Vías Verdes: Riding Spain's Abandoned Railways
Basque Country, Spain
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Vía Verde
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250
XP
+100 Spain
= 350 total
1 day
Vías Verdes: Riding Spain's Abandoned Railways
250 + 100 XP
Spain closed a great many branch lines and mining railways in the 20th century, and rather than let the trackbeds go the country turned them into the Vías Verdes — surfaced, waymarked routes for walking, cycling and riding, on grades no steeper than a steam locomotive could pull. That constraint is the point: they are almost flat, they go through the tunnels and over the viaducts the engineers built, and they make otherwise serious terrain accessible to anyone. The Ferrocarriles Vascongados route runs 13.6 kilometres between Soraluze-Placencia de las Armas and Anzuola.
Required Activities
1
of 5
Ride or walk a vía verde end to end and notice that the gradient never really changes
2
of 5
Work out why: the route is a railway grade, and a steam locomotive could not pull anything steeper
3
of 5
Go through the tunnels and over the viaducts, which are the original railway structures
4
of 5
Find the old station buildings on the route and see what they have been turned into
5
of 5
Work out which line this was, when it closed, and what it was carrying
Ride or walk a vía verde end to end and notice that the gradient never really changes
Work out why: the route is a railway grade, and a steam locomotive could not pull anything steeper
Go through the tunnels and over the viaducts, which are the original railway structures
Find the old station buildings on the route and see what they have been turned into
Work out which line this was, when it closed, and what it was carrying
Before you go
Tunnels on some routes are unlit — carry a light. Surfaces vary from tarmac to loose gravel, so check before taking a road bike.
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About Basque Country
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Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
250 XP
Spain country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
350 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in Spain.
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