Girona Tours in Winter

As the snow did not arrive until the 3rd day we had 2 days' hiking and 4 days' snowshoeing in a beautiful, remote area. Our guide, Miguel, was able to alter his planned routes to suit the vicissitudes of the weather and always provided us with scenic and culturally interesting hikes. Early evening talks were an exploration by Miguel of Catalan history, economy and culture with two opportunities to taste cheeses, sausages and wines of the area. The hotel was welcoming and provided an excellent selection of food. Rooms were warm and comfortable though corridors and the restaurant were often chilly.

This was a superb trip for me. As well as enjoying the snowshoeing I learned so much from the group leader about Catalonia - its wildlife, history, language, culture and the current political situation.The remote mountain villages were charming and the scenery magnificent, especially after an unusually heavy snowfall.The hospitality everywhere was excellent and I especially enjoyed the local wines and delicious ewe's milk cheeses. The large glasses of brandy were also wonderfully warming after a cold day out in the mountains .

A pleasant weeks snow shoe walking in the Catalan Pyrenees, although it was unseasonably warm so we had to go quite high to get decent snow. It's a beautifiul range of mountains with lots of traditional villages which are much nicer than the overdeveloped skiing centres in the Alps.The hotel in Rialp was fine, with a comfortable bed and powerful shower. Overall the food in the hotel was very good, although my bathroom could have done with a bit of TLC and the rooms are short of sitting space for couples, although there is always the bar area. Our tour leader was Miguel Ibanez, who's company deliver this trip as a package for the tour operator. He has a deep love of Catalan and delighted in showing us the mountains and the local produce from the region.

An enjoyable and interesting trip that gave us an insight into the local landscape and culture. Snow only truly arrived 2 days into the week and our leader Miguel adapted well, staying true to the themes of the itinerary and giving us good walks without snow and then in fresh snow of depths up to 3 feet. Note some stamina is needed, especially in the deep snow! Local villages, remote valleys in a national park and peak summits were all sampled, together with insights into local history and culture such as the Freedom Trail escape route, and Catalan wine and cheese tastings. A very enjoyable week.

When we arrived in Rialp the area had seen no snow for more than a month, so the first couple of days were spent walking rather than snowshoeing. This was not necessarily a disadvantage because it enabled us to do longer walks to different villages and, at least on the first day, enjoy the sunshine! Then on Wednesday the snow arrived with a vengeance, so the snowshoes got thoroughly tested as well, often in deep virgin snow. I had no idea about the history or culture of the area and learned a lot from our leader, Miguel, during the week. The local wine and cheese sampling sessions he laid on for us were also much appreciated!

We had a great week snowshoeing in plentiful deep snow, staying in very comfortable and welcoming hotels, particularly Hotel Victor in Rialp. The family there made every effort to accommodate our varied and various needs always with a smile. The fresh deep snow made it difficult for the group to complete the planned walks every day, but this really was not necessary - the pleasure of being out in untouched snow with no-one in sight all day was the thing. Miguel our leader had built several cultural extras into the programme which added considerably to the interest .