We had long wanted to walk at least partially the Carros de Foc (Chariots of Fire ), a fantastic circular route that runs through much of the National Park of Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici. Following the Carros de Foc route you will be able to visit the most beautiful lakes and mountains of the Catalan Pyrenees. To do the whole route you will need at least 5-7 days depending on your physical condition, but if you have less time or you don’t feel ready to do the whole route, here we propose you to walk part of the Carros de Foc trail in 3 days. This alternative circular route will allow you to savor the life of the mountaineers, as you will sleep 2 nights in mountain huts. Here we tell you the details of this mountain experience in the Catalan Pyrenees, one of the best weekend getaways in Catalonia.
Three days in Aigüestortes, following the Carros de Foc route
To do this 3-day circular route you will have to go to the Pyrenean village of Espot, as the route starts here. You have to take the C-13 road north towards Guingueta d’Àneu and then when you reach the Torrassa reservoir, you will have to turn left onto the LV-5004 road, which is quite steep.
Day 1. Espot – Refuge J. M. Blanc
Distance: 7 km, Elevation gain: 1.025 m
We start the hike in Espot early in the morning so we have the whole day to enjoy nature and also to avoid getting caught by rain, which, in this case, usually comes in the afternoon. The trail is indicated with the GR signage that must be followed throughout the route.
Leaving the village taking the road to the station we easily find the path that follows the small river Peguera. The route climbs gradually into a pine forest and although there is a significant drop to overcome, the path itself is not very difficult. After the pine trees, we cross some meadows as we go deeper into the river valley.
The views become more and more spectacular and the village of Espot becomes a distant point. We pass by a small lake, the Estany de Lladres (Lake of Thieves), while from other points of the route we observe the Estanys de Trescuro and the Estany de la Cabana. Although this part of the route does not yet belong to the Carros de Foc itinerary, the typical mountain scenery of the Pyrenees and the Aigüestortes National Park is becoming more and more noticeable.

After about 3 hours of ascent we find in front of our eyes the Estany Tort de Peguera with the Joan Maria Blanc shelter. This refuge could not have a better location, it is located on a small peninsula and the lake surrounds it on all sides.

We spent the afternoon resting and walking around the lake. It is worth climbing a little way up the road to contemplate the views of the lake and the refuge. With the lights of the sunset you will seem to see a scene from a fairy tale. They are some of the most spectacular views we have seen among the mountains of the Pyrenees.
Day 2. J. M. Blanc Refuge – Amitges Refuge (Carros de Foc stage)
Distance: 13 km, Elevation gain: 1.125 m / -1.020 m

We spend the night at the J. M. Blanc refuge and enjoy the unique atmosphere of these mountain refuges. It is like a world apart, at 19.00 you have dinner at large tables where you join other hikers and at 22.00 the lights go out. In this way, we had no trouble standing up at 5.00 in the morning to enjoy a dreamlike sunrise on the lake itself. The lights and the soft colors compensated us for how cold it is even on summer days in the mountains, in a refuge like this one at 2,300 meters above sea level.

After a hearty breakfast, the queen stage of our mini Carros de Foc awaits us. This stage is a very important and hard stage for those who do the entire Carros de Foc. This stage requires overcoming the same positive difference in altitude (about 1000 meters) as the previous day’s stage, but what a difference between the two stages! The route includes passing through the Coll de Monestero, one of the most important passes of the entire Carros de Foc route with an altitude of 2,715 meters.

Before starting the ascent we passed several beautiful lakes that reflected the peaks of the Pyrenees, a view that we would never get bored of. After leaving the Coll de Monastero Crossing the climb soon becomes quite steep passing through a huge stone trough. Up on the pass it is very cold because of the wind, but the breathtaking views reward us for everything. It seems as if the pass separates two worlds; on one side you can see many lakes of the Pyrenees, so many that it was hard to count them, some small and some larger, and on the other side the mountain chain of the Catalan Pyrenees, an amazing view!

