After about 50 metres, at Waypoint 02, we come to another small bridge. We are now on a wide 4x4 track which we follow as it bends around. We have lots of little black flies in our faces and wish for Australian hats with corks hanging all around as we head up into the trees.

After about 200 metres there is a smaller track on our left, Waypoint 03, which we take. Be careful as there is another track before this one but it is blind, so don't get confused. We are enjoying a beautiful view of mountains in the distance in front of us as we cross a small ford, now dry, and start to wind through more mixed woodland. There are lots of Spanish chestnuts, Holly, a few deciduous Oaks as well as Holm oaks, small clumps of pine trees and Blackthorn bushes with their blue sloes now ripe.  There are thousands of spent Chestnut catkins on the ground everywhere. These would have been light yellow back in July but now, in the first week in September, are spent and brown. We cross another dry ford as we  climb gently upwards. 

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Ignore the first left fork. It is so much like Somerset or Devon here as we follow a sunken tractor track with high banks on either side, the fields being flush with the tops of the banks. Presumably this is the result of centuries of digging out the mud in wet weather and chucking it over on either side, or by mud cascading down the eroded track in wet weather. .

Soon we come out to more open country with lovely views of gentle, rolling meadows to the east. We proceed up to a junction where there is a stone hut in the field on our right. It has solar panels on its roof. Here, at Waypoint 04, we turn left and proceed down the lane with oak, Spanish chestnut and the rest. All the way out here and some moron has thrown his or her cigarette packet on the ground. Why do smokers always seem to think that their litter isn't really litter. They stamp out their buts on the ground and never think to pick them up. For some reason thy just never seem to think. I am being an old moaner again, I am sure its just a tiny minority of smokers. 

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From here there is a most beautiful view east, down into the valley, with the mountains of the eastern massif behind. At this time in the morning you can't see them too clearly, just an impression of different shades of blue-grey shadows. Really lovely.

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Next we come to a crossroads, Waypoint 05, where we turn right. When I say 'cross roads' remember I'm talking dirt tracks here. Don't expect them to meet at right angles with a policeman in the middle directing traffic. "There has been a accident but it would never have happened were it not for that clot in the middle of the road waving his arms about" sort of thing.

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From here we proceed up hill. Don't bother looking for any white and yellow marking. This is just a tenderfoots' route, hardly worthy of the paint shop boys. As we approach 740 metres we enter a pine wood. Immediately in front of us is a T-junction. This is Waypoint 06 where we have a choice. If you want to do a circular walk, back to Argüébanes CLICK HERE. Otherwise stick with us as we make our way into the village of Lon. Actually, if you look very, very closely, you will see this is actually a cross roads with a tiny, overgrown track leading into the woods directly in front. We are going to take that small track.

Stepping over a single low strand of barbed wire, we head downhill until we hit a path where we turn right for Waypoint 08. Here, behind the new barbed wire fence, we glimpse a tantalising view of the meadow we would have walked through. That has been denied to us, no point in crying over spilt milk. Lets just turn left here, going down hill through a shady little lane, partly overgrown with bracken. Soon at Waypoint 09 we see tyre tracks going under the fence where we should have emerged from the meadow. At least the tracks were there in 2010. They have have faded away by the time you get here. 

This is a lovely little leafy lane, which opens up into a field, until we meet a 4x4 track at Waypoint 10, where we turn right and descend into Lon. Even here the farmer has a single strand of electric fence tape, not connected of course, lying on the ground. An indication that this too could be closed at some time in the future.

Ignoring all the turnings left and right, we descend into Lon. We pass several cottages with hens running around. Then an old building on the left partially repaired or extended with modern red bricks. Soon we come to a fork, Waypoint 11, where we turn left, quickly followed by another one, with a farm building in the middle, where we again turn left. Then a third left turn fork, as we descend on down the hill. 

We are now on a concrete path as we pass kitchen gardens and orchards, then Possada Las Espedillas on our left, possibly a nice watering hole when we have more time. Right now the rain is threatening and we need to get on. We turn right at the village water trough and looking right we soon see a lane with a tarmac road at the bottom. This leads us down to bar Peña Arriba which concludes our walk for today. From here the trail leads into Brez and from there into Las Llanos. I will be walking and writing about all this on my next visit to the Picos de Europa. If you want to try it in the meantime its all described, if rather too briefly, in Robin Walker's excellent little book. One word of warning though. If you are tempted to drive into Brez on a wet day, park on the outskirts by the the large sign post on the right. The road here is level and made of tarmacadam. DO NOT descend into the village on the steep concrete road without a 4x4. I did, in my camper van, and had to be pulled out by the grua.