In the year 2005, I made one of numerous popular hiking trails of
Andorra, located in the south of the country. From Grau Roig to
Encamp and Andorra la Vella. An experienced person can make it in 1
or 2 days, I am a lazy no good city boy, so I took my time, made it
in 3 and half days. Other excuses, one of my legs was hurt, and I
planned to stay 3/4 days because it is just a shame of not to
understand how to enjoy hiking in high mountains.
Last year, in 2004, with friends we made the northern part of the
country, including Soldeu, Estany de Juclar and Siscaro. It was
gorgeous as well. Unfortunately, no digital pictures are available
to view for I forgot to bring my little camera.
For those who are going, my advise is get a detailed small scale
local map, which indicates all hiking trails and refuges, it can be
purchase locally for 8eu, there are also free maps available. Then
buy enough meat and taxfree alcohol and/or cigarettes at local
stores. From where you are at, take the bus, tell the driver the
hiking path you want to go, he will drop you there.
During the summer season, one could sleep in a tent or in the wild,
which I did. However, I mostly recommend sleeping at refuges, they
are world class ones, clean and grand, with full medical and other
living equipments such as coking facility, fire place and water, in
addition to trash can, which is really important. So sleeping in a
refuge in Andorra is a unique experience, must try!
Finally about hiking itself. It is certainly not easy, even though
according to the official web site they are easy. At certain
places, it is quasi a question of life or death. Some parts of the
trails are dangerous and tough, unlike in North America (including
Canada), where engineers have worked on hiking trials; those ones
are made of human and animals feet with big and small rocks. To
jeopardize the situation, you decided to make some sort cut, this
is even tougher. I realized that after August, there are much less
hikers, so in case you were injured or fall down in a hole and a
big rock roll on top of your arm, I don’t know what are you
going to do? In one case, in the US, after 4 days the dude decided
to cut it off.
So please remember to be really careful, bring light backbags and
keep the mountain clean.
