Episode 5 | Who is the boss here | Alande Berducedo | Camino Primitivo

Stage 5: Pola de Allande – Berducedo | Camino Primitivo Who’s the boss here? 🥾⛰️🐎 After the long and challenging stage to Pola de Allande, we have a shorter day ahead of us — just 18 kilometres. But don’t let the distance fool you. The Camino Primitivo has one serious challenge waiting right at the beginning: Puerto del Palo. Leaving Pola de Allande, we start climbing through the beautiful Asturian mountains. The morning is peaceful, the landscape is green, and the path slowly takes us higher and higher. Then comes the real test. From around kilometre 5 to 8, the climb becomes steep, taking us up to approximately 1,146 metres above sea level. For me, this becomes the toughest climb of the Camino so far. There are moments when my stomach is turning and I honestly wonder if I can keep going. But somehow, the Camino always seems to know what you need. At the top, we find other pilgrims, a small mobile bar, incredible views — and the unmistakable Camino spirit. People who started from different places and followed different routes suddenly meet, share a drink, laugh, hug and encourage each other. And then there are the horses. 🐎 Wild horses wandering freely through the mountain meadows, completely at home in this spectacular landscape. After the climb comes the descent towards Monte Furado, a tiny mountain village where history and the Camino come together. Pilgrims have been passing through these mountains for centuries, and the former pilgrim hospital and chapel of Saint James are reminders of how challenging this journey once was. But the day is not over yet. As we continue towards Berducedo, tired legs are asking for a rest, but there is still one important lesson waiting for us: Sometimes we really can't go any further. And sometimes we think we can't — but there is still one more step left inside us. We don't do this to prove anything to someone else. We do it for ourselves. To discover that we are capable of more than we thought. To keep going when the goal still seems far away. And one day, to look back and realize just how far we've come. Finally, we arrive in Berducedo, where a small village, friendly pilgrims, good food and a warm welcome are waiting for us. 📍 Route: Pola de Allande ➜ Berducedo 🥾 Distance: approximately 18 km ⛰️ Highest point: Puerto del Palo – approx. 1,146 m 🐎 Highlights: Puerto del Palo, wild horses, Monte Furado and the Camino spirit 🏡 Accommodation: Casa Aracheli This stage reminded me that the Camino isn't only about reaching Santiago. It's about the people you meet, the mountains you climb, the moments when you want to give up — and the moments when you discover that you still have one more step in you. Come and walk this stage with me. If you enjoy real journeys, beautiful landscapes, honest reflections and the unexpected moments that happen along the way, subscribe to my channel and follow me on the Camino Primitivo all the way to Santiago de Compostela. No AI. No filters. No pretending. Just the Camino, as it really is. Buen Camino! 💛🥾🇪🇸