Summer hiking in the Pyrenees (part 2)

Last weekend, I hiked from Vall de Nuria to Coma de Vaca and then down to Ribes de Freser. I loved this hike so much, I came back here again this weekend!

This hike started out similar to last. I took the train to Vall de Nuria, and then I took the same trail.

Only this time, instead of going down to Cami dels Enginyers, I continued up to Torreneules, a mountain peak.

Climbing the peak was not difficult - but it was a steady uphill trail for a couple of hours, so it was pretty tiring.

The last part of the trails was very rocky, fun but also a bit dangerous.

I made it to the peak and sat down to have lunch here with some awesome views :)

I was alone at the top, and during most of the hike, which was amazing.

After lunch, I descended on the other side of the peak, in a grassy valley.

This place was full of mountain cows. I saw hundreds of them.

It was nice and easy to walk here, and the views were amazing.

After an hour or two, I reached the Coma de Vaca hut again - this time, I was coming from the other side.

I didn't enter the hut this time. I just relaxed by the Freser river for a bit.

Then I continued on the same trail as last time. This time I wasn't in a hurry, I was enjoying it a lot.

After 2-3 hours, I was hiking though the lush forest again. The Freser river was nearby. I decided to take a little detour and look at the river.

It was a great decision - I had picked the perfect spot for this. The river formed a beautiful little pool, with crystal clear turquoise water, surrounded by lush greenery. I wanted to jump in but the water was freezing! And the sun was already going down so it was getting colder. I dipped my feet in anyways. Such a magical place!

Then I continued walking.

This time I had booked a hotel in a nearby village, so I wasn't very far.

The last part of the hike was magical too. It was a narrow ledge - big cliff on one side, and the deep canyon of Freser on the other side. I was walking through fields of tall fern. The sun was going down and everything was purple-pink. The air smelled like herbs and plants.

I arrived at my hotel around 8pm. It was a traditional old building, made entirely of stone. I had a great dinner here. In my hotel room, I could hear the river outside. I slept with the windows open. Best sleep I've had in a long time!

The next morning, I woke up early, with the sun shining in my face (I love this).

I had coffee in the hotel, then I went for an early morning walk around the village of Queralbs. It's a small village made entirely of stone houses.

I had been planning to take the train back to Barcelona at 14:30. But the weather was so sunny and beautiful, I decided to stay a bit longer and do some more hiking!

I headed up the mountain again. It was going to be a short hike this time. I wanted to go back to that magical river pool I saw the day before.

Well, I couldn't find it! I searched the area, checking Google Maps and making sure I was at the right spot. But I couldn't find that place! It must have really been magical, showing itself only for a little bit then disappearing.

Also this was off trail, I was just making my way along the river which was pretty difficult to access.

I did find another pool on the river, just as beautiful. I decided to stop here.

The water was crystal clear. I took off my shoes and stepped in. It was freezing! I felt pain in my feet. But slowly, I got used to it, and was able to go in above my waist. That was my limit! :)

The sun outside was very hot, so coming out of the freezing water and then lying on the grass felt really nice.

Around 14:00, I started heading back slowly.

I passed by Salt de Grill (a waterfall), where I met other hikers. I also went for a swim in the waterfall. This water was a bit warmer than the other river.

After that, I went back to my hotel to have lunch at the restaurant there. The lunch was amazing as usual. I stayed in the restaurant until 17:00, then headed down towards Ribes de Freser to catch the train back to Barcelona.