CIEE Blog March

CIEE blog for March, based on my Alquezar trip.

Hacia Tierra Salvaje

It seems a lot of students have similar travel plans: Amsterdam, Berlin, Lisbon, Marrakech, Paris, and the Alps. The Alps are sort of the odd one in the group in that they present a higher risk of getting frostbite or buried in the bottom of an alpine crevasse. However, it seems that after several weeks near the ocean some students need a change of scenery and jet towards the most well known mountains of the continent. Not that I recommend against the Alps, in fact I have some great memories of steep skiing, shivering bivouacs, and acute altitude sickness, but despite the loss of brain cells incurred by those activities I can still reason that a lot of people might not be looking for such adventures. Maybe there is an alternative...

According to a recent and reliable 30 second Google search Spain is the second most mountainous country in Europe (after Switzerland). Sure there are the nearby “mountains” like Montjuic and Tibidabo, and the slightly farther Montserrat, but my six month long hands-on research has also shown that within a two hour drive in any direction (except east) one is sure to come across some sort of interesting mountainous terrain. For rock climbing and hiking the terrain is endless, and a trip to any Barcelona mountain store is sure to inspire a trek into the wild. For skiing the Pyrenees are the under-appreciated mountain range to the north offering excellent skiing at better prices and less-likely-to-cause-frostbite temperatures. Several companies offer round trip deals from Barcelona to the Pyrenees making transportation a breeze.

In order to take full advantage of the nearby terrain I recommend checking out some of the local clubs and organizations. It turns out that the Club Alpí Català, founded in 1876, is the oldest in Spain and one of the oldest in Europe. More importantly these days the club offers an endless variety of weekend adventures, some for complete beginners and some for seasoned outdoorsmen. Nearly every weekend in the appropriate seasons there are trips going hiking, cycling, nordic and alpine skiing, rock climbing, mountaineering, ski mountaineering, and canyoning (and I guarantee you’ll have a better time than the guy in 127 Hours). The truth is that Cataluña offers countless daylong and weekend adventures and can keep the avid outdoor enthusiast occupied for a lifetime. If you’re not interested in an adventure, the mountains of Spain offer casual and relaxing days in the sun too, even in the middle of winter. So, at the very least think twice about booking that flight to the Alps, a trip to the local mountains might be more rewarding and even a bit more relaxing.