La Gran Aventura: L'Alt Pirineu

Field notes from day four:

From where we sit, I can easily see both walls of the valley. The left side looks like the high desert in California, just a little more green and moist. It is dotted with low brush but no trees. I was told that animals graze the area, and it is thus very difficult for trees to grow. On the right (East) side, the landscape is breathtaking. The uppermost level is covered in green oaks with the deepest evergreen color. Below the oaks the trees are more diverse and multicolored. I love the combination of crimson, vibrant green and golden yellow. The valley floor is a carpet of green grass. A small town is engulfed in the green sea.

Between Spain and France there is a granite and limestone border called the Pyrennes. With terrestrial and biological diversity that rivals some of California's greatest ranges, the Pyrennes are an excellent place to study mountain geography.

I was fortunate enough to take part in a 5-day long excursion in the Pyrennes with my geography class. The goal of the trip was to better understand the geographic, biological and societal factors that tend to define mountain communities.

I left the Pyrennes with a better understanding of mountain geography, more appreciation for Catalan culture and some new friends. All in all it was a fantastic trip! Check out some photos below.

Three professors taught our class, and here you can see them holding up a map in a brisk wind. The profs specialize in Urban Geography, Botany, and Geology, and our lessons were as diverse.

Day 2: On the way up to our first hike, the three vans got stuck in the snow. Just before the sun had risen, we had about an hour to enjoy the scenery from the side of this snowy road.

All hands on deck as the team pushed out furgoneta # 1.

An hour later the hike began. The sun came out and it started getting warm.

A view of the valley we hiked through. Hard not to notice the snow – apparently it really came down in the days preceding our trip.

Cascada! Waterfall! We admired the waterfall for a bit and then hiked up right next to the cliff's edge where we held class. Here we learned about the chemically erosive properties of Limestone, one of the most present rocks in the Pyrennes. At this site, the water has a slightly low pH and had thus carved impressive valleys and underground rivers through the rock.

The waterfall's source.

Day 3: My favorite site. This valley is located in Vall d’Aran. Definitely one of the most scenic spots of the trip, but made so much better by the warm wind that was blowing early that morning.

Just having class on a mountain, NBD.

Epic prof shot.

Epic mountain shot.

A quick word about bars. On this trip, I realized how integral a part of the Spanish eating culture bars are. Less like a bar in the States, in Spain a bar is a place where people of all ages can go for a drink, a reliable cup of coffee, a bocadillo, or a tapa. They are pretty much Spain’s equivalent to a diner, and whether it was for a drink, a coffee, or a sandwich, it seemed like the group stopped at a bar at least once per day.

Curvy roads, man. A little too curvy for some stomachs…

Standing on a mountain and holding class while the Catalonian flag whips in the wind above our heads. Fairly epic shot, in my opinion.

The crew at one of many delicious dinners!

Day 4: At a National Park. The Profesors were sure to point out that the idea of National Parks came from the United States, even if Franco created this one.