Trek Notes - Spain

Alto Aragon - The Spanish Pyrenees

Alto Aragon
This trek is designed to appeal to the fit and more experienced walker who is looking for a holiday somewhere just that bit different. The Spanish side of the Pyrenees has a drier climate than the French side and is less visited. It offers a magnificent array of rugged mountains, deep gorges, beech and pine forests, cultivated terraces, ancient stone bridges, unspoilt towns and villages with many historic buildings. Linking these is a network of waymarked trails and paths.

Our one-week circular walking tour starts at Bielsa which lies just to the east of the Ordesa Canyon and Monte Perdido National Park. The first four days explore the southern margins of the national park, staying in very remote mountain villages and crossing the celebrated Garganta (Gorge) of Anisclo as well as several high passes and ridges. The route is dotted with signs of past habitation, dolmen, abandoned villages and ruined castles, that catch the eye. It is however the likes of Monte Perdido and the Tres Marias forming an impressive skyline that really define the character of the route. On the fifth day, you reach the beautiful, historic town of Ainsa (589m), site of a legendary victory of Christians over Moors in the year 1254. Its castle and church date largely from the 12th century. The old town is beautifully preserved and some may like to spend an extra night here.

From Ainsa you follow the Rio Cinca upstream and walk from Plan (1119m) over the Collada (Col) de la Cruz de Guardia (2113m) with fine views of the Perdido range and then descend to finish the tour back at Bielsa.

Travel Information
Arrival: Afternoon/early evening of day 1.
First hotel: At Bielsa, 13 km/8 miles south of the Tunnel de Bielsa (French/Spanish frontier).

Trains from Paris: It is possible to travel by early morning train from Paris to Lannemezan, changing trains at Tarbes or Toulouse. E.g. one could depart Paris on Mondays to Saturdays at 08.10 (TGV, change trains at Toulouse) arrive Lannemezan 16.20. At Lannemezan change onto SNCF bus to St Lary. Arrival via Spain: Bielsa is 300km/180 miles from the international airport at Barcelona and 230km/150 miles from the smaller airport at Zaragoza. Public transport links are currently slow and inconvenient.

End of Tour: Tour ends at Bielsa after breakfast on day 8.  Private road transfer via tunnel to St Lary, then rail bus to Lannemezan and train to Toulouse. Through ticketing St Lary to Toulouse. In summer 2007 arrival time from St Lary at Toulouse Matabiau was 09.59 (not Sundays except in July and August; on other Sundays arrival Toulouse at 10.37) in both cases necessitating departure from Bielsa at 05.30, and 12.37 (daily; dep. Bielsa approx. 07.45). Check times before booking this tour or travelling. Times can be checked for your day of travel on the Internet on www.sncf.com

Season: Mid-June to end September. The accommodation can be heavily booked in August, so if you want to travel at that time then better book early!

Level of Difficulty
Grade: Challenging.

Fitness: This challenging walk is designed to appeal to the fit and experienced walker/hiker. The first walking day is strenuous so you do need to be in good shape before you start the tour. You should be competent at map reading and compass work. Because of the remote and rugged terrain this self-guided tour is not available to singles.

Day stages: 10km to 25km (6-15 miles) per day with average altitude gains of 800m, but over 1000m on some days.  Walking 5 to 8 hrs a day. The 4th walking day (from Nerin to Ainsa), can be shortened by using a car transfer (included in tour price) at the start of the day.

Waymarks: The trails are generally well waymarked. But they can be spaced and hard to find on some sections. You do need to be able to cope with rough trails that are in places somewhat overgrown with vegetation and with mountain streams, which may be swollen after heavy rain. The maps are not as accurate as British maps of a similar scale (1:40,000 and 1:50,000).

Accommodation & Meals
7 nights/8 days - This is a wild remote area and our hotels and catering facilities are not of the same standard you might expect in major tourist areas. The quality of the scenery and walking is spectacular and more than compensates for any deficiencies in infrastructure. The first and last nights of the tour are spent in the small mountain town of Bielsa at a 3* hotel renowned for the quality of its service. Very limited English is spoken at the hotel, which is located close to the central square. On nights 2 & 3 in Hospital de Tella we use a small family-run guesthouse with its own restaurant and a terrace on the bank of the river Cinca. Ensuite facilities are available in some of the rooms. Night 4 is spent in the mountain village of Nerin at a comfortable pension with great views over the valley. Night 5 is spent in a 3* hotel in the delightful and historic town of Ainsa. Night 6 is spent in the village of Lafortunada at a small 1* hotel in rooms with ensuite facilities. The hotel has a good restaurant.

A mixture of hotels, hostales (pensions) and guesthouses. Rooms with ensuite facilities are available most nights. Breakfast each morning is included (except in Ainsa), together with 6 evening meals and 4 packed lunches.

Nights 1 & 7: Our 3* hotel in Bielsa is a large modern building just below the old town. There is a great restaurant and bar, and the dinner is well prepared, presented and includes a local wine. This small town has bars, several supermarkets, a pharmacy, and a tourist information office.

Nights 2 & 3: These nights are spent at a small family-run guesthouse and restaurant on the banks of the river Cinca at Hospital de Tella. There is a terrace and a bar with a vaulted ceiling. There are 4 twin-bedded rooms with en suite facilities and 2 rooms without private facilities. There is no other bar, restaurant or shop nearby.

