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Copyright © 2000 by Manfred P.. All rights reserved.

Oct 12 - 15, 2000

Ordesa, the Spanish Version of Yosemite

Fall in the Pyrenees

by

Manfred P.

Keywords: Spain, Basque Country, Pyrenees, Ordesa, Tella, Bielsa, tourist, travel trip report, travel log, travelogue.

The summer had ended and the fall was here for good. We had returned to Bielsa.

Three weeks ago when it was still summer my girlfriend and I had gone to the Pyrenees with a group of 30 people to climb La Munia, a peak of about 10,100 ft (3,100m). On that occasion we all stayed at a camp ground not too far from Bielsa, a small village in the valley of Pineta. In regards to the accommodations we chose the luxury option. Instead of a tent, we spent the 2 nights of the weekend in a basic room on the campground. In the morning of the ascend, we took the car 6 miles up a dirt road in a neighboring valley from Bielsa before starting the actual walk. It was one of the last sunny days and the end of summer. A shirt was still enough as we slowly ascended through the rich, green meadows.

A few hours later the whole group of nearly 30 people reached a small pass and the plateau that lies behind it. In this plateau are situated two small lakes. Crystal clear, cold, with the mountain peaks mirroring in their calm surfaces. It was the view that you find on postcards. Everything was clean and inviting. In the background to the north west is the highest peak of this region, Monte Perdido, the Lost Mountain. Its peak is quite stylish, and it was covered in snow. With a sounding name like this, the mountain is difficult to forget. My imagination is running hot while thinking about how it became this name. Who got lost? And did they survive? I will have to write it on my things-to-do list for the next year.

While in awe for the Lost Mountain, the terrain changed. From soft meadows it had changed to a rock desert of crumbled foot sized stones. From the lakes the path went steeper uphill to another pass which also is the junction with the ascent from France. La Munia lies on the Spanish-French border and both the Spanish and the French trail meet here at this pass. From the pass the trail leads along the ridge to the top of the mountain. This pass is at 9,800 ft (3,000 m) which also forms the snow line. We only had 300 ft in altitude ahead of us, but these last feet were also the most difficult. The summit was still more than half a mile away, and the ridge trail was now up-and-down. The ground and switched from snow in shady spots to dry rocks in sunny areas. A few short stretches were even to climb; well, we had to use hand and feet to get up. One spot of 7 yards was known to be a bit tricky for inexperienced hikers. It is called Cabo de Gata, Cat Tail. It was not so bad and can be done without equipment without problems.

At the peak we had a well deserved lunch. We could see well into France and the parking lot from where the French hikers started. It was a bit cold, but there was no need for a thick jacket. On the way down we wanted to avoid Cabo de Gata and use an easier route further south. However, the easier route looked a lot more dangerous to me. Here the trail was littered with small loose rocks, the trail was steep and it you slip you "enjoy" a free fall of 50 yards. I am not sure why they call this the easier route. In any case I prefer 7 difficult yards to the risk of 50 yards of free fall. Having done Cabo de Gata on the way up, we knew how it is and that it is not so difficult. And it wasn’t. We had no problems on the way down.

Back at the lakes we met up with the rest of our group again. In the morning someone had made a bet about crossing the lake by swimming. Sure enough, two crazy enough guys could be found that accepted the bet. They undressed while I thought that it was comfortable in the sweater. The first one made it 5 yards before turning around. The second one already 20 yards before coming back on short. The lake, however, was some 100 yards wide. What can I say, must be the overflowing energy of people in the 20ies.

The rest of the way down was uneventful. We said good-bye to Monte Perdido, met some sheep and goats on the way and were the first ones in the showers in the campground.

Now three weeks have passed. My girlfriend had liked the area so much she thought it would be a great idea to bring her parents here. Said, done. All four of us where now sitting in the car heading again for Bielsa.

