Autumn Equinox: Pilgrimage in the Pyrenees - Nature Immersion Retreat

The conditions of the free refuges are very basic, we usually sleep all together, arranging our mats and sleeping bags on the ground or in a small tent, often shared. This is an opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and have an authentic and complete pilgrimage experience.

Let yourself be guided. In addition to the organization, we take care of all the logistics, transfers in 4×4, carrying the material, food, etc. All so that you can travel light, carrying with you only your backpack with what is strictly necessary for the day’s excursion, your picnic and your tea bowl.

This trek is an opportunity to practice meditation in the middle of nature. You will discover some of the most peaceful and extraordinary mountains and valleys in the Pyrenees. You will do so with the help of Daniel Benito, a professional mountain guide and yoga and meditation instructor with a holistic vision of the pilgrimage. Daniel is passionate about interpreting the natural environment (geology, flora and fauna) and sharing stories of life in the Pyrenees.

On the arrival day and the following day, we prepare ourselves physically and mentally for the great adventure. We will do this at Casa Cuadrau and its surroundings, with yoga and meditation sessions, meditative walks and sharing circles. We will also do a complete check of your backpack to help you organize your equipment well and we will have a talk about the organization of the pilgrimage and the route.

During the three days of trekking, we will walk through forests full of life, meadows and rocky alpine terrain, we will visit lakes and, if you feel capable, you will have the opportunity to climb, among other mountains, the Gran Bachimala (3,177m.), one of the highest peaks in the Pyrenees. In addition, you will enjoy tea ceremonies and the practice of Qigong, surrounded by extraordinary high mountain landscapes.

We finish our pilgrimage, returning to Casa Cuadrau, where we will spend the last night and close the retreat with a Tea Ceremony on the last morning at Casa Cuadrau.

Join us on this exciting adventure where we will make our own way, moving away from the most popular routes and sleeping in our tents or in some of the best unguarded  shelters in the Pyrenees.

This pilgrimage is suitable for people who are fit and have some trekking experience. Contact us if you have any questions about it.

On the day of arrival and the following day, we prepare ourselves physically and mentally for the great adventure. We will do this at Casa Cuadrau and its surroundings, with yoga and meditation sessions, meditative walks and sharing circles. We will also do a complete check of your backpack to help you organize your equipment well and we will have a talk about the organization of the pilgrimage and the route.

Friday 19th. Landing

15:30h. Reception of participants.
17:30h. Yoga session
19:00h. Dinner
20:30h. Orientation presentation circle and opening ceremony of the retreat

Saturday 20th. Preparation

6:30h. Meditation
8:00h. Breakfast
9:00h. Meditative walk
11:00h. Tea ceremony and orientation talk of the pilgrimage.
13:00h. Lunch
16:00h. Review of backpacks and equipment
17:30h. Yoga session
19:00h. Dinner
20:30h. Sharing circle.
21:30h. Rest

Sunday 21st. Start of the Pilgrimage – trekking. Montó

After approaching the starting point of our adventure in all-terrain vehicles, we will begin the ascent to Pico Montó on the western slope. This mountain offers us a beautiful viewpoint from which we will have the opportunity to contemplate most of our pilgrimage and a splendid setting for our Tea Ceremony and Picnic. We will descend through the Zinqueta La Pez Valley, to reach Fuen Blanca, where we will collect water and be a step away from the unguarded free refuge of Els Plans, where we plan to spend our first night.

6:30 a.m. Breakfast
7:30 a.m. Transfer in 4×4 to Bordas de Lisiert (1722m.).
9:30 a.m. Start of the trekking Ascent to Pico Montó (2,472m.)
1:00 p.m. Tea Ceremony and Picnic at the top.
15:00h. Descent to Ref. Els Plans via El Zinqueta and Virgen Blanca
18:00h. Ref. Els Plans (1,760m). Settling into the camp and stretching.
19:00h. Dinner
20:30h. Sharing circle.
21:30h. Rest

Monday 22. The adventure continues: The Ibones route

The Ibones of the Pyrenees are mountain lakes formed during the Pleistocene (the last glacial era), generally located at more than 2,000 metres above sea level. These bodies of water are important for their ecological and scenic value, housing unique ecosystems and offering spectacular views. On this route, we find no less than four beautiful Pyrenean lakes, some of them considered to be the most beautiful in these mountains.