Night 4: In the small and very pretty village of Nerin our pension has got comfortable rooms with en-suite bathroom. There is a bar, and the restaurant serves good food. There is no shop or other facilities in this remote village.

Night 5: In Ainsa we stay in a 3* hotel of taditional aragonesque style, located in a small cobbled street in the old town up on the hill. Accommodation is on room-only basis. All you need to do is pop out to a nearby café for your breakfast.

Night 6: In Lafortunada we use a 1* hotel with its own restaurant. The rooms have en-suite facilities. There is a bar, in the centre of the village but it may not be open.

Day 1: Arrival at first hotel in Bielsa. Depending on your time of arrival there should be an opportunity to explore the town. Bielsa was heavily bombed in the Spanish Civil War in 1938, as the Republican Army escaped up the valley into France. This explains why the town is a bit of a hotch-pot of building styles. Nevertheless there is an interesting square and a church, which amazingly survived the bombing. To explore the beautiful Valle de Pineta, which extends to the foot of Monte Perdido you really need an extra day in Bielsa and a car!

Day 2: Bielsa (1050m) to Hospital (this is a place-name, not an institution!). 16.5km/10 miles. 7-8 hours. Total Ascent 1200m, descent 1540m. Features of the day include fine views of the Valley of Pineta, forest tracks, open Alpine meadows, a mountain pass at 2060m called ‘El Portillo de Tella.' Good bird viewing potential and maybe chamois. You then descend to the pretty village of Tella famous for its witches and an ancient dolmen (neolithic burial chamber). The day ends with a descent into the Cinca valley and your guesthouse at Hospital de Tella.

Day 3: Hospital to Escuain, return to Hospital. 9.5km / 6 miles. 4-5 hours. Total Ascent 750m, descent 300m. The route follows the River Yaga, passing through the almost abandoned hamlet of Estamilla and into a very rich natural habitat with a wide variety of vegetation. The table topped mountain of Castillo Mayor commands the view to the south, while Monte Perdido and the Tres Marias are a short distance to the north. Escuain is a pretty village with a few people working on the land. There are some attractive old buildings and a little tourist information, which has details about the Lammergeyers who inhabit the area. You will be collected at Escuain at about 17:00 and returned to Hospital.

Day 4: Hospital, drive to Bestue, walk to Nerin. 13km/7 miles. Total ascent 1120m, descent 1105m. 6-8 hours. There is a car transfer at start of day to Bestue (1220 metres) - included in tour. This is another old village which is slowly being done up and relived in for at least part of the year. There is then a lot of down and up then down and up again until you reach Nerin, as you go crossing the fantastic Anisclo Canyon, which has a long spanned medieval parabolic stone bridge. On this walk at certain points you may look down upon Lammergeyers, Griffon Vultures or Peregrines flying below you. The last part of the day is the ascent to Nerin (1281m) and from the village looking back down the valley you can get nice alpenglow views of Castillo Mayor.

Day 5: Nerin, drive to Buerba, walk to Ainsa. From Nerin to Buerba (8km/5miles) we provide a car transfer included in tour price. Buerba to Ainsa (on foot) is 23 km/14 miles, but we recommend that you take a taxi from the small town of Boltana (not included) to reduce the walk and give you more time in Ainsa. Total ascent 535m, descent 1030m. Buerba has an interesting church. You cross a remote mountain region, which has many signs of rural depopulation, such as abandoned terraces, chapels and hamlets. The walk is mostly descent, but with a quite steep pull up to the pass called ‘El Portillo de los Valles' and then on a broad forest track descending to Boltana (643m), which has a precarious ruined castle. There are alternative paths along the valley for the last 8km to Ainsa (589m), should you wish to continue the walk that is reasonably pleasant alongside the river Ara.

Ainsa is a major small town with a number of service and tourist shops. The main attraction is the old upper town, which is walled and has a main square and a few old streets leading off it. There are many restaurants on the square to try different dishes. Beyond this there is an old fortress, which has a wall walkway from where if it is clear you can see a panorama stretching back to Monte Perdido and the French border. Listen out for Nightingales and Warblers in June! Another good viewpoint is that from the other side of the River Cinca where if you cross the bridge, you will get a good view back to the upper town.

Day 6: Ainsa to Lafortunada. 23 km/14 miles, total ascent 780m, descent 600m. A day following the Cinca valley, passing through several villages and along forested slopes above the river. The towering walls of Pena Montanesa provide an impressive backdrop as you go. The final 10 km you follow the Cinca bankside path until you reach the hydroelectric village of Lafortunada, a sleepy place, but there is a hamlet called Badain across the river, which has an interesting church you can ascend to.

Day 7: This day is the longest and perhaps hardest of all: Road transfer from Lafortunada to Plan (1120m), then walk over the mountains to Bielsa while the baggage continues by road. Distance 26km / 16 miles. Total ascent: 1300m, descent 1400m. Around 8 hours. A shorter option is possible via Sin, saving about 2 hours from the start of the walk. The walk takes you along terrace margins and through little villages before climbing through the pastures which get progressively alpine with good groups of flower including narcissi, columbines and primulas / cowslips. You cross a mountain pass at 2116m called ‘Cruz de la Guardia' and then descend exploring wild forests and hidden valleys, until you turn out of the valley and there is the distance is Bielsa again. Reach the hotel and you have completed the circuit!

Day 8: Morning departure from Bielsa.

Baggage Transfers