The memory of stone

The sledge-cart track

This route is marked along its length with grooves cut into the cobbles, not as decorations but actual tracks worn down by the sledge-carts that were used for centuries to carry hay from the Prada meadows down to the valley. <p>The cobbled salegada track is well preserved, straight, with some steep sections. The track was used at first light to walk up to the high meadows where the hay was rich in plant species and aromas. It was cut and harvested to feed animals over the winter. Haymaking was an important ritual that helped to keep the community together.</p> <p>The stone grooves accompany the walk as an expression of extended effort. In descent the tracks guided the sledge-carts towards the village, determining their speed,  control, and stability. The route descends down to the open spaces above the village, returning down steep sections where lengths of wood, steps, and drystone channels are used to slow down the water flow.</p> <p>It is a demanding route without shortcuts, that brings you into close contact with the landscape and the human structures that have shaped it. Here you do not simply observe the mountain, you experience it.</p>