Montarto

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Montarto Adventour

Rules

At the moment of inscription at the Montarto Hotel you will receive a card which will be stamped at the various established check points along the three routess, as well as a special rucksack, a map of the Aran Valley, a cap and a pass entitling you to free access on public transport. This pass will also entitle you to discounts.

The map has the route drawn out, with detailed descriptions of all the roads to take so that you won’t get lost.

To be a real finisher you have to complete all three challenges. The first challenge consists of a mountain bike route which goes from one end of the Aran Valley to the other. The second is Nordic walking, departing from Baqueira 1500 going up to 1850 m by a mountain path which crosses the Baqueira forest. The third event is walking up to the Lakes of Colomers, the largest cirque and group of lakes in the Pyrenees and located within the National Park of  Aigüestortes and the Lake of Sant Maurici.

Once the three Montarto Adventour events have been completed, when you present your fully stamped card, you will be given an exclusive jumper in reward for your effort and a one-day ski pass to Baqueira Beret for the following winter season. This jumper is not available in the shops and is exclusively for those people who have managed to complete all three events.

It is recommended that you wear sports shoes, a short-sleeved t-shirt, a windstopper, short or long cycle pants, depending on the weather, a cycle helmet, short gloves and sunglasses. If you don’t have any of these items, they can be hired at the hotel. We add the adventure. We also recommend that you have insurance. This is also available on request at the hotel at a special price.

The Montarto Adventour consists of three events:

1. BTT

The idea is to complete the course whilst having a great time and getting to know the Aran Valley on mountain bike, along the Royal Way, which is the old road that used to connect the villages. With a distance of some 40 km, we start off from the Baqueira Cafetaria, at 1850 m and arrive at  640 m in Les, thereby saving us a negative gradient of over 1200 m.

Before starting off, we recommend you take along with you a light change of clothes in the rucksack you will be given, and a swimsuit should you want to take a dip in the Les Spa, famous since Roman times. There you will receive a bag for your dirty clothes and a “finisher” stamp for one of the three challenges on your card. Then you can go back to Baqueira using public transport which, remember, is included. Should you want to have a swim, you have a special discount for forming part of the group, just by showing your card.

Your card will be stamped at the start of the route, in the Cafetería1850 m, and along the route you will need to get three more stamps, finishing in the Spa.. Remember that you need all four stamps for your card to be valid.

Respect for the environment is absolutely fundamental, and all cycling along the route must be as non-aggressive as possible. At times the routes pass through narrow paths, which may be somewhat complicated for some riders. These can be crossed on foot or if preferred you can take a diversion onto the main road, joining the path again a few hundred metres further along. In this case, we recommend extreme precaution.

The map we will give you includes the basic characteristics of all the places of historic interest you can find along the route.

The check points are strategically located so that you can also have something to eat or drink at the same time. Although the route is downhill, bear in mind it is normal to take between 3 to 4 hours to complete the whole adventure, given that most of the route crosses forest tracks and old pathways.

2. NORDIC WALKING

On this 5-kilometre uphill walk you will go along paths especially for this sport, which attracts thousands of followers every year. Nordic walking is highly beneficial for your health and suitable for all ages, as it improves strength, stamina, mobility and coordination, working a large number of muscle groups.

The starting point is at the Montarto Hotel, where you have your card stamped and can also hire sticks. After crossing the village of Ruda, take a signposted path which takes you into the Baqueira forest, where it’s not unusual to spot squirrels. The arrival point is at the Cafetería, 1850m Baqueira, where the completion of your second adventure will be certified . You can return to the Hotel by ski lift.

If you wish to and still have some strength left, you can venture onto the Beret plain, one of the largest Alpine plains in Europe, with numerous remains from the Palaeolithic period, surrounded by mountains, some stretching over 2,800 metres high.

3. HILL WALKING/RAMBLING

The last of the three challenges starts off from the Tredòs Baths, the highest Spa in Europe, located at 1740 m above sea level. There you will have your card stamped and you will be shown how to get to the cirque of Colomers, a truly breathtaking display of lakes, passing by Aigüestortes  d'Aiguamotx and spectacular waterfalls.The mountain refuge of Colomèrs marks the end of your adventure, where your card will be stamped to certify the completion of the challenge. From this point, you can take the short trip around the cirque, just under an hour, or if you prefer, the longer one, aimed at more experienced mountaineers, about four hours long. If you wish, you can go back down a part of the way by taxi or by a different path from the one you came up.

Once you arrive at the Baths, you can have something to eat or bathe in the thermal waters, with a special discount when you show your card (please book beforehand).

The walk from the Baths up to the Colomèrs refuge usually takes just two hours, plus another hour to walk back. To this, you should add the time it takes to walk around the cirque itself.