Vallter 2000

This morning, we awoke to the sound of the Sunday market in the plaça outside the hotel. There was a huge selection of fresh fruit and veg, seafood and meats, and the market seemed very popular with both the locals and tourists. Like yesterday, the day trippers arrived in droves, and by mid-morning, the narrow streets were fairly congested.

The weather was slightly brighter today, no rain, and temperatures around 17 degrees. To escape the crowds, we drove up the valley from Camprodon. We passed through a number of smaller mountain villages further up the valley - Llanars, Villalonga de Ter and Setcases. They are all much quieter than Camprodon, although still manage to attract a fair number of visitors. Available parking spaces are few and far between.

The road carries on to Vallter 2000, a ski and winter sports centre set high in the Pyrenees at the top of the valley. It's about 20km from Camprodon, but the journey took about 45 minutes since the road started to narrow and featured lots of hairpin bends. Although there is no snow at this time of year, there are still plenty of visitors - hikers, and families using the horseriding and dry ski facilities. The visitor centre and car park are set at an altitude of 7200ft, which is just above the tree line.

We decided to go for a short ramble up the mountain side, although the views were obscured at times by cumulus clouds rolling up the valley. The air is thinner - over 20% less oxygen than at sea level, so we were somewhat slower than normal when climbing. The beginnings of a headache also set in because of the altitude. We climbed for about half an hour, clearing another 500ft, before deciding to turn back. Snowbuntings could be seen on the mountain slopes.

Tomorrow, depending on the weather, we might head to Ribes de Freser, to take the mountain railway to Núria.

Setcases

The slopes of the Pyrenees, at Vallter 2000

Llanars