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| Me and Stella in the car |
On the 5th of December we got up and pulled up the local weather, which is something we do everyday. To our surprise it called for 7 days of rain or drizzle. We have had a very mild winter so far, so we shouldn't complain, but we both didn't want to be stuck in the house for a week.
So Bruce suggested we head down to Spain. The weather looked great and we both wanted to visited Rodellar, which is famous for it's climbing. Why not, it's only a 6 hour drive and we deserve a little mini vacation. So on Wednesday morning we packed up the car with our climbing stuff, food for a week and the dogs. It was a beautiful drive through the French Pyrenees, through the Bielsa tunnel and into Spain. It was then only an hour to Rodellar.
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| Heading into the Pyrenees |
Rodellar is the last small village at the end of the road. From Rodellar north you enter the Guara National Park. It was founded in 1990 and is one of the largest protected areas in this region of Spain, called Aragón. There are amazing cliffs and rock formations that have been partially sculpted by the erosion of water. The skies are full of golden eagles, falcons and the griffon vulture (which is 4 feet long and has a wing span on 9 feet). These birds, and many others have found a sanctuary here, one of the last remaining places on the planet where they can live and breed.
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| Welcome to Rodellar |
Then tiny village of Rodellar is divided into two small neighborhoods: one belonging to the church and the other which is home to many striking, traditional buildings, most dating back to the 18th century.
We are here for the amazing climbing (limestone), but this area is also know for fishing, canyoning, via ferrata and hiking, as there is a network of paths.
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| The happy couple. |
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| A route I climbed...it's very steep here. |
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| The church of Rodellar |
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| Another climbing area, there are so many around here |
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| Rest day hike - 3.5 hours...not much of a rest day! |
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| Happy dogs! |
We are staying at a place called
Valle De Rodellar. It is a group of apartments, for 1-6 people. Our little apartment is amazing. We have a kitchen, bath ,with loads of hot water, heat and the most comfortable bed...all for 30 euros a night (low season). We haven't even used the car since we arrived on Wednesday. There is no need, we brought all our food and the climbing and trails are walking distance from our apartment AND they take dogs, with no fee.
We have had an amazing time and the dogs have too. We are thinking of returning to France either tomorrow or Friday, because the weather is turning cold. It has been in the low 50's during the day, which is perfect for climbing, but it is moving towards the low 40's, which is a bit too chilly for me and my fingers.
All I can say is that if you are looking for a weekend away or for a vacation, this place is beautiful. We will be back in the spring for sure.
