Bausén - Valle de Arán (Cataluña, España)
We are on the descent, about halfway down. The mountains stretch out before our eyes, lined up on the horizon. Above them, a deep blue sky. The sight takes my breath away.
Behind us, a trail runner appears out of nowhere. I immediately think of Kílian Jornet Burgada. These are his mountains. He comes from somewhere in this area. Maybe he even ran this very trail.
We hike it, quietly and comfortably. That’s enough. A pleasure, that’s how it should be. My body is light. I have five kilometers behind me, most of them uphill. A short distance, good for a fresh start. It’s been months since my last hike.
We started in Bausen, a small village here in the mountains. We passed a gorge with a view just as breathtaking as this one. Then on into a deciduous forest, the ground littered with leaves in all the beautiful dark autumn colors.
Again and again, the sun shone through the crowns of the trees. Every now and then a clearing through which we could catch another glimpse of the snow-covered mountain peaks. Every now and then, I took a short break to breathe in the fresh yet warm air of the Catalan Pyrenees. A break like this one.
How lucky I am to be here. After all the months behind me, when I was too close to people, to civilization and too far away from real nature, this is a gift.
This life, the way we are living it right now, is a gift. I wouldn’t trade it with anyone I know. I never want to give it up again. I want to enjoy every moment of it. Feel every moment inside me. Breathe in life.
Because that’s exactly what it is here, life.
Activity: Walk the Camin de Carlac.
Distance: 7,74 km
Elevation: 410 m
Total Time: 3 h 5 min
Start/End: 42°50’03.6”N 0°43’04.3”E