Pyrenees
Jun 4–11, 2027 · 7 days
Jun 4–11, 2027
7 days
Up to 12 participants
MTB
The challenge
The road up Anisclo Canyon is quiet. Sometimes no cars come at all. Just your tyres, your breath, and the…
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The road up Anisclo Canyon is quiet. Sometimes no cars come at all. Just your tyres, your breath, and the rock walls rising on both sides. This is where we start to climb. I'm Fabrizio, a cyclist from Belgium, and I ride the roads and gravel of Northern Europe. Come with me to the Pyrenees for seven days on the bike.
We base ourselves in Ainsa first, a lovely old medieval village. Then we go higher. On day three we climb past the Parzan mines to the top of Spain's highest forest track. We reach a viewpoint over the Monte Perdido glacier and stare up at its north face. Some days are long. One route is 65 km with over 2,000 metres of climbing. This is hard, and I won't pretend it isn't. The effort is the whole point.
You'll join a small team, not a crowd. I like it that way. We ride through canyons, valleys, and quiet villages. We climb to the Ibon de Plan, a glacial lake tucked high in the hills. We eat well too, with dinners in a family-run hotel in San Juan de Plan. Bikes get checked. Luggage moves for you. You just ride and take it in.
There is a moment near the top of a long climb. Your legs burn, and then you stop. The glacier sits there, huge and still, older than any of us. The wind is cold. You catch your breath, and for a while you say nothing at all.
Apply to join
We read every application. Small group — and I want to get the group right. If this sounds like you, apply below.
Day-by-Day
Day 1
You fly into Barcelona. From there, we drive up to Ainsa, a medieval village in the Aragonese Pyrenees. We check and adjust your bike, then run through the full trip. In the afternoon, we visit the castle. You get free time to wander the old town. Tonight you sleep in Ainsa, with big mountains waiting.
Day 2
Day two, we ride the Anisclo Canyon. That's 48 km and a big 1,984 m climb. We start with a short transfer, then wind up a quiet single road inside Ordesa National Park. A forest track drops us into Torla for a village stop. Slow miles, tall canyon walls, the road all ours.
Day 3
Day 3 is a big one. We transfer to Bielsa, 35 minutes out. Then we climb via the Parzan mines to the top of Spain's highest forest track. That's 55 km and +2,295 m of climbing. We push on to a viewpoint over the Monte Perdido glacier. You'll ride back to the hotel, the glacier's north face still in your head.
Day 4
Day four is your active rest day. We take a short ten minute transfer to the Chistau valley. Then we climb to Ibon de Plan, a glacial lake. It is 35 km, with 1,200 m up and 1,600 m down. We roll through small villages back to the hotel. Still air, still water, tired legs.
Day 5
Day 5 is a big one. We ride a full loop, 65 km, with 2,100 m up and 2,100 m back down. We leave the hotel by bike and head for the Loriele hut and the Refugio de Viados, deep in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park. Forest tracks, hard legs, wild peaks all around you.
Day 6
Day 6 splits the team in two. If you fly home, you transfer to Barcelona Airport. If you ride on, you head to the Benasque valley. You will climb a pass above 2,000 metres, with big views of the Aneto massif. That is 40 km and 1,400 metres up. Lunch waits at Refugio de Marradetas. Then you drop into Benasque.
Day 7
Day 7 is Aneto, king of the Pyrenees. We ride 60 km, climbing 2,100 metres. We push up to Pico Gallinero de Cerler through Anciles and the Selva de Conques. The Maladeta massif fills the view. We reach the spot above the Aneto glacier. Then the afternoon is yours in Benasque, ice hanging on the peaks.
Day 8
Day 8 is your last morning. You wake, eat breakfast, then pack your bike gear one final time. We share a quiet last coffee together. Then you take the transfer back to Barcelona Airport. The tour ends here. Your legs will still hum from the passes. The Aneto glacier stays in your head, long after you fly home.