A diferent portafolio: 5 days, 4 diferents riding areas
Do you want to discover this area of the eastern Pyrenees?
We offer you the possibility to experience an exceptional week of mountain biking in 5 days.
You will be able to explore 4 magnificent areas that include Pallars Nord, Pallars Sud, Val d’Aran, and Andorra.
Our journey includes following the program from a base camp where our bikers will stay in the chosen hotel. From this point, we will make different trips to the different areas. The longest journey is to Andorra and Val d’Aran, while the rest of the days will only take us 30 minutes.
The order of the factor does not alter the product; it is planned for 2 days in Pallars Nord, 1 day in Pallars Sud, 1 day in Val d’Aran, and 1 day in Andorra.
Pallars Nord:
During these 2 days, we will discover the most significant descents in this area, as Pallars Nord has countless paths. We will be able to visit the different areas and sub-valleys that this northern region encompasses. Many of these descents are characterized by their significant negative gradient. Several trails exceed 1000m of negative gradient, with the Pic del Orri descent being the icing on the cake with 1700m and 14 km, a mixed descent that leaves no one indifferent.
The northern area is characterized by being a natural terrain that is largely part of a natural park. With a bit of luck and if you are respectful of the environment, you may see wild animals such as wild boars and chamois. The paths were originally the routes that in ancient times connected the different high mountain villages, which over time fell into disuse.
As we mentioned, it is a natural terrain, not worked but suitable for high mountain MTB.
We will also discover El Farro in Vallfarrera, or Carrua del Matxos d ‘Ainet in the Cardós valley. If you want to delve into this area, we recommend that you read our article on the blog.
PALLARS SOUTH
It has been the latest revolution to explode; in recent years, many people from Europe have been coming to this area. Meticulous work has been carried out in this area. Unlike the northern, more alpine area and much higher in altitude, this area, more pre-Pyrenean, offers excellent terrain conditions for creating playful and fun trails. And this is what the Lo Podall Association has been doing since 2017.
Trails like Serengeti, Afganistrail, Roques Pelades, Slickrock Pallares, are already names that have become known. The success of this area, in addition to the work that has been done behind it, is also due to the variety of terrain that we can find, with gradients ranging from 150 to 700 meters of vertical drop, we find forested areas, more rocky areas, areas of stone blocks, clayey areas… and a mix of these varieties.
All this combined with a contrasting landscape due to the presence of the St. Antoni reservoir, which always imposes a blue background color.
In Pallars Sud, we also find the area of La Pobla de Segur, a town located 10km north of Tremp, practically with the same landscape and terrain characteristics. In La Pobla, spectacular work has been done, and they currently have trails of high quality.
Here we can enjoy the already famous and fun Super Mario Bros, Mascarell, Canarill Trail, or Zona block, among others. With a day of uplifts, we can do the most iconic trails in this area.
If we are willing to pedal a minimum of meters per day, we will have the possibility to access some trails where access with the bike trailer is not possible or is prohibited, expanding the list of trails. American line or Monsor would be some examples in the La Pobla area.
This area will not leave you indifferent.
VAL D’ARAN Atlantic Pyrenees
The journey to the Val d’Aran region allows us to discover another completely different alpine terrain. The Val d’Aran is one of the only valleys in the Spanish Pyrenees that has a north orientation and has an Atlantic climate. This fact makes its vegetation and topography different from the southern slope. You will be impressed by its vegetation, sub-valleys, and spectacular terrain for mountain biking. Our proposal for Val d’Aran may vary, but if you are willing to pedal 1000+, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a Top itinerary, an itinerary where you will pedal at altitude, entering French territory to access an incredible descent back to Spanish territory. What you will be able to contemplate on this itinerary are views of the Aneto glacier, cycling through high meadows, and a descent along a trail that ends in a beech forest with an active and dynamic layout.
We have the possibility to link at the end of the route, that is, by climbing 200m another magnificent line called Costaeridia superior. A rollercoaster-style trail with berms and curves prepared all inside a forest.
This option requires time and takes up a large part of the day, although it leaves no one indifferent. For that, we also have a plan B, where we can do without pedaling. In the Vielha area, which is the capital of this valley, we have an area where trails like Projeckt will make you enjoy. Moving to different points and villages, we will be able to test the terrain of this valley. A valley historically known for its high-altitude mining. Minas Victoria is another red difficulty trail with a negative gradient of 750m and a length of 4.1 km.
In the high area of the valley “Naut Aran” in the local dialect, we find another spot with lines of 500m negatives. An area exclusively for MTB, which is also completely built within a forest. It is called Enduromies and we will find predominantly blue and red lines.
From this area, we would have access to other more complex itineraries where we would be forced to pedal. Porera is one of them, a black difficulty descent. Or the return to Collado de Pruedo, which would give us access to the aforementioned Enduromies area through its upper access. Being able to enjoy beautiful views of the entire valley. We are near the boundary with the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurci National Park, one of the most important in the Spanish Pyrenees.
Currently, a bike park is being built at the Baqueira ski resort. It is still in an initial phase, but they are creating very fun trails. In the near future, the option of spending a day at the bike park will be possible, but for now, we have to wait.
ANDORRA
We always give the option to travel to Andorra because it is the longest journey; you have to get up early to make the most of the day. But going to Andorra opens the door to being able to go to the Massana bike park. More than known for its presence in the DH World Cup for many years. The ticket is not included in our trip, but we offer the option of spending a day at the bike park to our bikers if they consider it a good option to complement the week.
In case that is not the desired option, we have a very attractive itinerary
in the other valley that forms Andorra, which is the Valira valley, where the ski resorts of Soldeu el Tarter and Pas de la Casa are located (now known as Granvalira).
There we can have a day on very attractive trails. Originally there was a bike park that stopped operating as such, but many paths are still well marked, and some are starting to be recovered again. For the past 3 years, the station has been opening some of the cable cars, which is always a good option to make more negative gradient. The fact is that with or without a cable car, we will have to pedal something to access the trails.
Here we undoubtedly recommend the Roca del Forn itinerary, a high itinerary, at some point passing through a short ridge, with stunning views. Using a transversal singletrack, we will connect with 72 curves, which, as its name indicates, will require you to move on top of the MTB.
It depends a lot on your physical condition, but you must be in optimal condition to face these days where you have to pedal. I mean the days when you have to pedal, because there are some days when you hardly pedal. For those who are not physically fit, the option of an e-bike is fantastic because it allows us to “take advantage” of the ascents and not run out of energy for the descents.
Another possible option in Andorra is the Sant Julia area. In the Naturland theme park, we can enjoy lines that have been built in recent years; they are fun and allow us to make quite a few rounds without much loss of time. And finish the day by climbing to Pic Negre, a summit that is easy to access because you reach the top by a forest track. From the top, we have a technical and rocky descent of almost 2000m negative if we reach Sant Julia itself.
Andorra offers many possibilities, so we like to offer the option of visiting it on our 5-day trip.
Here is this description of our trip through the areas of Pallars Nord and Sud, Val d’Aran, and Andorra. You will have the possibility to make a lot of negative gradient. So come prepared with spare brake pads because we assure you that you will need them.
The best times to do this extraordinary tour of these areas would be from late May, June, and mid-July. Avoiding August, which is the hottest month and the typical month for local holidays. September, October, and the first week of November, if the weather is good, is also a very good time if you want to avoid crowds and enjoy the tranquility that usually prevails.
If you want to know more, write to us.
