Welcome to the Pyrenees!

So I’m back to work after a 3-week holiday! The weather was nice and warm and I had a great last week of my vacations in the Catalan Pyrenees with a good friend of mine.

If you are thinking about spending a little more time in Catalonia and maybe getting out of the city, my advice to you is: head for the hills! After you’ve seen Barcelona (lots of things to see and to do there) and the beaches and have toured various vineyards (including Torres, of course, -come and say hello!-) and want to see something else, then I can recommend the mountains. The big cities tend to be quite hot and full of people during July, August and September but up there in the Pyrenees, at 2 km above sea level, it’s not so stifling during the days, the afternoons and evenings are fresh, and we at least didn’t find too many people in Vielha in July.

We stayed in a little village, in a small rural hotel just above Vielha and the view from our window was spectacular! Vielha is one, and also the biggest, of the cities – or should I say towns, they’re quite small up there – where you can stay, there are lots of small hotels in the centre if you don’t want to take a taxi every night to go back to your rooms after having a little bit of wine with your dinner. And by the way, the food in the mountainous areas is usually delicious, Vielha is not an exception!

Our idea was to do a couple of hikes, the first one the most difficult; la Ruta de l’Aigua – the water route (http://www.lleidatur.com/Tourism/Visit/The-Water-Route-of-la-Val-dAran/403.aspx) that starts at the South end of the Vielha tunnel and ends up in the town centre. We were not – and still aren’t – in shape, so even though the difficulty rating of the 12 km route is high, I think most of you can do it, just give it time – they say it takes 5 hours, but be prepared for 7 or 8, depending on your physical condition and taking into account all the little stops for pics and snacks… And most importantly, if you have doubts about going ahead, don’t try and exceed your limits, there’s no shame in turning back – we had to ‘cause we found a huge patch of snow at the highest point of the route and couldn’t go on safely.

I brought a bottle of Torres Natureo Red with me so we could toast our achievement at the top of the mountain, at 2400 m above the sea level. Since Natureo is a de-alcoholized wine, we thought it would be perfect for the occasion. Unfortunately it didn’t fit in my backpack that was already full with water, sandwiches, bananas, biscuits, camera, etc… (note to self; buy a bigger backpack), so we had to leave it at the hotel and open it after coming back with burnt shoulders. It was just the ticket to finish off a perfect day in the high meadows and steep hills!

Some general advice:

· When going hiking – especially in an area you are not familiar with – let someone know where you’re going and when you plan to be back.

· Preferably, don’t go alone.

· At the Vielha Tourist Office they have information about all the routes, make it your first stop.

· Wear enough clothing, good shoes, a hat and sun screen – keep applying it every now and then so you won’t end up looking like a cooked lobster, like me.

· Pack enough water and food, and maybe some isotonic beverage, tissues, and a plastic bag to use as a rubbish bag. Don’t leave any rubbish along the way, take it back with you.

· Make sure you have your mobile phone with you, your hotel’s phone number, and a list of taxi numbers.

· In the Pyrenees it rains every afternoon during the summer months, so pack your rain gear.

· The locals say the best time to go hiking in the Catalan Pyrenees is in September, the weather is great, not too hot, and the afternoon rains are not so common.

· Always greet fellow hikers with a happy “Hola”!

· After finishing your hike, reward yourself! Natureo was our choice… what would be yours?

Kati Jauhiainen