Across the Pyrenees

Day 1: Pamplona, Spain / Sierra de lo Vedau / Anso / Siresa

We meet at 8:30 a.m. at our hotel in Pamplona, known for its annual “running of the bulls” festival. (Rendezvous instructions are provided in our Arrival & Departure Logistics memo, included in your confirmation packet.) After a trip briefing, we drive through the narrow gorges of the Anso Valley, one of the most idyllic and hidden valleys in the Pyrenees, for an easy to moderate hike in the Sierra de lo Vedau, with a picnic lunch. Our hike brings us from the remote medieval village of Anso, once so isolated that its inhabitants spoke their own dialect (called Cheso) to Siresa, a mountain village of cobbled streets and splendid old stone houses with tall, Aragonese-style chimneys. Road access into the valley is relatively recent and the ancient Aragonese dialect is still spoken here. Siresa’s imposing 11th century San Pedro Church has welcomed pilgrims throughout the centuries. We gather for our welcome dinner tonight in a restaurant near Siresa. Overnight at hotel...LD Approximate Hiking Time/Terrain: 3 hours, easy to moderate. Two hours of steady ascent on a gentle trail, 1,100 feet elevation gain, and one hour of steeper downhill to Siresa. The highest altitude is 3,900 feet. Please note that the Spanish custom is to begin dinner quite late by US standards, usually starting well after 10 p.m.! We will schedule our dinners as early as possible, and we will also enjoy the Spanish custom of afternoon snacking on tapas or pinchos, the small plates of delicious hors d’oeuvres that are served in all the local tavernas.

Day 2: Mt. Bisaurin Hike / Dios Te Salve / Torla

Beginning from the mountain refuge of Gabardito, we enjoy a classic Pyrenees hike through an intriguing forest below the West Face of Mt. Bisaurin, passing tumbling waterfalls and following a trail beneath impressive cliffs. At the sublime green meadow called Dios Te Salve (“God Save You”), views of the snowcapped summits of the Pyrenees are breathtaking. Our descent is by a different route, crossing the Foraton Pass below the East Face of Bisaurin into the Aisa Valley. At the end of our hike, we head to our hotel in Torla, a village of traditional slate houses set in a panoramic valley at the entrance to Ordesa National Park...BLD Approximate Hiking Time/Terrain: 3.5 hours, moderate. Steady ascent on a mountain trail, with a steep downhill. The highest altitude reached is 6,600 feet.

Day 3: Ordesa National Park

Ordesa National Park, Spain's Yosemite, is a spectacular valley crowned by steep, 10,000-foot mountains festooned with hundreds of waterfalls. This is one of the most spectacular mountain settings in Europe, and our hike brings us up to the Cola de Caballo (“Horse’s Tail”) waterfall, just below the face of Monte Perdido (11,000’), where mountain goats scramble beneath vertical cliffs. Return to Torla for overnight...BL Approximate Hiking Time/Terrain: 7 hours, easy to moderate, with a 2,000 foot ascent and descent.

Day 4: Ainsa / Caldes de Boi

We enjoy a relaxing day of cultural exploration as we explore the lovely medieval town of Ainsa, whose old quarter preserves the ancient traditions of the Pyrenees in its old towers and stone houses. Later, we head along mountain roads to Taüll, a lost village with several incredible Romanesque churches graced by beautiful frescoes. In the afternoon, we can relax in the spa at our hotel in Caldes de Boi, a mountain town famed since Roman times for its thermal waters...BLD.

Day 5: Black Lake / Caldes de Boi

Aiguestortes National Park, Catalonia's only national park, is a spectacular glaciated landscape of jagged granite peaks but the park is named for its beautiful meandering streams and lakes (aigues tortes means 4“twisting waters”). Today we hike up along a beautiful stream to Black Lake, with its gleaming, slate-gray surface. From the lake, we head higher to a picturesque setting of hanging rocks (“The Nails of Travessani”) and circle a crystal-clear mountain pool known as the Ice Fountain. We enjoy our lunch at a lovely mountain refuge and then hike back down to Caldes de Boi...BL Approximate Hiking Time/Terrain: 4 hours, moderate to strenuous. The trail is a mule track. The highest altitude reached is 7,500 feet, with a 1,600-foot ascent and descent.

Day 6: Potarro de Espot / Estamariu

Today’s hike crosses beautiful Aiguestortes National Park from west to east, following a trail through a valley dotted with pine trees, granite rock formations, lakes, and streams. Along the way, we cross the Potarro de Espot (8,000'), the highest point on our trip. We end our hike at the stunning glacial lake of Sant Maurici and transfer to the village of Estamariu for an overnight in a mountain inn...BLD Approximate Hiking Time/Terrain: 4 hours, easy to moderate. The trail is a wide track. The ascent is about 2,500 feet, and the descent is 1,700 feet, with the highest altitude 8,000 feet at the crossing of Portarro de Espot.

Day 7: Andorra / Estamariu

We begin our hike in the mountains of Andorra, a tiny independent principality in the Pyrenees. Tucked into the mountains between France and Spain, it has been an autonomous state since 1278. Driving over switchback mountain roads to the mountain refuge of La Rabassa, we hike up through forests into open meadows, following the border between Andorra and Spain at an altitude of about 7,400 feet. The views on this trail are panoramic. Our descent takes us over grassy slopes down to Black Creek, which we follow to descend back into Spain at the medieval village of Bescaran, with its magnificent Romanesque bell tower. Overnight in Estamariu...BL Approximate Hiking Time/Terrain: 3 hours, easy to moderate. The ascent is 820 feet, and the descent is a fairly gradual 2,450 feet.

Day 8: Barcelona

A morning hike brings us to the bucolic village of Cava by way of pastoral rolling hills alive with the sound of sheep and cattle bells. After a picnic lunch, a two-hour drive brings us to Barcelona. We enjoy an afternoon visit to this charming waterfront city of Gaudi and Miró, discovering the old quarter and enjoying Gaudi’s fanciful architecture, with the rest of the afternoon free. Tonight we gather for our farewell dinner...BLD Approximate Hiking Time/Terrain: 3 hours, moderate. The path leads through rolling hills with a short, steep ascent up to the village of Cava. Highest altitude reached is 4,800 feet, with a 430-foot ascent and 600-foot descent. About Barcelona: Lively Barcelona, with its artistic and architectural heritage from Art Nouveau to Gaudi, is one of Europe’s most alluring cities. The ancient core of the city, the Barri Gotìc, is bisected by Las Ramblas, the heart and soul of Barcelona. This wide, tree-lined promenade is flanked with balconied buildings and lined with shops, flower stalls, and cafes. Various passages lead from Las Ramblas into distinctive neighborhoods. The Barri Gotìc was once a walled city and preserves a fantastic collection of Gothic buildings, including La Sue, Barcelona’s cathedral and one of the greatest Gothic buildings in all of Spain. Also here is the celebrated Museo Picasso, housed in a medieval palace and containing an important collection of the artist’s early drawings and paintings. Picasso lived in Barcelona for much of his youth and completed his famous Blue Period paintings (1901-1904) while here. Another essential stop in the Barri Gotìc is the Palau Guell, an amazing house built by innovative architect Antonio Gaudi for his patron Euesebi Guell in 1898; many other examples of Gaudi’s work are found throughout the city. Atop Barcelona’s oldest landmark, the mountain called Montjuic near the south end of the harbor, is the Fundació Joan Miró, an impressive museum dedicated to the great Catalan artist whose paintings and drawings are considered a link in the transition between surreal and abstract art.

DAy 9: Depart

Depart on homeward-bound flights...B only.