The best MTB trails in Alt Pirineu

I cycled from Cardós to this summit. A constant climb. A fantastic condition test and doable. The same way back on softer tires went perfectly. The steeper short descent from the summit via a singletrack through the forest seemed unwise to me. In short, a beautiful tour even though it was an up and down.

A good bike ride

The Conflent Pass is an extraordinary natural viewpoint from which we can enjoy wonderful views. From the pass, if we follow the trail down towards the Santa Magdalena Valley (E), we would reach the Conflent huts, a place steeped in legends of smugglers and fugitives. Curiously, these huts are unique in that they are one of the few groups of Pyrenean huts that have a chapel. Also, near the Conflent Pass, we can visit two machine-gun nests. They are two of the many bunkers built by the Franco government at the end of the Spanish Civil War to combat the incursions of the Maquis. These bunkers are part of the so-called "Pyrenees Line," a group of nearly 10,000 fortifications and bunkers spread from Cap de Creus to the Basque Country.

Tor is one of the highest villages in the Pyrenees, right on the border with Andorra, a small village in the Catalan Pyrenees that administratively belongs to the municipality of Alins, in the region of Pallars Sobirá. This village borders Andorra. The village is at an altitude of 1,649 meters and is surrounded by two ravines. On the summit to the north of the village, known as Roc de Sant Pere, are the ruins of a medieval castle, the Força de Tor, and near it are the remains of a Romanesque church. The village is not very well connected. On the Spanish side, there is an asphalt road that reaches a small bridge, after which there is a private dirt track that covers a distance of one and a half kilometers to reach the village. To the east, another dirt track heads towards Andorra, which forks before reaching the Principality. In winter, these roads fill with snow, making car travel difficult. Due to its strategic position in the passes to Andorra through the Pyrenees, ownership of the mountain of Tor has been a source of conflict, initially for timber exploitation and later for real estate interests, to which must be added the smuggling routes that passed through there to Andorra. These conflicts are part of the dark history of Tor and its most tragic events.

Near Collado de So is the Mirador de So, from where we have magnificent views of the Aigüestortes mountains and the Alt Pirineu Park.

The Cabús Pass is a mountain pass that crosses the Pyrenees at 2,302 m above sea level. It is located on the border between Andorra and Spain, between the parish of La Massana and the municipality of Alins. Only the Andorran side is paved. From Alins, in the High Pyrenees, the climb is impressive and involves paths and trails that are not always in good condition.

A very strenuous but also very rewarding climb from the Spanish side. From the gate you should be able to handle rough terrain. Deep furrows, scree, large stones, steep inclines. Arriving at the top is a real reward.

A forgotten place. Worth seeing.