Five individuals with severe disabilities, including a local resident from the province of Seville, have completed the route of the Vía da Prata from the capital of Seville to Lalín, a total of 950 kilometres.
A group from the Vigo association DisCamino, made up of five individuals with severe disabilities, has successfully completed a new challenge this Thursday: to travel the Vía da Prata or Mozarabic-Sanabrés Way from Seville to Santiago de Compostela, passing through Lalín. The expedition, which set off from the capital of Seville on July 3, has covered 950 kilometres in 15 stages, averaging between 50 and 80 kilometres daily.
Among the participants is Naiara Arteaga, originally from the Basque Country but residing in the province of Seville, who was born with only one leg and no arms. Alongside her, the group includes Suso Valverde, who has paraplegia due to a work accident; Pablo Paz, who has hemiplegia from a stroke; Laura Martínez, who has spina bifida; and Merchi Álvarez, who suffers from spinal muscular atrophy and can only move her head.
A support team and adapted vehicles
The group has been accompanied by 14 support personnel, including pilots, drivers, and assistants, who have taken care of logistics and the well-being of the participants. In the later stages, other companions joined, reaching a total of 18 people, including a volunteer from Albacete and a little dog named Siti. To get around, they use special vehicles: arm-powered bicycles, recumbent bikes, and chair-bikes for those who cannot move.
Javier Pitillas, the group's spokesperson, explained that "the girl with spina bifida and the boy with paraplegia ride arm-powered bikes. They go on their own and have a bike alongside to help them in difficult areas." Pablo, who has hemiplegia, uses a recumbent bike with all controls on his right hand, while Merche and Naiara travel on a chair-bike, enjoying the scenery.
The heat, the biggest enemy on the Seville route
The journey has not been without difficulties. The heat has been the main obstacle, especially in the initial stretch through Seville and Extremadura. "It was tremendous," recounts Javier. "In Castilla-León as well, and we didn't start to feel a bit of coolness until the stage before Zamora." To combat the high temperatures, the group would wake up at 4:30 am and start walking at 6:00 am, taking advantage of the cooler hours.
Accommodation has also posed a challenge. They look for sports pavilions to facilitate the mobility of wheelchairs, as hostels usually only have one adapted room on the ground floor. "That's the norm and it doesn't work for us," points out Javier. The sports centres, although spacious, have tin roofs that "turn into greenhouses." Fortunately, several town councils have lent them gyms or spaces with air conditioning.
A new challenge on the horizon
The arrival in Lalín was celebrated with a barbecue at the Fogar de Breogán, and this Friday the group will reach Santiago de Compostela, bringing the adventure to an end. Although the satisfaction is immense, there is also a sense of sadness at the end of the journey. "Everything went so well that we ended up being a group of friends," comments Javier. Last year they travelled the Portuguese coast from Vigo, and upon finishing, they decided to undertake the Vía da Prata. Now, they are already thinking about the next challenge: "The idea is to go to the Pyrenees," he reveals.
You may also like
