TRAIL RUN PICOS DE EUROPA
NEW DATE: 19 - 23 JULY 2023
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EARLY BIRD AVAILABLE NOW UNTIL 01 JUNE 2023
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£895pp
Tier 2: £950 02 June - 01 July 2023
Full Price: £995 02 July until departure
REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT: £100 PER PERSON
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: £90 PER PERSON *AVAILABLE AT HOTEL LAGOS NATURE ONLY
EXPERIENCE OVERVIEW
This trail run has everything and more: from rocky crests, gorges, lush valleys, vast glacial lakes, and leafy forests. There is no doubt that you won’t be amazed by what you find on our trail running journey.
Join us on an epic trail running journey as we look to make a circumnavigation around the Picos de Europa in northern Spain.
NEW DATE: 19 - 23 JULY 2023
TRIP ADVENTURE GRADE: C3
DISTANCE: 20km per day
MAX. 12 RUNNERS
Would you like to talk to a Pure Trails team member to learn more about this trip?
ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE
Northern Spain’s Picos de Europa is an awe-inspiring national park which starkly rises from the shoreline of the Bay of Biscay.
We kick start the journey in the city of Santander which is a useful transport hub and has links right across the globe. From here it’s a two-hour journey as we head into the foothills of the Picos de Europa, using the mountain town of Cangas de Onis as our base pre & post from our mountain trail adventure.
The basis of the trip is to complete an ‘Anillo’ or ring of the national park. Over the course of five days, we’ll experience the very best of what the Picos de Europa has to offer, by staying in high mountain refuges and covering rewarding daily distances, all the while by being surrounded by blissful lofty peaks. It has a self-support element to it whereby you will need to carry a small pack big enough for a change of clothes, your water and snacks.
We’ll finish the trip back down in Cangas do Onis where we will be rewarded with a well-deserved Asturian feast of local food and wine.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Trail running the ‘Anillo’ (The Ring) as we make a circumnavigation of the Picos de Europa
Run amongst stunning landscapes which offers immense views from the heart of the National Park
Stay in high mountain refuges which gives the journey more of an expeditionary experience
ITINERARY
Click to explore in more detail.
+ DAY 1: ARRIVAL INTO BILBAO OR SANTANDER - CANGAS DE ONIS
Arrival into Bilbaor or Santander
Group transfer to Cangas de Onis (2-hour drive)
Check-in and relax at our hotel
Catch up with the rest of our team with drinks in the plaza
If time allows a local 10km trail run of the old town
Welcome Dinner Ceremony
+ DAY 2: BEGIN RUNNING THE ANILLO
Breakfast
Prepare our running gear and depart to Covadonga Lakes
22km Trail Run on mountain trails Vegaredonda - Collado Les Merines - Vegabaño
Check into our mountain guesthouse with time to relax for a well earned rest
Evening relaxing on the meadows and taking in the mountain views
Dinner in the Cosy Mountain Guesthouse
+ DAY 3: VEGABANO - VEGA DE ARIO
Breakfast
20km Trail Run through virgin woodland to the Valdeon Valley - Cares River - Canal de Trea
Lunch in the village of Cain (own cost)
Check into our mountain refuge to relax
Local dinner served from our guesthouse
+ DAY 4: VEGA DE ARIO - COVADONGA
Breakfast
Pack up our kit and hit the trail
10km trail run to Ercina Glacial Lake
Lunch and wild swimming
10km trail run along 'Le Senda Roberto Frassinelli'
Arrive into Covadonga completing our Circumnavigation
Group transfer back to our hotel in Cangas de Onis
Check-in and relax
Celebratory dinner with local beer and wine
+ DAY 5: HOMEWARD BOUND
Breakfast
Free time to do some last minute exploring
Group transfer to the airport
Onward flight home
OUR ROUTE
Approximate details*:
Total Distance: approx. 71.0 km
Total Running Days: 3 Days
Lowest Elevation: 221m
Highest Elevation: 2,134m
Elevation Gain: 4,017m
*The daily distances and itinerary may change according to local weather conditions and the groups condition.
INCLUDES:
2 nights accommodation at the Hotel Lagos Nature in Cangas de Onis
2 nights accommodation at Vega de Ario and Vegabaño mountain refuges
Semi-supported trail running trip
Breakfast and dinner throughout the trip
All transfers
1 : 4 Guides to Runners Ratio
3 Days of Trail Running on empty trails
Trails & Trees: with every booking, we plant a tree
EXCLUDES:
International Flights
Lunches throughout (purchased locally)
Beverages and snacks
Personal equipment and bills
Travel Insurance (REQUIRED before trip departure – for cancellation, accidents, health, emergency evacuation, loss, theft or damage to baggage or personal effects)
Tips
WHERE WE
STAY
Los Lagos Nature, Cangas di Oni
In the charming town of Cangas de Oni the Los Lagos Nature is a pretty little boutique hotel located at the heart of a historic square.
The hotel is just metres away from all of the towns sights and is a perfect base for accessing the Picos de Europa.
The rooms are all beautiful, spacious and also makes for a relaxing stay either side of our trail running journey.
Mountain Refuges
Located high in the mountains and above 1,400m we will spend two nights of the journey in cosy mountain refuges.
The refuges are maintained and operated by mountain wardens and our stay will be in bunk bed formation where blankets and sleeping bags are available.
Despite being high in the mountains the refuges offer warm showers and hot meals, as well as jaw dropping 360 degree mountain scenery straight from the front door.
FAQ
FLIGHTS
We specialise in arranging excellent trail running holidays, but do not book International flights. We have designed this journey to begin on a Wednesday (22nd July) and finish on a Sunday (26th July) to work around the direct London Stansted - Santander (SDR) flight which works to the best timings. It is also possible to fly to Bilbao (BIO) from Manchester and Edinburgh airports.
We will discuss with you about our trusted and recommended ways to book international flights through excellent ATOL protected partners who offer great value, ease of service and flight protection.
VISAS
British citizens do not need a visa to visit Spain.
GROUP MANAGEMENT
Being a group of max. 12 runners with a mixture of ages and running abilities we may decide to split into flexible groups, all of which will be supported by our running guides who will travel with us on the trip.
By splitting the group will allow us all to move more fluidly, allowing all team members to run at their own comfortable pace, without feeling pressured.
TRAIL RUNNING
Trail running on this circumnavigation of the Picos de Europa involves three long days of trail running amongst remarkable mountain scenery. One of the joys of the Picos de Europa is that fewer travellers outside of Spain generally visit which means we benefit from relatively empty trails.
Our route is challenging and involves distances of approx. 14 miles daily, inclusive of steep up hill (up to 1400m) and steep down hill sections (as much as -1000m). We can expect to be on our feet from anywhere between 4 - 6+ hours.
The terrain is ideal for trail running and we can expect a mixture of lush green grasses, beech and virgin forests to the rougher limestone rocks that characterize the central and western Massifs of the national park.
TEMPERATURES
In July we expect long, summer days with blue skies and lots of sun. Being above 1,000m should mean that daily temperatures are perfect for trail running, but it must be stressed that given our journey routes around the Picos de Europa we need to be prepared for all weather with the possibility of rain and foggy conditions. At night/early morning temperatures outside will dip, but these soon vanish as soon as the sun comes up.
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