Two days discovering the Àssua valley with a donkey

Two days at a donkey’s pace through the Pyrenean valley which has inspired literature.

Duration: 2 days
Ascent (approx): 1,200 m ascent
Distance (approx): 21 Km
Recommended season: all year round
Difficulty: medium (due to the length of the stages, rather than technical difficulty), but we can adapt stages to measure

Prices include

• Overnight stay (half board) in a hostal with a fine culinary reputation
• A Catalan donkey to carry baggage/equipment for every four people, plus a donkey guide
• Transfer from the end of the trail to the start point, where private vehicles have been left
• 1 picnic lunches
• A Ramat de Camins souvenir
• Basic insurance

Basic itinerary (variations available, according to clients’ needs and preferences):

• Day 1:Setting off from the castle in Sort, regional capital of the Pallars Sobirà and an international white water sports venue, we head upwards to the village of Pujalt, which offers incredible views of the Pica d’Estats, Catalonia’s highest peak. We carry on walking to reach the beatutiful village centre of Olp before reaching the viewpoint at the Sant Josep hermitage. The day concludes when we reach the village of Altron, where the writer Maria Barbal took her inspiration for her well-known novel Pedra de tartera. There’s also a chance to visit the craft cheese-making enterprise La Peça d’Altron, with its charming self-service shop.
  Route: Sort – Pujalt – Olp – Altron
• Day 2: Setting off from Altron we wind our way up to the hamlet of Saurí. On the way we cross the bridge over the Pamano river, which lends its name to the Jaume Cabré novel Les veus del Pamano. In Saurí we can visit the church, which started being decorated with frescos by the artist Santi Moix in 2015. Following age-old paths in the Àssua valley until we reach the highest village in the Àssua valley, Llessui, known for its ample pastures, where thousands of heads of cattle converge every year. This is a good place to have lunch and visit the Ecomuseu del Pastor (Shepherd’s eco-museum) and the information point for the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. From here on its all downhill. Passing by another pretty stone village on the way we get to Rialp, where the walled village has to be seen. The Montsent de Pallars cheese enterprise is also well worth a visit.
  Route: Altron – Saurí – Llessui – Sorre – Rialp