Days 1-3
Flying into Barcelona you’ll know that your adventure has truly begun the second you exit your plane and become immersed in all of the fantastic Spanish culture. Greeted by your new Wilderness Ventures leaders at the baggage claim, you’ll also be introduced to your new teammates. If flying into a different country wasn’t enough excitement already, meeting your new friends will really top off the day. There we’ll spend a couple of days simply observing and learning all that we can from this amazing city. Souvenir shopping, enjoying delicious Spanish food, and seeing all of the famous sites are just a few of our activities we’ll be partaking in while staying here. After our Barcelona adventure, we’ll head to the gateway of our adventure, Costa Brava!Days 4-7
Reaching Costa Brava on the Mediterranean Sea, we’ll spend the next three days here sea kayaking along the spectacular cliffs of the Spanish coastline! Everyday we will explore a different sandy beach. These couple of days are a great start to our trip, as they will really allow us some time to get to know each other. Next, our venture into the great Pyrenees begins!Days 8-10
Stopping in the nearby town of Sort, our trip will take a welcomed change of pace as we spend the next two days rafting and inflatable kayaking the thrilling whitewater of the Noguera Pallaresa River! Giving our legs a rest, we’ll test our paddling skills as this swift flowing river takes us through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery found in this region.Days 11-16
While on our backpacking expedition through the Pyrenees, we’ll be averaging approximately eight to ten miles a day as we travel through the Estant de Sant Maurici and Aiguestories National Park. Primarily, our destined trail will consist of the famous “Carros de Foc” or “Chariots of Fire” hiking circuit! While on the trail we’ll be trekking over high-mountain passes, around soaring spires, and through small mountain villages. Our route is certainly considered to be lightly traveled countryside, really providing us with the time and lack of distraction to truly take in this amazing landscape and culture. We’ll even have opportunities to brush up on our Spanish and experience the life of a shepherd, certainly different from the life all of us have become so accustomed to in the U.S. At night we will be staying in traditional mountain huts, famous across the backpacking routes of Europe. These huts will provide us with a home cooked meal, a comfortable bed to sleep in, and fascinating conversation wiht travelers from around the globe!Days 17-18
Following our time on the Chariots of Fire trek we will take a short flight to Geneva, Switzerland. Upon arrival at the airport we will be shuttled to Chamonix, France where we will take a day to relax, do laundry, shop, and explore before we begin the Tour Mt. Blanc.Days 19-24
The Tour du Mont Blanc is considered one of the finest walking circuits anywhere in the world. For the next eight days, our group will trek this classic Alps route starting in France, passing through Italy, and Switzerland. For those of you that have taken French, Italian, or German in school, you’re sure to get the opportunity to polish your linguistic skills this summer! Our route is ideal in length. Moderate days early in the trip will eventually give way to more challenging days as the group becomes stronger. Departing on our first day from Chamonix, we’ll make our way through various mountain villages such as Courmayeur, La Vachey, and La Fouly. The scenery of the Mont Blanc massif and its corridor is unmatched anywhere in Europe. Dramatic valleys, hanging glaciers, blooming wildflowers, and snowcapped cols will surround us on a daily basis. Our accommodations each evening along the trail will be a mixture of high alpine huts and small village hostels. Our comfortable dormitory style sleeping rooms and filling dinners will be the perfect way to end a great day of hiking. Throughout our eight days of hiking, group members will take turns as the "WV leader of the day". It’ll be the perfect opportunity to learn and practice route planning, map, and compass use, and other essential backcountry techniques.Days 25-28
We will head to Paris for 3 days of relaxation and exploration. Our quaint hotel located a block from the Seine River will serve as our base while we explore the city of lights. We'll visit many historic sites, including Versailles, the River Seine, the Louvre, and Notre Dame Cathedral. Our European experience will conclude with a final farewell banquet. The final evening will be spent enjoying an excellent meal while reminiscing about our life changing summer. Upon arrival in United States the following day, we will pass through customs together and help group members to their connecting flights.
