[RWD version 1 ] Maybe the height gain above is correct. Maybe it just felt like one of the hardest things you’ve done. Maybe the cumulative gain in 2018 is now telling. Maybe..Last time I was here was in March 2017, doing the first ‘half’ of this walk - Track 3415. I took the ferry over from Los Cristianos the day before the walk and made my way to Valle Gran Rey by bus. My previous experience had taught me to sit on the side behind the driver, as then you’re not looking at the severe drops from the road. There are bow handles on the head-rest in front of you, just like a rollercoaster, so you get the picture. On arrival you find the start of the walk and do a short recce of where it is in relation to your accommodation. It’s in a area called La Calera and it’s going to be dark when you start in the morning.Walked out the door of the apartment at 04:15 to face the 780m climb up out of the valley. On these long ones it’s sensible to start slow as you know you’ll need the reserves later in the day. The track is distinct so no mistakes. As you amble along you can see the lights of the villages below and sense the drops, in parts. I’m following the track on the Map/ViewRanger and the doubt sets in when you wander away from it in the dark. But, they’re not always spot on so, after a quick doubling back on a descent to check and see if you missed a turn, you continue on and follow the only track you can see. It’s cool at this hour of the day and it looks like it’s going to be slightly overcast for the rest of the day when you can eventually see the sky - a stroke of luck. I meet no walker until I’m climbing up out of Vallehermosa - a couple having a breather just under Roque El Cano. In total, I meet six over the course of the day.There isn’t too much forest track after Los Rosas and the descent to Agulo is hard on the feet. Man-made track but sharp cobblestone. I went with the light boot for the day but I could have done with a bit more cushioning. You’d get away with a good trail shoe. The signpost out of Hermigua was a tad confusing as it appeared to be bringing me away from the map route. I chanced it for a while but decided to go back to the one on the map. Lots of tarmac on the road out of Hermigua and, I’d say, the reason they’ve altered the route is for safety reasons. Lots of falling rock debris on the road. The new route is about 6km longer.I chanced walking through the 514m of the road tunnel with the head torch as the legs just didn’t want any more climbing and it’s a 10.5km finish downhill from here. Unfortunately, it’s mainly tarmac and I can see why it wouldn’t be walked that much and, probably, another reason to alter the original map route. My feet felt like someone had taken the handle of a sweeping brush to them and given them lash, after lash. Another lesson learned. Well worth a visit if you’re in that general area and would make sense to break the walk down into a two or three day trek.