Day 24, to Molinaseca

May 9, 2026

I started walking shortly after 6am. It was dark, and raining.

I made good use of my headlamp.

My view (light from headlamp) for the first couple kilometres

It rained for the first 6K going uphill to Foncebadón. Then it was foggy, pea-soup as someone called it, for quite a long time. After reaching Cruz de Ferro, the highest point of the Camino Francés at about 1,550 metres, the Camino is a steep descent through a number of towns to reach Molinaseca, where it flattens out a bit. My goal for the day was Molinaseca.

Foncebadón – it stopped raining but there was heavy fog

Cruz de Ferro, highest point of the Camino Francés at over 1,500 metres

Pretty much everybody who commented on the trail said it was brutal. I concur. It was steep, wet, slippery, muddy, very rocky – the worst section of the Camino. Two people I know slipped and fell, one of them twice. He wasn’t hurt, but his ego was bruised.

But the views were quite beautiful.

I reached Molinaseca by 2pm. I was very tired, sore, wet, dirty and hungry. But Molinaseca is a beautiful town and my albergue was clean and comfortable and had good food.