The GR10 walking route (from Valencia to Lisbon) passes along the entire length of the central Gredos. On the AV 922, Pedro Bernardo (CL501) to Mombeltran, Km 20, just before the road crosses a river in a tight bend, there is space to pull in. On the other side of the road is a
concrete track that is drivable. Very tight bends so go slow. Track splits, keep right. 2
bends on there is an area to pull in just before a wire fence with a gate that may be
closed. The river is to your left. The puerto is straight ahead and the walk takes you
along the side of the ridge to your right. Leave the vehicle here. Start the walk up the
concrete track for a few yards and the start of the packhorse route is cairned, parallel
with the large weir on the river.
Ascend well cairned stone packhorse route which goes up the shoulder to right in broad
szigzags keeping the stream and the concrete track down below to the left.Having left
the main stream some distance to left, about 20 minutes of walking, track swings right
into stream head of 2 smaller streams, cross these, path themn climbs up other side,
ignore path that goes straight up over shoulder but pick up path that goes left following
back the other side of the stream and you will pick up marked packhorse route again. In
fact path slmost doubles back on itself heading back almost to start of walk. The path
now regains its former route above original stream bed, on other side of which there are
remnants of dry stone terracing on the shoulder between the stream we are following
and one further over coming down the mountain side. At this point the path has less
cairns but the original stones of the packhorse route are clearly visible. 25 minutes into
the walk the pack horse route becomes less well defined, walking through the remnants
of the big forest fire of 2000 but one eventually comes up onto the shoulder with some
ruins of animal pens. Main stream bed is to left with waterfall joining it higher up on
left. Another stream and waterfall down slightly behind you over right shoulder as you
look north towards puerto which is easily visible forming a big notch in the shoulder
ahead with the Riscos up to the right and on hill to left there is a little stone tower which
looks like a giant cairn. Leaving ruined animal pens to left go up the grassy ridge which
is slightly higher than open grass area to left and at far side of it you will pick up the
path again, less well defined, but marked by a cairn. The path, marked by cairns, now
becomes a dirt track with Arroyo down to left. There are the remains of a ruined
building probably power, and more dry stone terracing some of it in quite good repair.
This path basically follows along above the arroyo heading directly for the puerto
ahead. Approx. 40 minutes of walking and the path drops down in to the bed of the
arroyo and there is a crossing point marked by a cairn on top of a boulder. Crossing the
stream is a case of each person according to their ability and is obviously dependent on
the time of year and the flow of water. We crossed very easily in Jan 2005 but we have
had a very dry winter so far. Sometimes crossing a little further upstream from the
crossing point provides easier crossing. There are 3 cairns on boulders the other side of
the river. The one to aim for is the middle, a pile of rocks. The path goes through the
boulders at this point. There is some dry stone terracing directly ahead. The packhorse
route now goes on up with the arroyo to your right. There are cairns and sections of the
laid stones on the track. As you approach the large hanging valley below the puerto, you
should be able to see ahead and slightly to the right of the puerto notch but at the same
level as you are at, a shepherd's shelter built amongst the rocks. The path now becomes
sandy and goes up a sandy gravelly incline to your left before crossing a small tributary
stream flowing down the hill from your left. At this point, about an hour into the walk,
the path becomes badly defined, overgrown in lots of places and the actual stones of the
packhorse have become broken up. There are cairns and if you keep aiming directly at
the puerto saddle, you should be able to keep pretty well to the path. When you reach
the water head in the hanging valley, there is a stone built fuente to your left, the puerto