The descent through the valley of Monestero is a much steeper descent than the ascent, in fact in a few meters you lose a lot of height descending between two gigantic vertical walls. The descent is very hard and in many sections it is difficult to keep your balance between the small stones; you have to be very careful.
The nice thing about being in the mountains is to see how your surroundings change as you go up and down, passing from one valley to another. Probably the Carros de Foc and in general the trails through the National Park of Aigüestortes, stand out from the rest of the Pyrenees mountains because this change of landscape is more intense than in other places. Shortly after finishing the descent down the tartera, we soon find ourselves among forests and green meadows and vividly colored flowers.
From here a quiet route leads us to the Estany de Sant Maurici, the largest lake in the national park. The Ernest Mallafré refuge is a possibility to spend the night, but our journey for this second day is not over yet, as the last ascent to the Amitges refuge awaits us. Among the various routes, we have chosen to continue climbing on the forest track, which is not the most beautiful, but it is the most predictable, since we have many hours of walking on our feet.

At the end we finished our second stage of Carros de Foc at the Amitges Refuge, located at 2,380 meters above sea level. It is another refuge that is located in a beautiful setting with the Estany Gran dAmitges, next to the Agulles de Amitges (its name comes from its needle shape), a Pyrenean mountain that is mythical among climbers.
Day 3. Amitges Refuge – Espot
Distance: 12 km, Elevation gain: -1.120 m

The last day after spending another wonderful night in a mountain refuge with the sky full of stars, we expect a day that will be a walk compared to the previous day, an easy (but long) descent from the Refuge of Amitges to Espot. For this return stretch between the two shelters (Amitges and Ernest Mallafré) this time we choose to go by trail and the beauties that we see on this path have nothing to envy to the Carros de Foc stage of the previous day.

Descending from the Refuge of Amitges we take the path that as a first stop passes next to several lakes, first the Estany de les Obagues de Ratera, one of the most photogenic lakes in this part of the Pyrenees. Sometimes we would really like to take a bath, but we must remember that it is strictly forbidden to bathe in the lakes of Aigüestortes. If you feel like swimming in the lakes of the Pyrenees, we recommend you to visit the beautiful lakes of Andorra where it is allowed to take a dip.

Before returning to the forest track we recommend a detour to reach the Mirador de lEstany. From this viewpoint you can enjoy spectacular views of the Estany de Sant Maurici and the peak of Els Encantats, the symbol of Aigüestortes National Park.

Returning to the forest track we follow, the itinerary that borders the beautiful Estany de la Ratera and then at one point we leave the track to get into the forest again following the path to the Cascada de la Ratera. The trail passes next to the waterfall at two points, so you can see both the top and the bottom.
From here in a very short time we arrive back to the Estany de Sant Maurici. The last stretch of the descent to Espot is perhaps the most boring part of the hike into the forest, or at least it was for us, although it was probably because we had 3 days of walking in our legs and also it started to rain a little.
For us this mini Carros de Foc (covering a part of the Carros de Foc) through the National Park of Aigüestortes, has been a fantastic experience that has also tested our physical condition. One day we will do the whole route!
Map of the main points of the route
Useful information
Aigüestortes i lEstany de Sant Maurici National Park
This mountain area in the Catalan Pyrenees is the only national park in Catalonia. In a relatively small space it is home to more than 200 alpine lakes, fantastic pine forests, waterfalls and impressive peaks.
dO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE BEST GUIDED TOURS YOU CAN DO? Here you find a great selection of the best rated excursions and guided tours in Catalonia.
sTILL DON’T KNOW WHERE TO SLEEP? Find here the best accommodation offers in Catalonia from budget accommodation to charming hotels.
If you like what I have shown you about the Natural Park of Aigüestortes and the Estany de Sant Maurici but find that it is too many days on the route, you will surely like the proposal to go to the Vall de Nuria and even climb the Puigmal.
How to access the park
The park has several access points and cannot be entered by car. Its most important access points are from the Boí Valley or from Espot. From both places there is a 4×4 cab service that takes passengers to certain points in the park.
From Espot the cab service to the Estany de Sant Maurici is quite cheap, as it is always shared with several people and part of the cab route is paved.
Also from the Boí Valley to Estany Llong there is a cab service. You will always find other hikers with whom you can share the costs. To other refuges such as the Refugio de Amitges the trip is usually more expensive.