Encantats hut trek
Pyrenean Hut Trip
Dates : winter 2021
Trek over snowy passes from lake to lake

You will be ‘enchanted’ by the magical beauty of these mountains and lakes in the Spanish Pyrenees, and a hut to hut snowshoe trek is the ultimate winter experience. The Val d’Aran is somewhat of an anomaly – it is on the northern side of the Pyrenees, is the source of the Garonne River which runs into France and through Toulouse and Bordeaux, but is Spanish territory. The history of this mountainous enclave is complex. An Occitan dialect is the main language (Aranais) with Catalan, Spanish and French also spoken. In the middle ages the valley’s people voluntarily decided to rest with the Catalan-Aragonais crown rather than with the French, despite the stronger cultural (and geographic) links with France. Until 1948 when the Vielha tunnel was constructed the valley was cut off from Spain throughout winter.
Encantats, ‘enchanted’, ‘magic’ in Spanish evokes the beauty of these lake-filled mountains. The Spanish National Park of Aigües-Tortes welcomes us and is the ideal place for a winter trek. A network of refuges has been put in place to allow us to trek on ideal snow-shoeing terrain (relatively gentle, yet with cols and summits on option). We trek for 6 days in this magical winter wonderland, from hut to hut, valley to valley, stopping by lake here, on a summit there for a picnic with hot tea and coffee. The cosy refuges allow us to eat wonderful hot evening meals, provide stoves and blankets for warmth at night and mean we can trek with relatively light packs. This is the ultimate winter experience!

Price 1150€/pers
• 7 nights refuge/gite accommodation
• all dinners, packed lunches & breakfasts
• transfers to/from Toulouse
• Equipment rental
Technical equipment
(included in the price of the stay unless you come with your own)
• Light snowshoes
• Ski poles
• Avalanche transceiver (ARVA)
• Snow shovel
Clothing suggestions
• Thermal + fleece underlayer
• Waterproof coat + pants
• Warm beanie / hat
• Gloves and warm socks
• Gaiters (not essential but useful for keeping feet dry)
• Cap or Bob
• Sunglasses
Booking + 33 5 62 92 81 52 / contact@hotel-luz.com