Alpine Adventure Isaba, Spain
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I’ve always been attracted by the landscapes of the Alps, after a brief stay in the Southern Black Forest Schwabia, and continuing today with my adopted country in Vermont. IsabaSo when we were planning a trip to northern Spain, the Pyrenees, just had to be on the list. The Pyrenees mountain range straddles the border of Spain and France, which runs between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. Small isolated villages straddling the imaginary border on both sides, and a patchwork of trails wind through many of them.
On the French side, there is an important way to run the entire distance called the GR10, and the Spanish side, a similar path is called the GR11. Many other small branches of these trails meander through the area. Hiking the entire trail takes about one and a half, and it is essential to have good maps and guides. The best guides I found were Cicerone guides, written by Lucia Paul, a recently deceased man, who spent many years walking the trails and documentation. These can be difficult to find because they are outside the United Kingdom, and seems to print a lot, but worth the search.
While our original intention to make a multi-day trek along the GR11, several things got in the way. First, it was too early in the year (early May), and most of the snow was still on the mountaintop. Peaks that would otherwise require only a pair of sturdy boots, which require equipment of ice and snow as well. Secondly, we were not there long enough and while there are parts of the path provided to the village of jump, the section was directed not so, and vacation were not long enough to carry camping equipment worthwhile.
Roncal is SheepThus was the end of the choice of less-intensive approach based on the location of Isaba, and make day trips from there. Isaba is at the top of the famous Roncal Valley, a scenic road along the river Balaguer through several other small towns (including Roncal, the valley of the same name), and only a few kilometers from the border with France in the Pas d’Arlas. The city clearly has a thriving tourist industry, with ample parking and plenty of small pensions called houses that offer rooms. Since this was not ski season (there is a ski resort in the French border to the road), nor the high trekking season, it was mostly us and the local population.
Isaba is a charming and romantic town, with cobblestone streets, alpine-style houses with lots of stone walls, beamed ceilings and brightly decorated boxes. Little wineries selling wine and sit alongside staples bakeries, butchers and Fromageries. Language and separate kitchen, I could fall this town in Alsace, Bavaria, and nobody would know. We stayed in one of the cottages, called Catalangarde, which was quite picturesque, had a balcony overlooking the city, and otherwise well appointed.
The first morning we walked to the west of the city on the GR11, which has also been characterized as having a detailed map where the road crosses the main road of the city. The road led through a beautiful mountain church (San Cipriano) and then a series of zigzag quite strong for several kilometers. As we neared the top, which turned the corner and before us lay untouched alpine meadows dotted with grazing cows, rolling hills and spectacular views of Mount For GR11peaks of the Pyrenees in the distance. I could not imagine a more perfect place for a picnic of bread, wine and cheese gathering in the shops in the morning. On the way back, a church service was going on, and while not particularly religious, a local service such a scenario was somewhat satisfactory.
The next day we headed down the road by car to the French border. Although the movement was actually closed due to snow, we got up very close, offering spectacular views which we look down the valley. The grasslands were dotted with sheep farms and announced the famous Roncal cheese made fresh just steps from the source. Our final hike in the area came recommended and was visited on the way back to Isaba in a “Rest Area” for lack of a better term. This loop hike only took a couple of hours, but was flat and offers great views of the mountains and countryside.
In the end, our trip to the Pyrenees was much rest as hiking. The walk was impressive, and certainly would be time worth spending more on the trails. However, the city itself was the star for me, with its medieval charm and character, and a slow pace that is just part of everyday life in the mountains of Spain.
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Tags: Adventure, Adventure Isaba, Alpine, Alpine Adventure, Alpine Adventure Isaba, Spain