, which joins us right in the first street that comes out to meet us.

From Poblacion de Campos to Villovieco by the variant 4 Km

 

If we have decided to continue along the variant, our route, just where the road turns to cross the river, continues straight on following a concrete path that borders the Ucieza. As soon as you begin to walk, the cement track turns leaving the river behind and crossing the boundaries of the Poblacion de Campos.

The track arrives at a crossroads with a street that returns towards the town where, leaving this street on our right, we will continue straight now for a track already of earth.

A few metres further on, this track meets another on the left where we must continue, recovering the flow of the nearby river, whose banks delimit the trees that make it up.

This new dirt track continues between cereal fields at a certain distance from the river, leaving behind all the crosses that come out to meet it. Soon to our left we can contemplate among the trees the silhouette of Revenga de Campos.

When we reach its height, we leave behind us the track that leads to the town, to continue the straight line of the path where we are going. In front of us we can already sense our next destination Villovieco (0h 55min, from the detour), where a silhouette of a pilgrim welcomes us.

From Villovieco to Villarmentero de Campos by the variant 1,7 Km

 

From here and leaving to our right all the streets that go into the town we arrive until the access road to Villovieco. The river that used to be a little far away now accompanies us in this section. 

The Way crosses the bridge over the river and as soon as you cross it, turn right and continue up the course of Ucieza, although now on its other bank. 

The new dirt track runs along the river with the view already set on the next locality of the day that awaits us a little later. 

The track arrives at a crossroads where, if we go straight on, we could continue along the banks of the river in the direction of Villalcázar de Sirga, an attractive variant for the hot summer days, which means that we add a little more than 1 km compared to the usual route along the andadero, but that in its final part obliges us to travel a few 2 km along a local road without hard shoulders until we reach the Way to Carrión de los Condes. 

At this point we turn left, leaving behind us this new variant, to go towards the nearby Villarmentero de Campos (1h 20min, from the beginning of the variant), where we join with the usual route through the andadero.

From Villarmentero de Campos to Villalcázar de Sirga 4,3 Km

 

Once the two Ways are joined, the road again guides us to the beginning of a new stretch of andadero, which starts just after a pleasant rest area.

This section, between fields of cereal, allows us to see how to our right the row of trees that mark the course of the river Ucieza is moving away little by little. The andadero continues along the road, going up the gentle hills that prevent us from seeing the next town we will pass through.

Leaving behind us how many paths we find, we continue with the gentle ascent that brings us to Villalcázar de Sirga, which we reach after crossing a small hill that stands in our way.

The French Way meets the crossroads that gives access to the town and the local road where those who chose to get here following the variant of the river join us.

At this point the route offers us the possibility, not despicable, of entering Villalcázar de Sirga (2h 50min) and walk its streets or continue straight on following the course of the road again, to join the exit of the town.

 

From Villalcázar de la Sirga to Carrión de los Condes 5,5 Km

 

Once we have crossed Villalcázar de Sirga and right at the crossroads where those who discovered the corners of the village join those who followed the road, the last stretch of andadero that remains for us to Carrión de los Condes begins.

This part of the route leaves the comfortable plain to travel through undulating and gentle hills that hardly change the landscape but that force us to a higher point of effort.

Once again, the andadero, which is firm and without any loss, leaves behind the entrances to the agricultural plots, to go up the small hill that prevents us from contemplating our destiny for the day.

When we reach the top of this hill, the horizon opens before us, allowing us to enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of Carrión in the background. From this place we only have to undertake a small descent and travel the distance that separates us from the end of the Andadero.

At this point, the Way of Saint James crosses the road to continue along Avenida de los Peregrinos, passing by the hermitage of La Piedad.

Continuing along this avenue, without turning off at any of the crossroads we come across, we soon reach the beginning of Calle Santa María, where a statue of a pilgrim welcomes us to Carrión de los Condes (4h 20min), and a few metres further on we find the Plaza de Santa María where this stage ends.