On the way we stopped in Ainsa. The old part of town in Ainsa dates back to the middle ages. It is located up on a little hill and in its center a market square with lovely houses, all build in stones. They are all beautifully restored and house restaurants, bars, and shops today. It is a great enjoyment to dive into this urban scenery. The houses give you a warm and comfortable feeling. To one side of the market square is a rectangular military court yard. The yard which measures 100 by 80 yards is surrounded by high and solid walls. To make them 8 yards high they also had to make them 8 yards thick. Two of the towers on the corners date back to the middle ages the rest is 300 years old. So on one side of the market square is the military power, on the other side of the market place is the reverse pole, the power of the church, with a church, a church yard and a bell tower. The church buildings are also all made of gray stones, fitting nicely into the environment. From here two streets form a circle through the living quarters of the old town. Some buildings are empty and when peeking through the windows it is easy to see that they are in urgent need of repair, that the roof is missing, etc. But the majority is restored and inviting. It is jewel, a pleasure for the eye and a place well prepared for tourism. Signs that fit nicely into the environment are placed in all interesting sites explaining the history of the buildings.

This time we stayed in the village of Bielsa itself, in a place that calls itself a "country house," but it is more like a regular small hotel. Bielsa has its charm as well, but it is not so concentrated as in the old part of Ainsa. Mixed in here besides the old buildings are new ones, or some old buildings featuring neon signs to advertise for their services, e.g. hotel or supermarket. Therefore the total impression is not so strong. Also the two little squares are full of cars spoiling the country-like flair.

With Bielsa as our base we started a day trip to the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park. The entry point into this national park is the village of Torla. Private traffic is prohibited further into the valley. One has to switch to a public shuttle bus service which brings one to the end of the dead-end road. From here the only way on is on foot, or on 4x4 if you are a park ranger. The most famous destination in the park are the waterfalls "Cola de Caballo" ("Horse Tail") at the end of the valley. Pretty much everyone is heading there. The easiest route is the route along the river, all the way from Pradera de Ordesa, where the bus stops, to Cola de Caballo. It is a very gentle trail on the side of the river, in the bottom of the valley.

In three weeks since we last were n the region a lot has changed. Summer was gone and we were in the midst of fall. All the trees had changed their colors and presented themselves now in the widest mix of green, brown, yellow and red. The forests consist of oak, beech, birch, fir and others. To both sides of the valley tower mountains in strange shapes. The shape is like in the buttes from New Mexico, Arizona or Utah that we see in Wild West movies. But instead of being individual buttes here is a whole range of the rarely formed mountains. The bottom part towards the valley is slightly steep and covered with the colorful forest. Above that portion the walls climb vertically, and the top of the mountains is flat again. Picture yourself in this valley, with the sounds of the water in the riverbed, the colors of the fall forest and the mountain tops covered in white snow. You will agree that it is a unique combination. Looking along the valley and seeing how the valley slowly climbs, and how various waterfalls interrupt the slow flow of the river, and the mountains at the end of the valley, I had to think of Yosemite National Park. With its colors, its waterfalls and its valleys Ordesa has so much in common with Yosemite that I am amazed. I didn’t count the waterfalls, but there were many. Same were individuals, some came in groups of three, like cascades; and all were striking.

The wind was blowing through the valley and hour by hour we got higher, but still following the river. At the end the valley widened. The wind started blowing stronger and coming from the snow covered mountains it was cold. The closer we got to Cola de Caballo the stronger the wind got. It got to the level where it was uncomfortable and I had to bow my head to protect my eyes from the strong wind and the few snow crystals it carried. Cola de Caballo is a pyramid-shaped waterfall, cascading down over 30 yards, and spreading wider as it falls. We had reached 6,070 ft (1,850m). The gale forced us to take shelter behind a big rock in order to eat our lunch.

In order not to walk back the same trail we chose a more southern route for the return. This route passes Faja de Pelay and the viewpoint at Calcilarruego. At Cola de Caballo we crossed the stream on a bridge and starting heading back on the other side of the river. The trail was small, less popular and pretty flat. Instead of following the river and going downstream, it distanced itself from the river and went slowly further uphill. The trail followed the tree line, i.e. the natural line formed by the altitude where the forests stop. The views now where so different now than in the morning. We were high above the valley, some 2,000 ft above the other trail. We could see it clearly from here, but we could also see the snow and the mountain peaks clear that were on the northern rim of the valley. Occasionally a little bit of snow showed up along the our trail. The mountains were so much closer, and therefore more impressive than from the valley.

