Hiking in Vall D'Aran

My next stop in Catalonia, Vall D’Aran, is in the heart of the Pyrenees Mountains. Vall D’Aran is a valley at the northern most part of Spain, only about 20 km from the French border. My host family has a home in Vilac, which is a small village surrounding the main town of Vielha, which consists of quaint stone and wood buildings in alpine styled architecture.

In winter, skiing is the main attraction here, but in the summer the popular sport is hiking. My host family is part of a hiking group called K6, named after Cassis liquor which they drink in the evenings after a long day of hiking. K6 consists of about 80 people who hike together, and I joined them for two major hikes. Those who know me are probably saying, "Kathryn, hiking??" Yes, I know, but I pushed through new boundaries and I would even go hiking again!

In the first six-hour hike, we walked 10 km and climbed 2,100 meters through luscious green forests and deep valleys. My favorite moment was jumping across a little stream, looking up at the beautiful waterfall and hearing the insects chirp all around me. We stopped at a lake for lunch and immediately, the warm weather that had made us all sweat turned into a nasty cold wind. The harsh climate of the mountains is unpredictable.

Two days later, the K6 group reunited for a slightly milder excursion of 5 km, yet climbed 2,100 vertical meters. We stopped at a picturesque lake to eat our baguette sandwiches and watched a brave soul swimming in the cold lake. Following these invigorating (or exhausting) excursions, my host family dines at local restaurants. One pizzeria has even named a dessert nutella pizza the “K6 pizza” in honor of the hiking group. :)

While in Vall D’Aran, we went to the neighboring ski town of Baqueira, where I hope to ski later in the year. I have always associated mountains with skiing, so it was a new experience to see the mountains so green and full of wild life with cows and horses trotting so close to the ski lifts and roads. My host father had to stop the car many times and swerve to avoid hitting the horses and cows. These few days in the mountains were an incredible experience and allowed me to see yet another part of Spain and the mountain culture.

Cristina, Miriam and me in Vilac.

 Putting my mountain boots to good use.

10K hiking trip

5K hiking trip - we were exhausted after a steep climb.

Marcos, Cristina, Miriam, Carlota and me on the ski slopes of Baquiera.