| Cost From: | $4795 |
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| Length: | 9 days |
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| Activity: | Hiking / Trekking, Cultural Adventures |
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| Difficulty: |
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I loved the hikes—the Pyrenees are inspiring, beautiful, and a total wonder.Mary Jean Krackeler
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Enjoy challenging hiking in an aery realm of grand glacial cirques, crystalline lakes, snow-capped summits, mighty waterfalls, and magnificent beech forests. Along the way we fuel our hikes with hearty mountain fare from cassoulet to Roquefort cheeses.
Some of the best hiking in Europe is found on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees Mountains, and here we also discover the diversity of cultures that make northern Spain so enchanting. We hike below soaring snow-capped peaks, follow shepherds’ paths into dramatic mountain cirques, and relish the atmosphere of exquisite stone villages lost in time. In Aragon, we explore the lovely hilltown of Ainsa, its walled center still elegant and medieval, and enjoy two nights in Caldes de Boi, famed since Roman times for its thermal waters. We end with a flourish, hiking the wildflower-covered realm of the Catalan Pyrenees, then head to the Mediterranean and beautiful Barcelona, with its renowned architecture and superb museums dedicated to native sons Picasso and Miró.
$4795 (11-15 members)
$5195 (6-10 members)
Single supplement: $370
Prices are for 2010 dates
Jun 6-14, 2010 Joserra Combarro
Itziar Zorilla
Aug 22-30, 2010
Sep 5-13, 2010
Reading list, click here.
Meeting in Pamplona, we head right to the mountains for a hike and picnic in one of the most idyllic and hidden valleys in the Pyrenees. Overnight in Siresa, a village of cobbled streets and splendid old stone houses.
In Ordesa National Park, crowned by peaks over 10,000 feet high, we enjoy a classic Pyrenees hike below the West Face of Monte Bisaurin, passing tumbling waterfalls and following a trail beneath impressive cliffs. At the sublime green meadow called Dios Te Salve, views of the snow-capped summits of the Pyrenees are breathtaking. The next day we hike below Monte Perdido, where mountain goats scramble beneath vertical cliffs. Overnights are in Torla, a village of traditional slate houses set in a panoramic valley.
We take a day off from hiking to explore medieval Ainsa and the remote village of Taull, with its incredible Romanesque churches. The next day we hike in the glaciated landscape of Aiguestortes National Park to the high, rocky realm of the Ice Fountain, with lunch at a mountain lodge. Overnights are in Caldes de Boi, an ancient spa town where we can enjoy a soak in our hotel spa.
A hike across the Potarro de Espot (8,000'), highest point on our trip, brings us to the stunning glacial lake of Sant Maurici. The next day in tiny Andorra, a principality nestled between France and Spain, we hike a panoramic mountain trail and descend to medieval Bescaran, famed for its magnificent Romanesque bell tower.
After a morning hike with Mediterranean views, we spend the afternoon in Barcelona, an inspiring city with an artistic and architectural heritage from Art Nouveau to Gaudi. Depart on Day 9.
This is the Itinerary-at-a-Glance. For the complete trip description, Download Full Trip Brochure
