Here is one great thing about living in Barcelona that I did not think of before coming: winter and snow activities!!! Yes, Barcelona is only a few hours away from the Pyrenees mountains and is not all about sun and beaches. When I saw the possibility to go snowshoeing 3 hours away from Barcelona in La Cerdanya, I did not hesitate much. I have always wanted to try this snow activity but missed the opportunity when I was in Canada. Here is my chance!
La Cerdanya is a part of the Eastern Pyrenees, on the Spanish side (as opposed to the French one). We came by car and took the tolled motorway. It has not been cheap but had the advantage of being fast. I am not sure of the total cost of the trip. I paid around 20 euros of toll fees on the way back. We were 4 in the car so we participated in different parts of the cost. Taking the motorway also allowed us to do the excursion in one day so it was fine.
Our excursion started in the car park in Lles de Cerdanya. There, we met our guide. We have booked a private circuit with a private guide. We each paid 35 euros for the guide and 10 euros for the gear (snowshoes and poles). We chose a route that was suitable for beginners. Although I discovered later on that it was a lot of efforts to walk in the snow. Aie aie…
Getting ready for our snow activity!
Ah well, this is an important phase of the trip. It consists of having proper clothing: thermal base layers for the top and the bottom, a mid-layer base and a snow jacket as well as waterproof pants, mountain socks and good snowboots. You also need gloves. I made the mistake of wearing loads of layers and after the first 10mn honestly had to strip down to my thermal top. I was so hot with all the physical effort. The jacket is also very important to protect from the wind and the cold during the picnic and on the way down. I had sunglasses for the sun and for all of this white around and…suncream! I also had energy bars, dried and fresh fruit, sandwiches and water (of course) in my backpack. These are the basics. The company’s website below provides more information on organising oneself before the trip.
The route: black pine forest, frozen lake and picnic in the snow
In Lles de Sardenya
We crossed the black pine forest of Lles. Our guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the local fauna and flora. He explained us a lot of things about local history, about the trees growing there and about the animals living around. We learnt about these animals’ habits and to identify their prints in the snow. It was nice. We climbed to Lake Orri. That was a bit tough. The terrain was uneven and we went up for a little while. Finally, we arrived at the lake. It was hidden and frozen but beautiful. Without a guide we would not have probably been able to spot it. We stayed there for a while to take pictures, talk and rest. One advice, don’t go on the lake if you are unsure of how frozen it is, to avoid bad surprises.
We then went to the shelter of the Pradell. The landscape on the way was more beautiful than all the landscapes we have seen so far. I call it magical white snow landscape. The snow also changed quality in different parts of the path and it was fun to experiment walking on these different qualities of snow. Close to the refuge, we headed to the top of the hill for a better viewpoint. It was challenging to go up. Challenging but rewarding. We had our picnic at the top and it was with a great sense of satisfaction and achievement that I bit into my sandwich. I deserved it. This was my first picnic in the snow. That was so cool (and cold brrr)! All in all, I think we walked 7 hours that day.
Is a guide really necessary for that snowshoeing trip?
I have seen people snowshoeing on their own in Lles. It is possible to go on excursions without a guide. In this ski resort, there were a lot of people around as well as a lot of pathways and it looked quite safe. You just need a good map and a GPS. However, snow activities are always at one’s own risk!!
Should you then get a guide for your trip? Yes. In addition to introducing us to the local fauna and flora, the guide taught us about the dos and donts of snowshoeing during our excursion. Here is what I take from it: walking backwards with your snowshoes is not a good idea; try not to fall, it is hard to get back on your feet (like in skiing I suppose); and definitely avoid wild boars in the forest because it is not that easy to run with those snowshoes…And last but not least, our guide kept us alive. A bit dramatic perhaps but that day there was a risk of avalanche and our guide expertedly diverted us from it.
www.rutaspirineos.org