We had to hurry now. We thought that the last bus would leave at 7:30 p.m. and to get there in time we had to make the 3 and a half hour return trip in 2 and a quarter hours. We rushed to the Calcilarruego Viewpoint. It was the highest point on our daytrip with 6,400 ft (1,950m). From here we could see the buses waiting already. No time to lose. I was amazed to find one of the steepest descents I have ever seen here. In just 1,000 yards horizontal distance we descended an incredible 700 yards. We went through a lot of small zig-zags but at an incredible incline. We didn’t miss the bus and furthermore we were informed that the last one doesn’t leave until 8:30 p.m. So much for rushing, but it was good fun anyway.

It was night by the time we got to Torla. We strolled briefly through the old town. It is beautiful. All the bars were full with people with mountain clothing, mountain boots and mountain attire. I thought it was a bit exaggerated. We are not really in a high mountain region and everyone came here by car. It creates the mountaineering spirit even if mountaineering just means a half-day walk on a well-established trail. Torla was full of live and the streets, supermarkets, bars and restaurants crowded. It was a popular weekend. Surely there are other weekends where it is dead quiet and many bars are closed.

The next day we visited the valley of Pineta again. The northernmost part of the valley also belongs to the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park. From the Parador, a well known hotel chain, starts a round trip that leads up a forest road to a series of waterfalls. From there one can descend in a more or less straight direct line along the waterfalls to the Parador. There are other trails as well, but this was the little loop we did. To celebrate the good weather and the discovered nature, we took a drink in the Parador, which was appropriately styled in wood and country splendor. The sun was coming out having hidden behind the clouds for most of the morning. It put the mountains in gorgeous light. With fresh air, pleasing views, and good company, what else can anyone ask for?

By car we went to a town called Tella in a near-by valley. It turned out to be the high light of the mini-vacations. Unlike Ainsa, Bielsa and Torla which are all very nice and worth seeing, Tella is really unspoiled. There is no tourism here and Tella is unchanged. To me it appears to be today exactly what it was 100 years ago. Life doesn’t seem to have changed here. In one respect it has changed. There is mobile telephone antenna here. Tella is a village of maybe 40 houses situated on top of a hill. It is precious. You have views in all directions. Hidden behind clouds in the north is the peak of Monte Perdido. The views in the other directions are not of lesser quality. Before getting into town, alongside the road, there is an old burial ground with 4 rocks forming an arch. In Tella itself is a small church and the primary job seems to be farming. We saw some sheep and goats on the fields. The houses were all built of stones and even the roofs were made of layered flat stones. Impressive. The chimneys were in a traditional shape and one of them was crowned with a statue of a gnome. If it isn’t so cold here during winter this might even be a place for me to live. From the village a trail leads to two chapels in the vicinity. The sun was shining. It were some precious moments. I don’t know why. It was so peaceful, so calm, so far away from daily life, stress and pollution, so close to nature, the men-made buildings so much in harmony with nature, so simple. Doing the 30 minute walk to the two chapels was simply wonderful and inspiring.

On the last day we stopped in Broto, a nice and small, traditional and rural-tourism-oriented village. Rafting, spelunking and hiking trips can be booked here with local guides. Furthermore they let you slide down small white waters in wet suit and boggy board. For the less adventurous there is always horseback riding.

Branching off into another side valley, we went to the skiing region of Sallent de Gallego. Here at the end of a valley, maybe 6 miles north of Sallent at the end of a road is a small reservoir. The main business in this region seems to be skiing and water. Several big water pipelines can be seen in various placing crossing mountains and valleys. Water must be big business, otherwise they would not have invested so heavily in these pipelines. We circled this smallest of the reservoirs on foot, which is merely a 30 minute trip. From here further trails lead into the mountains but we had no more time to take advantage of them.

Water is not only used for electricity plants but also for the natural healing powers. Panticosa is a famous spa resort. It is another village, again situated at the end of a valley and surrounded by a lake at the village entry and waterfalls at the backside of the river. The village had seen better days. One of the hotels was collapsing another one closed and the still open Grand Hotel had seen better days. Fishermen were out on the lake hoping for the catch of the day. The healing water had a salty taste and honestly I don’t know if its healing powers are unfolded by drinking it or by bathing in it.

We had quite a full weekend. We had visited several new places, had seen new valleys, a new national park, various new villages and a few exceptionally beautiful places in nature. If you liked Yosemite National Park you will like Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park, or vice versa.

    

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