Peak Bagging and Long Distance Walking in the UK and Spain: La Tesla

Walk Summary

Could have stopped off on way from Camping Las Isla but timings

La Tesla taken from N-232 on way to
Camping Rio Nela at Trespaderne

would have meant an ascent in afternoon sun and the hottest part of the day, risking setting off again what I think had been a touch of heat exhaustion brought on by afternoon walks up Ganekorgorta and Mortillano. So I decided to be 'sensible'; stock up supplies on way through Medina de Pomar, set up camp at Camping Rio Nela and return back along the N-629 to Medina de Pomar and head to walk start point at Barruelo early evening.

Setting off later than intended I incurred a further delay driving towards Barruelo on the Carreta Rural BU-V-5505 by clashing wing mirrors with an oncoming van. Seems the road was narrower than we both thought, so after a bit of sign language, pigeon Spanish and shrugging of shoulders we seemed to agree it was nobodies fault or maybe both our faults.

Climb over gate in gap and stay on path for now

Hope there will be enough daylight to get up and down. I did manage to save a bit of time by following a track out from the east of Barruelo saving about 500m walking each way. Then following a main track up the course of a feeder stream to Rio Nela to a gated gap in the Retuerto ridge line. The path continued round the back to the west tempting me to stay on it rather than head up the first steeper shoulder to the summit ridge.

Descent route due north from La Tesla summit, slightly
east of ascent route then head for gap with gate below

Eventually I turned right off the path up hill and came across some marker tapes that I think had been set up as route finding aids by a local event. Once on the summit ridge I first went to the westerly 1333m spot height before heading for the 1333m spot height marked by the trig pillar and current summit.
Seemed strange being on a summit at 8:15pm in just shorts and vest but it was very pleasantly warm with nearly 2 hours of daylight to get down. Having taken 1½ hours to reach the summit, 650m of ascent in just over 3km, there will be no problem to get back down with plenty of daylight.
Heading due north and down hill from the trig pillar you could very soon see the gated gap in the Retuerto ridge and from the grassy slope very soon found the markers on the ascent route back down the shoulder to the path, the gap and then the track all the way back to the van.

Walk Statistics

Walk Date - 02 July 2018
Walkers - Steve Smith

Accommodation - Camping Rio Nela, Trespardene

Start Point - Track junction 500m east of Barruelo (N42°52'44.283" W3°31'51.482")

Start Time - 18:38

Finish Point - Track junction 500m east of Barruelo (N42°52'44.283" W3°31'51.482")

Finish Time- 21:25

Total Duration - 2hrs 47mins
Overall Average pace - 1.30mph
Total Distance Walked - 3.63 miles
Total Height Ascended - 638.90metres

Peaks visited
Spain/Portugal 600m Prominence Peaks (168S - 185S&P - 2165E)

La Tesla - Peña Corba (8S - 9S&P - 37E)

Spain/Portugal 300m - 599m Prominence Peaks (1000+)

NONE

Spain/Portugal 150m - 299m Prominence Peaks (3000+)