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Trekking in the land of Aragon and the desert of the Bardenas
7 days/6 nights

The Compania de Guara takes you to the gates of the Pyrenees in an outstanding mineral world. The last jolts of this great range have indeed shaped mysterious Sierras with rugged and contorted reliefs ; deep canyons, natural arches, fairy chimneys and the "Mallos", which are strange red stone obelisks looming over and dominating the white villages nestled at their feet. Holy grounds, a world rich in medieval villages and thousand-year-old fortresses. In the south of the Pyrenees you'll discover the Land of Aragon and the desert of the Bardenas during a holiday alternating visits of places of interest and trekking.

• Support Staff : a French or a Spanish qualified courier guide.
• Type of holiday : Tour. Each day, we will spend between 4 and 6 hours really hiking.
• Easy level of difficulty
• Maximum difference in altitude : 700 metres.
• Rucksack : nothing to carry
• Transport : in a minibus.
• Lodging and Meals : 4 nights in an inn. 2 nights in a private refuge. Sophisticated pic-nics + food ration packs. Breakfast and dinner at the inn. Self catering breakfast with the guide during the 2 nights in a refuge.

D1 : Meeting in Pau's trainstation at 9 AM and transfer to Spain. Visit of the monastery of San Juan de la Peña (Twelfth Century). Picnic and short walk on the crests dominating the monastery. Meal and night in an inn.

D2 : Passing through "La Foz d'Escalette" we will go to the magnificient Massif of the Mallos de Riglos, a gigantic monolyth made of conglomerates with red ochre hues.

D3 : Setting off from the small village of Villalengua we'll cross the wild Sierra de Santo Domingo by the "Foz of Salinas", which is the deserted village of Salinas (remains of a fourteenth century gothic church), and by the Portillon de la Osqueta. Way down through the quaint aragonese village of Agüero at the feet of impressive « pudding stone » cliffs.

D4 : Trek to reach the troglodyte hermitage of Aniès and visit of the castle of Loarre - one of the most important Roman fortresses and the best preserved in Spain –

D5 : Transfer to the region of the Bardenas Reales, an authentic desert 70 km away from the Pyrénées. Trek into the unusal labyrinths of la Pisquera and the Rallon, then ascent of these two ruggedly-shaped peaks, eroded and swept by the wind, from the top which you might catch sight of the Pyrenees. Night and meal in a refuge in the heart of the Bardenas (rearrenged sheppards shelters).

D6 : Trek in the « wadis » of the Barranco Grande up to the old tower of Peña Flor ; one of the last remains of what the area was like in the early Middle Ages ; a huge and wild maquis, shelter for thugs and lords of war. Meal and night in a refuge.

D7 : We will drive back to France passing through the medieval city of Sos del Rey Católico, Jaca. Saying goodbye in Pau around 6 PM.