Chariots of Fire – The travels of Mary Loosemore

Herefordshire Week 193: Tuesday 05 – Monday 11 September 2023

In the Pyrenees with Alfonso and Manu, finishing up our cut down Carros de Foc, then driving west and completing the Ruta de las Golondrinas, Clásica version.

Team Mucho Gusto, and some sporting the exclusive Mucho Gusto T-Shirt

Just brief notes here; for the detail you’ll have to wait for the write up – aka Into the Pyrenees with Alfonso and Manu: Photos & Notes. (Next on the list!)

Tuesday saw us complete our mini Carros de Foc trek, walking down from Refugio Amitges (2380m) to Estany St. Maurici (1912m) via the Cascada de Ratera and retreading the trail back to the car park.

Alfonso's Outline for Trekking Carros de Foc — Alfonso’s Outline for Trekking Carros de Foc

Lunch back on the sunny terrace of the Restaurant Vall d’Àneu in Esterri d’Àneu then on to Vielha for a night at Hotel Eth Pomèr (Apples, how appropriate), beers and presentation of the Team Mucho Gusto T-Shirts (plus chutney and spare toothbrushes) at REFU Birreria and dinner at Woolloomooloo.

Wednesday was transit day, driving west-ish from Vielha to Refugio de Belagua via Ainsa (mediaeval city) and Jaca (lunch, mini Magnums and a mooch around Barrabés).

The Golondrinas huts are all accessible by road, and Belagua was buzzing. We had a fab evening – receiving our Golondrinas swag, taking in the views, enjoying our private en suite room. And bottom bunks!

We set off on La Ruta de las Golondrinas on Thursday morning: driving down to the car park at Rincón de Belagua and then walking through forest and fields and forest again to Refugio de Linza. Hot.

A day of Cathedral-like beech forests, sparkling dew on spider’s webs, bracken and gorse, a stiff, sweaty climb, a picnic in the woods – all accompanied by an impossible light bulb riddle.

Sparkling spider's web — Sparkling spider’s web

The Linza hut was the quietest we stayed in, there were only around 10 other people there. Very relaxing. We played Scrabble in Spanish sat at a shady picnic table before dinner.

Friday saw us cross the border into France on Ruta de las Golondrinas day 2, trekking from Refugio de Linza to Refuge de l’Abérouat. A long, hot day.

Highlights: morning shade, chamois and marmots, Collado de Petrechema, goats cheese selling berger in his ‘house of love’, another beech forest picnic, 7.2% beers!

Rach and Me at the Collado de Petrechema, looking down into France

Lowlight: 4km on toasty tarmac.

We stayed in France on Saturday as day 3 of La Ruta de las Golondrinas (which I suppose I ought to be calling La Route des Hirondelles given we’re in France) took us from Refuge de l’Abérouat to Refuge Jeandel.

The trail took us over pas de Azuns and pas del Osque – and Alfonso and Manu provided an optional extra for Rach and I, climbing up one of Les Tourelles. FAB.

Vulture viewing, on top of our peak in Les Tourelles

The Jeandel refuge and the manmade ski resort of La Pierre Saint Martin were less so.

I did get a proposal from a passing berger mind you.

Sunday saw us return into Spain as day 4 of La Ruta de las Golondrinas brought us back to Refugio de Belagua, a day after La Vuelta had passed by. En route, Pic de Arlás (2044m), quiet meadows and close up vulture views, and a bit of zig zagging over the main road in the run up to elevenses.

Late lunch at the hut then Rach and I accompanied Alfonso and Manu back down to the car park to collect the van. It’s a very steep trail down through the forests – very glad of the presence of poles and the absence of backpack.

The evening thunderstorm in the valley reached us overnight. Lots of rain, and lightning. A suitably dramatic end to our Ruta de las Golondrinas.

Alfonso's Outline for Ruta de las Golondrinas — Alfonso’s Outline for Ruta de las Golondrinas

Monday was a day for farewells, and the end of this year’s adventures with Alfonso and Manu.

