Cruz de Ferro

Today was a long awaited day on my Camino, in fact for a lot of pilgrims Cruz de Ferro is an important point on the Pilgrimage. Traditionally a pilgrim would pick up a stone hopefully not too big, and carry it from where they lived to Spain to leave at Cruz de Ferro as a symbol of there past pain suffering sorrows that they wished to leave behind. My travelling companions, fellow Pilgrims left the Aulberge at Foncebadon a mere 2km from Cruz de Ferro to be there for sunrise. Well at least the five of us did. I arrived there a little after 7am, the walk up was certainly cold and dark. But my 1000 lumens head torch certainly made a difference on the way up. It was rather magical, the trees, bushes, gorse were covered in ice which the torch turned into sparkling jewels dripping from every branch,leaf and flower. I laid my stone on the huge pile of stones surrounding Cruz de Ferro. I said a prayer that I had selected in London almost a year ago. I cried and sobbed, it was a long waited release. Much hugging all around. We departed and headed on, little did I know how tough the journey down from 1515metres to 550 metres would be. The walk was breath taking, the snow capped mountains were peaking up across cloud covered valleys. Windmills spinning in the distance, the tracks were easy at first time was made. We walked fast. Then the tracks disintergrated into loose shale and rock skid pans, ankle breaking knee shattering hell. I felt it was as if I was being tested, had all I have been through in the last month and all I had promised to myself been true could I deal with it. Yes but every step bloody hurt, but it was worth every step to get to Cruz de Ferro and to get down from there also.