The next day we got up at the crack of dawn in order to explore the park from the North. A half an hour drive took us twisting switchback mountain roads, past ski resorts, into the vast Aran Valley, which plunged away beneath the road. From our high-altitude perspective some of the Pyrenees’s last, quickly retreating, glaciers were clearly visible, sliding down from the north face on the range’s tallest peak, Pico de Aneto (3404m). This was already a spectacular journey. We headed to the town of Salardu. From here a tiny road headed into the forested mountain valley to the south and suddenly civilization began to feel distant and the forests and the mountain walls enclosing the valley became the dominant forces. Towards the parking area at Banhs de Tredos, the valley opens out into a lovely meadow, with free ranging horses and extremely contented looking cows taking possession of the road. They can take some convincing to move aside!
From Banhs de Tredos there’s a taxi service up (8 Euros return PP) to the trailhead. From the taxi drop off point there’s a short walk up a steep forested trail and across the boardwalk by a small marshy area and mini lake, before we reached the Estany Mejor de Colomers. A project is under way here to restore these Pyrenean waterways to their pristine state, making space for unique endangered species endemic to the range, like the Fire Salamander and Pyrenean Desman- a bizarre animal, a little bit like an Elephant Shrew with Ducks feet!
Even the beginning of this walk is gorgeous with the whistles of Marmots an almost constant chorus in the air. Arriving at the dam wall and the Estany Mejor de Colomers Lake, which is host to another comfortable mountain refugio, we decided to head to the left (East), the opposite direction to the majority of walkers on the trail. There are a variety of walks in the Colomers region – circular trails of 2, 4 and 6 hours. We went for the 4-hour hike, knowing we like to take our time, take photos and appreciate these special moments with nature. On emerging at the top in the windy pass, we looked down at one of the multitude of luminous lakes that make this region famous- a still gem in liquid turquoise, nestling in the base of the valley below at the base of the impressive Tuc Gran de Sendrosa Mountain (2706m). Descending into this valley alone, we arrived shortly at the even more impressive (and well- named) crystalline lake of Estany Long. The path follows the lakeshore for quite a distance and I found it difficult to pull my eyes away the wonderful blue colour palette of the lake- more like something you’d expect on a coral reef than something you find in the high mountains. Estany Long merged into Estany Redon at its far end, and we left these lakes behind and headed uphill towards the Estany Obago. Now at high altitude the trees and lushness of the valleys faded, replaced by the wind whipped grass and shrubs, and high above, the great mass of rock that was the North Face of Tuc del Grand Colomers (2933m). We walked out into a small peninsular in the lake and had our packed lunch, watching fish jump and snatch insects from the lake and gazed up at the mountains around us. At one point, a beautiful butterfly- I’m not sure what species- settled on my pack, maybe after all the sweaty salt it had absorbed! Even after it was disturbed it kept coming back, to land on both Gabi and myself. Fantastic.
After that we chose an unmarked but clear trail up through the hills to the west, past yet more lakes, including one called Estany Garguilhs; then the path began to descend once again, via trickling streams, lakes and marshlands towards Estany Mejor de Colomers. On reaching the refuge, we had a couple of well-earned drinks, overlooking the lake, and grey clouds began to drift over the mountains. That evening it began to rain and we decided to leave the next day and spend some time in the Ebro Delta. Our time, short it was, in the Pyrenees had been magical and inspiring, packed to brim with experiences and images that will stay with me. Things I had been privileged to see!
Onwards to the beaches and wild things of the Ebro! Adios to the mountains!