We drove back to Lourdes airport, flew back to London Stansted in the company of nuns, got the Stansted Express back to Liverpool Street, said au revoir to Rach and then headed down to Hotel Hazel for the night, and another Thai Takeaway for dinner.

TV: My Mum, Your Dad (out of the corner of my eye).

Audiobook: The Bullet that Missed – Richard Osman.

Photos: Herefordshire week 193 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2023-09-10.

Into the Pyrenees with Alfonso & Manu: We’re back!

Time for a Post Pyrenees Blog Post!

Team Mucho Gusto had a fab time on both the Carros de Foc and La Ruta de las Golondrinas and the two routes took us to two very different parts of the Pyrenees.

Alfonso's Outline for Carros de Foc — Alfonso’s Outline for Carros de Foc

Many, many memories – mostly highlights!

The gorgeous lakes everywhere in Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, home to the Carros de Foc, the beautiful Estany de Monestero mirroring the mountains above and around, the Grecian / Roman step dam down from Estany Negre de Peguera (it really did remind me of a square amphitheatre), our first sight of Refugio J M Blanc….

…..chanting with Esther on the shores of Estany dels Barbs, playing “Who Am I?” at Colomina (Pocohontas? No, Cleopatra) and hangman too (ornitorrinco!), Tina’s essential map of the Carros de Foc, the crazy 3 minute scree (and hidden gully) run the lone pine tree, fir trees and pines, bilberries and juniper berries, tripping over on disused, dead level railway track, crossing Collada de Dellui just before the downpour, Rachel’s emergency chocolate en route to Refugio Estany Llong, cold beers and the best lentils at Refugio Amitges, not quite having the weather to fully enjoy the Refugios’ various sun decks and terraces (but we tried), surviving top bunk ascents/descents (and snorers).

A lovely evening in Vielha, with our Mucho Gusto Team T-shirts.

Mini Magnums in Jaca and getting our Golondrinas swag (yes, I am that shallow) at Belagua.

Walking through the cathedral-like beech forest as we set off on La Ruta de las Golondrinas, Manu’s riddles – and solving them (eventually), Scrabble in Spanish (and, later, in English), marmots and chamois, choughs, views and climbers at Collado de Petrachema….

Rach and Me at the Collado de Petrachema, and the descent down into France

… the berger‘s maison d’amour (and also his tasty goats cheese and hanging chair), picnics in beech woods, 4km of toasty tarmac, arriving ahead of schedule at Refuge de l’Abérouat and celebrating with 7.2% cold beers and lots of snacks, Pas d’Azuns and Pas de l’Osque and optional extra Les Tourelles in between, the lonely berger of Arette-La Pierre St Martin, the ugly reality of a manmade ski resort sans snow, our morning ascent of Pic d’Arlas and the final return to the Rincón de Belagua

Although I preferred the Carros de Foc overall (and would love to do the remaining sections), Les Tourelles was my overall highlight – the buzz of getting there and back, the bearded vultures cruising past below and soaring overhead – and a fluffy front feather caught on the rock where one had landed, Alfonso and Manu doing their Professional Poses on the outcrop with sheer drops back down into the valley below.

Nothing we hadn’t done before 🙂

Thank you Alfonso, Esther and Manu, and here’s to another adventure in 2024!

Into the Pyrenees: Prep

Not long now until Team Mucho Gusto head off Into the Pyrenees with Alfonso and Manu. Time for a prep blogpost!