6:30 a.m. Breakfast.
8:00 a.m. Start of the Ibones Route
1:00 p.m. Tea ceremony and picnic at the chosen lake.
3:00 p.m. Descent
6:00 p.m. Ref. Viadós (1,760m)
7:00 p.m. Dinner
8:30 p.m. Sharing circle.
9:30 p.m. English:Rest

Tuesday 23rd. Completion of the Trekking: Signal of Viados – Bachimala

On the third and last day of this trek, the ascent to the Pico Señal de Viados is planned. This route shares part of the itinerary with the ascent to the Pico Gran Bachimala (3177 m). If the conditions are favourable and you are adequately prepared, you could consider extending the excursion to its summit. If you decide to continue towards the large mass of rock, from here, the route continues to climb towards the western spur of Bachimala. The path goes around and climbs the spur on the left, continuing along broken ground to the ridge. In the final stretch, the terrain is made up of very decomposed slate and there are times when we will be forced to use our hands to get over the odd ledge. We will descend along the same route to return by 4×4 to Casa Cuadrau, where we will enjoy a delicious dinner and a well-deserved rest.

6:30 a.m. Breakfast and pick up from the camp.
8:00 a.m. Ascent to the Pico Señal de Viados (2,536m.)
10:30 a.m. Option to climb to Gran Bachimala (3,177m.)
12:00 p.m. Summit and Picnic.
1:00 p.m. Descent
5:00 p.m. Ref. Viadós and transfer to Casa Cuadrau.
7:00 p.m. Dinner
8:30 p.m. Sharing circle.
9:30 p.m. Rest

Wednesday 24th. Closing ceremony of the Retreat and farewell lunch.

The next morning we will join a magical Tea Ceremony followed by a celebratory brunch and closing of this adventurous and conscious retreat.

8:00h. Tea Ceremony
11:00h. Lunch
13:00h. Farewell

The weather and other unforeseen conditions could naturally have a big impact on the possibilities and the decisions made during the trekking. Safety is always the number one priority. Daniel could therefore alter the plan up till the last moment if needed. 

Sunday. Day 1

Distance: 10.11 km
Ascent gradient: +734 m
Descent gradient: 899 m
Difficulty: Moderate: Moderate
Estimated time: 6-7 h.
Type of route: one way

Monday. Day 2

Distance: 13.55 km
Technical difficulty: moderate
Ascent gradient: 1,061 m
Descent gradient: 896 m
Type of route: one way
Tuesday 23. End of the Trek: Señal de Viados – Bachimala

Tuesday. Day 3

Viados sign (2,536m):
Distance / Distance 8-9 km (round trip)
Difficulty: Medium
Elevation: +776 m
Descent: -776 m
Estimated time: 4-5 hours (round trip)
Type of route: Linear round trip
Gran Bachimala (3,177m.):

Distance: 14.44 km
Technical difficulty: Challenging
Ascent: 1,463 m
Descent: 1,463 m
Estimated time: 7 – 9 h. (round trip)
Type of Terrain: High mountain rocky terrain, alpine and mountain trails.
Parts of this route include technical terrain.
Type of route: Linear round trip

They help us to understand, through experience, our deep connection with nature. It makes us notice in each step and in each breath, that the energy that exist inside us it is just the same as the energy that exists out there.

Nature is our greatest teacher. Silence and deep listening helps us enrich the experience She offers.

What is the level of difficulty of the journey?
The level of difficulty is medium. It may include sections with certain challenges.

People with little mountain experience, and a good physical condition, had no problem doing it.

Do you need to be well trained or is it something more relaxed?
You need to have a good physical condition and some experience in this kind of physical activity.