Technical details of the stage

 

Total distance. 18,7 Km

 

Total time. 4h 20min

The relatively short distance of the stage allows us to approach it in many different ways, get up early to arrive early and take advantage of it to rest and enjoy the visit to Carrión or take it more calmly. Without large steep slopes or other complications, the scheduled time should not be extended much longer. If we decide to face the variant section we will have to add 15 additional minutes, which is what will take us to cover the scarce kilometre of more that we will do.

 

Time of year. All year round

The singularity of the route is marked by its colourful contrasts, from the intense greens of spring and the end of autumn to the yellows of summer or the whitish of cold winter. Spring and autumn due to their more benevolent temperatures are offered as ideal moments, although not as guaranteed good weather as in summer. Winter, on the other hand, offers us its spectacular mornings and the tranquillity of the places we pass through.

 

Required equipment. The habitual of the Way

The footwear and clothing according to the time of year and the weather that other stages do not leave room for variations, this allows certain variations. A more comfortable footwear or leave the canes in the backpack are some of the luxuries we can afford. Sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat or headscarf are a must, as the route does not give even a minute's shade. Nor can we forget in spring and autumn warm clothing for both day and night, we are at an altitude of around 800 m and the wide plain, without obstacles to protect us, we may surprise with a wide variation in temperatures. Consult our list of material and equipment to make the Way. Read more

 

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Slope acumulate. 169 m   Slope positive. 109 m   Slope negative. 60 m

 

Difficulty. Medium

 

Physical

A stage to recover strength, without a great distance and almost flat has to allow us to enjoy more rest time. The greatest complications can be found in the suffocating heat that this area registers in summer and the considerable cold that characterizes the Castilian winters, which can make this simple stage harder than it seems at first.

 

Caution

The safety of the andadero should not deceive us, the road travels very close and only separates us from it an inefficient ditch. In addition in more than one occasion we will have to walk by the nonexistent verge or by narrow sidewalks to our step by some of the localities of the stage. Also at the end of the route we will be forced to cross the road to enter Carrión de los Condes.

 

Orientation

Well signposted, the andadero has no loss, neither does the passage through the populations. The most conflictive points are the deviation of the variant where we will see without more explanation the signs that mark both routes and to our arrival to Villalcázar de Sirga where also the straight itinerary is signalized following the road and the one that will make us cross this beautiful locality. The variant is also well signposted and the trees on the river bank serve as a guide at almost all times. The other option, which follows the river to Villalcázar de Sirga, is not usually very busy and separates from the road, so that we might think that we have made a mistake if we are not clear about the chosen route.

 

1-Frómista	0h 00min	780 m	0 Km	30T 384027 4680280
2-Población de Campos	0h 50min	779 m	3,5 Km	30T 380728 4680671
3-Revenga de Campos	1h 40min	784 m	6,9 Km	30T 377891 4682477
4-Villarmentero de Campos	1h 55min	790 m	8,9 Km	30T 376403 4683930
5-Villalcázar de Sirga	2h 50min	802 m	13,2 Km	30T 372807 4685944
6-Carrión de los Condes	4h 20min	832 m	18,7 Km	30T 368020 4688479
1-V-Start Variant	0h 00min	778 m	0 Km	30T 380486 4680681
2-V-Villovieco	0h 55min	783 m	4 Km	30T 377845 4683446
3-V-End Variant	1h 20min	790 m	5,7 Km	30T 376405 4683936

Coordinates UTM Datum WGS84

 

Stage Profile

 

Cartography, maps and tracks

This sketch of the route is not made to scale nor does it contain all the information relating to the area, it is merely indicative.

 

This schematic with the path is approximate and has been created from the derived cartographic base © Instituto Geográfico Nacional  "Cuadrantes  197-3,198-4, 235-2 y 236-1, 1:25.000". 

 

 

Senditur has manipulated the tracks to correct the aberrant points that may exist, caused by problems with the reception of the GPS signal. In any case the tracks are always approximate. SENDITUR encourages you to use the new technologies within your reach, using them as support and consultation in your activity, not basing the realization and orientation of the same only and exclusively on them, since they may see their functioning altered by very diverse causes, not functioning correctly and their indications may not be precise.