Itinerary

Hereford to London
Fly London Stansted to Lourdes
Meet Alfonso & Manu, drive to Espot (Catalonia), walk to Refugio Ernest Mallafrè (1950m)
Carros de Foc trek day 1: Refugio Ernest Mallafrè – Refugio J.M. Blanc (2350m)
Carros de Foc trek day 2: Refugio J.M Blanc – Refugio Colomina (2420m)
Carros de Foc trek day 3: Refugio Colomina – Refugio Estany Llong (1925m)
Carros de Foc trek day 4: Refugio Estany Llong – Refugio Amitges (2365m)
Carros de Foc trek day 5: Refugio Amitges – Refugio Ernest Mallafré. Drive to Vielha (980m)
Transit day: Drive to Belagua (Navarre, 1428m), sightseeing en route – Ainsa, Jaca and San Juan de la Peña Monastery
La Ruta de las Golondrinas trek day 1: Refugio Belagua – Refugio de Linza (Aragon, 1340m)
Golondrinas trek day 2: Refugio Linza – into France – Refuge de l’Abérouat (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 1442m)
Golondrinas trek day 3: Refuge de l’Abérouat – Refuge Jeandel (1620m)
Golondrinas trek day 4: Refugio Jeandel – back into Spain – Refugio Belagua (1428m)
Drive to Lourdes. Fly Lourdes to London Stansted
London
London to Hereford

Given we’re in the Pyrenees, it’s no surprise that we will be crossing from France to Spain and back again a few times. To get a sense of where we’ll be here’s a map showing the huts we’re staying at on each route and the sightseeing locations for the transit day:

Google map: Into the Pyrenees with Alfonso & Manu

The Carros de Foc route is in the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park in the Central Pyrenees.

Carros de Foc map on https://www.carrosdefoc.com

We’re doing the Golondrina Clásica version of La Ruta de las Golondrinas, in the Western Pyrenees. La Ruta crosses from Spain to France and back again in the footsteps of las Golondrinas. You’ll need to visit the website to see their map.

Weather forecasts

From Yr.no

Lourdes

Espot

Vielha (976m)

and I’ll be checking the weather forecasts on the refugi / refuge websites.

Packing

I’ll be making use of last year’s Picos kit list and my post-trek blogpost covering “What I took and didn’t need / use” and “What I wish I’d taken”, taking into account the fact that this year’s trip is two separate treks with a day to reset the rucksack in between. This should mean the backpack is a little lighter. Although I am considering taking a jar of chutney….

We’ve all also booked hold baggage for the Ryanair flights. Another lesson learned from last year.

Money & Travel Insurance

I’ve consulted MoneySavingExpert’s Travel Money Max and ordered my Euros. One of the big differences having moved to Herefordshire is that I can no longer pop into Thomas Exchange Global.

Travel Insurance needs to cover this autumn’s trek in Nepal, so it’s back to Trailfinders as their standard insurance includes “Trekking/Rambling/Hiking (recognised routes under 7,000 metres only)”, whereas most other policies have a much lower altitude limit. Annual, worldwide travel insurance for me has come in at just over £200.

Where Next: Into the Pyrenees

We enjoyed ourselves so much on last September’s El Anillo Extrem(e) with Alfonso & Manu that even before we’d come home we’d agreed with them that we would do a Pyrenees trekking trip in 2023.

Alfonso emailed an outline itinerary etc earlier this week and I’ve just booked flights – woo hoo!

We are doing two treks, with a travel / rest day in between:

Carros de Foc (Chariots of Fire) – 4 day trek in the Aigüestortes National Park in Catalonia. We’re doing a short version of the full route.
Ruta de las Golondrinas (The Route of the Swallows) – 5 day trek in Navarra and France. We’re doing the Golondrina Clásica, Variante A. Distance: 62km; Total elevation gain: 3500m.
On the travel / rest day the plan is to visit the old and new monasteries at San Juan de la Peña, which comes with a Pyrénées viewpoint.

We’re flying in/out of Lourdes (miracle water cure optional) after Hazel tracked down good flight arrival / departure times for Lourdes and Stansted, even if it is Ryanair…. we’ve paid for a 20kg checked bag each. I’m still waiting to spot the catch….

Once Alfonso’s confirmed which order we’ll do the treks in, I’ll add details.

Very Excited!

13 Feb Update: Steffi’s booked us a Luxury Loft in Lourdes for our first night, so we are all set! Let the spreadsheeting begin!