How many hours are we expected to walk per day?
About 8 hours per the day, including pauses for meals, interpretation of nature, etc. Approximately there will be around 6 hours of active walk.

The time of activity in the mountains can always vary depending on the conditions of the group and/or the weather.

Will the trek be very difficult and with big differences in elevation?
Technically they are not very difficult. However, you should to take into account the hours of walking and occasional steep slopes, both positive and negative.

Where will we sleep?
In mountain shelters or shepherd’s huts (without services of any kind) and, if weather is favorable, in bivouacs.

Does everyone carry their backpack (including tents) or will they be carried to the destination every day?
Everybody will carry their backpack with their personal equipment (clothes, sleeping bag, mat, etc …) and food, which will be distributed among the whole group. Sleeping bags and collective material (stoves, pots…) and dinner and breakfast will be carried on the first and last day of the trekking. Only on the second day we will have to carry all the material and food, which will be distributed among the entire group. The second day is easier, with less elevation gain and distance to cover.

How much weight will we have to carry?
To a large extent, the weight you will carry depends how much you stick to the proposed “what to wear” list. If you limit yourself to this list and you carry light technical equipment, the backpack should not weigh more than 8-10 kg, including the weight of the food supplied by the team.

Is the trek in silence?
In the mornings, we will try to cultivate joyful silence, especially when walking. However, in the interpretative stops, breaks, etc., we will have time to share experiences.

Will we practice yoga daily?
Before the breakfast we will have a short meditation. Before leaving for the daily walk and after arriving to our next camping spot we will spend a few minutes practicing Yoga asanas or Qigong to stretch and relax the body.

Will we have tea time?

Yes, of course! We love tea and mountains and our friend Connor from Global Tea Hut will be joining us in the adventure too! He will be offering simple tea ceremonies with breathtaking views.

A moment of silence to connect with nature, with yourself and with the group. Sharing a bowl of “living tea” we deepen all the richness that dwells in “the way of tea” (Cha Dao).

We give ourselves the opportunity to make from something ordinary something extraordinary and full of meaning.

Including what we wear on the first day of the trek.

• 1 Light trekking footwear (sneakers or boots)
• 1 flip flops or crocs to rest the feet
• 1 summer trekking trousers (1 short or convertible and a long 3 seasons)
• 2 T-shirts (one on and a spare)
• 1 Underpants/panties
• 2 Pairs of socks (trekking)
• 1 pijama (or whatever you wear to sleep)
• 1 Thermal vest, merino or polyester
• Windbreaker jacket with gore-tex membrane or similar. Down jacket or similar
• Raincoat or poncho (ideal for Summer)
• Hat or cap
• Buff, hat and gloves
• Swimsuit (optional)
• Waterproof or plastic bag for dry clothes
• 2 plastic bags for dirty or wet clothes
• A pair of zip-loc bags for utensils (torch/batteries/camera)

• Technical trekking backpack (55 L minimum.): Once you have put all your things, there must be at least 10 liters of free space for the food of the 3 days that we will supply you.
• Light and warm sleeping bag. (nights at 2,500 m altitude can be cold) . We recommend you to bring a good sleeping bag down or synthetic. Approximate temperature range recommended: 1C ° comfort, Transition -5 °, Risk: -18 ° C

Others

• Light and insulating mat (Yoga mats are NOT appropriate)
• Razor
• Sunglasses
• Water bottle or Hydration Bladder Bag (min. 1,5 litre)
• Headlamp
• Sunscreen
• Trekking poles (optional, but very recommendable)

If you lack some of the necessary equipment, at Casa Cuadrau we have good quality sleeping bags and backpacks for rent.

• Simond Feather Bag or similar 0*C comfort temperature: €45 for the entire trekking.
• Trekking backpack of high quality comfortable and light: Woman 50lts.+ Man 60 lts.+: €35 for the entire trekking.

Check availability of these services by email (ops@casacuadrau.org) or WhatsApp at: 645 830 346.