Val d’Aran will be one of the venues for Trans-Nomad 2023, a destination that does not stop growing and improving in terms of mtb. Not only on high mountain routes, but also in bike parks, rally and xco routes and also in international events
We interviewed Jordi Gavaldá, a road technician from the Conselh del Val d’Aran and one of the main people responsible for making cycling and shared-used trails a reality in this valley. We want to ask him about the best high mountain routes in the valley, about how they work to recover and maintain the trails and how they promote Val d’Aran as a bicycle destination.
Q: Summer is coming, Jordi, and we are looking forward to knowing the best mountain biking routes and high-altitude routes in the valley. Which ones would you recommend?
The excellent network of forest trails that we have in the Val d’Aran means that we can access high mountain areas by pedaling and without heavy portages. Beyond the mtb and Enduro routes that we have signposted, there are many proposals for great mountain biking routes that will take us to impressive natural landscapes both for the type of terrain and the landscape that we will enjoy.
Among my recommendations for high altitude routes would undoubtedly be those that run through the central and northern area of the Aran. They are very little known areas and with incredible landscape and driving conditions. Thus, the descent of Cròdos from Salient, the descent through the Unhòla valley from Liat or the ascent to Montoliu and arrival at Montgarri I would say are the most outstanding. They are hard but cyclable access routes and endless descents.
Q: The Val d’Aran is taking the management, recovery and maintenance of traditional shared-use trails very seriously. How are you working on this matter at the level of planning and fieldwork? Are you noticing positive impacts? And negatives?
For more than twenty years now, the Conselh Generau and town halls have been working on the recovery and maintenance of the historic trail network. Little by little the user profile has evolved and currently the use of most trails is shared by bikers and walkers. In this sense, we are making a great effort to detect possible conflicts early and act so that there is no confrontation between users. Although we are totally against prohibiting the use for one or another activity, there are trails where we recommend that they not be used for family walking and others that we try to prevent from using bicycles. For this we use specific signage and stop promoting or marking routes on the ground, channeling users to others more suitable for bikers. In sectors with descents specifically created or adapted for enduro, we try to dissuade walkers from using these trails through signage or by adapting specific alternative paths for walking.
We carry out the planning with the vision that the offer of proposals is balanced in the Aranese geography and also trying to respond to the demands of the different actors, both private and administrations.
Over the years, the increase in bikers on our roads has been intensely noted. This makes it necessary to make a greater effort on some of the trails where erosion problems begin to be noticed.
Q: In addition to Conselh’s work on trails, there are other initiatives and companies that are working on trails construction. We have the example of Enduromies with Aran Bike Park. Is the coexistence between built and traditional trails positive in Val d’Aran?
Actions are taking place on many fronts. At an institutional level, both the Conselh Generau d’Aran and some municipalities such as Naut Aran or Es Bòrdes have made a strong commitment to the Enduro modality. The appearance of local companies such as AranBike Parks, which have specialized in the construction of specific Enduro trails, makes it easier to carry out projects that would be unfeasible if developed by companies outside of Aran.
Currently, the firm commitment of the Baqueira-Beret station to position itself as a MTB destination makes it possible for the Val d’Aran to make a strong leap forward both in promotion and in the product that is offered. Despite the fact that this step has been done long after other nearby destinations, this has also allowed the development of other areas of Aran that are currently a reference in our environment.
Clearly differentiating at the product level or proposals in the networks if these are made using traditional roads or new construction is essential for the proper development of the project. The philosophy of shared paths goes this way. We must all be aware of what kind of trails we are traveling on, always keeping in mind that the pedestrian has the right of way. It is not only the step that we must take into account, but we must all be aware that we are in the natural environment and respect between users involves stopping, saying hello, commenting on the play and continuing with our route.
The Val d’Aran offers enduro and trail routes for all levels along traditional and newly built trails.
Q: At the promotional level, Val d’Aran is working on a new destination brand that brings together the entire mountain bike offer. What can you tell us about this brand?
The bicycle offer in Aran is very varied and sometimes dispersed due to the large number of sporting events and promotional initiatives and the strong appearance of new modalities such as gravel. At a promotional level, the entire offer is structured mainly under the umbrella of Val d’Aran with an important echo in national and international media, but a specific brand was missing that would bring together the entire cycling offer. For this reason we created the brand “ÒcBike Val d’Aran” around which we articulate everything related to cycling in the valley.
Q: And finally, regarding bicycles, what projects and initiatives are currently being worked on and for the future in the Val d’Aran?
The work of both maintenance, promotion and expansion of routes is constant. In recent years we have had the opportunity to have a tourism sustainability plan financed by the Secretary of State for Tourism, the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Conselh Generau d’Aran that have allowed us to relaunch projects that we had stopped, such as the review of all the network of itineraries or the opening of specific trails for bicycles such as the one we launched this year in the Tuca sector. We are also working on the promotion and integration of the new routes that are being created from the Baqueira-Beret station and that will undoubtedly relaunch us as a destination specialized in cycling at the Pyrenean level.
If you want to discover all the potential of enduro and trail in Val d’Aran, do not miss the routes that you will find in this link: https://www.visitvaldaran.com/oc-bike/rutas-trail-enduro/
Enduromies is one of the essentials on your visit to Val d’Aran.
