The Summer Solstice is a time to honor and celebrate the process of life at its best. What is happening around us, in the Nature we inhabit, will also be reflected internally. Open yourself towards this new station and receive what it has to teach you and give you.
From that integration, your purpose in this life will reveal itself. Opportunities to get to know yourself better and grow will unfold along the way.
This retreat includes 3-day and 2-night excursion ascending and exploring the corners of the mythical Sestrales Mountain and Añisclo Canyon, Ordesa National Park.
For all people who love nature and want to get into the wild. The daily routes will be accessible for all those who have an acceptable physical shape.
We propose a sliding scale, where contributions vary, according to the economic possibilities of each person. They are based on trust, solidarity and reciprocity. More information in the SLIDING SCALE tab.
| Rates per person | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of accommodation | Assisted | Standard | Generous |
| Without accommodation | 455 € | 540 € | 625 € |
| Shared bedroom | 530 € | 625 € | 720 € |
| Double room with shared bathroom | - | 675 € | 770 € |
| Single room with shared bathroom | - | 740 € | 835 € |
| Double room with bathroom | - | 760 € | 855 € |
| Single room with bathroom | - | 887 € | 985 € |
| Double room with daybed and bathroom | - | 800 € | 900 € |
| Single room with daybed and bathroom | - | 910 € | 1008 € |
| Suite with terrace for double occupancy | - | 830 € | 925 € |
| Suite with terrace for single occupancy | - | 1000 € | 1120 € |
To reserve, you will only have to make a payment of 200 euros as a deposit.
Casa Cuadrau is a Cooperative Society of Social Interest.
We want our programs to be accessible to the greatest number of people, regardless of their economic situation.
This is why we put forward a sliding scale contribution system, to adapt to the economic capabilities of each person. The sliding scale is based on trust, solidarity and reciprocity.
Rates vary depending on the type of accommodation. There is a minimum price (assisted rate*), a standard price and a maximum (generous rate).
Minimum prices are available for the shared dorms or for the “no accommodation” options (if you stay in your van).
Please consider paying the highest rate you can afford, to support others in a more difficult financial situation. You will also be supporting Casa Cuadrau to continue renewing its facilities.
To reserve, you will only have to make a payment of 200 euros as a deposit.
You can make the remaining payment at the end of the retreat by credit card or cash.
Remember that you can also make a donation here.
*If you cannot afford any of these fees, consider applying for a Karma Yoga/Volunteer program (minimum stays are of 8 weeks).
At the end of the retreat we will open a space for donations. With your generosity you are supporting Casa Cuadrau (Cooperative of Social Interest) and its team. You are also enabling other fellow practitioners, who are in a more difficult financial situation, to attend our programmes.
The first day we will prepare physically and mentally for the trekking experience. We will do it in Casa Cuadrau and surroundings, through yoga class (hatha yoga and vinyasa), and a check up of your backpack. We will help you to organise your equipment and we will have a brief explanation about the route and about the excursion.
The second day we will venture on an exciting meditative route of 3 days through the mountains. We will discover its corners and secrets through our own experience and with the help of the explanations of Daniel Benito. He is a professional mountain guide, specialized in nature interpretation, as well as yoga and meditation instructor. He will offer us his holistic vision of the pilgrimage, meditative movement sessions, pranayama and the possibility of meditating in the middle of nature.
The last day, when we come back to the house, is reserved to rest and relax after the long trekking. We will recover and rest deeply through restorative yoga, deep relaxation session. We will be ready to go home completely transformed and with full of energy and vitality.
It is an accessible trekking if you are in acceptable physical shape and have a minimum of experience hiking in the mountains. It is a suitable option for initiation to trekking or excursions of several days sleeping in nature.
We will leave Casa Cuadrau with our backpacks loaded with what is truly essential to satisfy our basic needs. During these three days, we are going to be absolutely self-sufficient. Sleeping, cooking and eating in the middle of nature and by our own means, that is, without the support of infrastructures, such as mountain refuges with services. We will make use of what Mother Nature offers us to establish our camp with what we take with us.
On the first day of the journey, we will go down the path marked GR-15.1 to the hermitage of San Urbez. After commending ourselves to this inspiring local saint, we will go up the Añisclo Canyon. Day 1 is the hardest part of the journey. We will walk more than 17 km. and we will progressively save a drop of more than +1000 meters. This canyon is one of the great jewels of the Pyrenees, both for the extraordinary beauty of its rocky cliffs sculpted by the passage of water, and for the exuberance of its biodiversity. In this wild botanical museum, there are more plant species than in the whole of the United Kingdom. A magical place, where we will immerse ourselves in an authentic forest bathing. We will enjoy the pools and waterfalls of a virgin high mountain river that will offer us a dream accommodation in Fuenblanca (1800mts).
On the second day, we will leave the canyon through the Grau de Foratiello, we will pass through San Vicenda, a paradise for cattle at this time of year. From here we will enjoy beautiful panoramic views of Monte Perdido, Sesa Mountain and the Añisclo Canyon. We will pass through Plana Canal, we will ascend through Tozal de la Fueva to reach the top of Los Sestrales (2,101mts.), the summit of our pilgrimage. This powerful mountain will offer us a fantastic bedroom under the light of the stars, where we can contemplate the immensity of the Milky Way and feel part of the immensity of the Cosmos.
On the third day, we will go around Los Sestrales and, after a dizzying descent of more than 1,200 meters of slope, once again crossing majestic mixed forests, we will arrive at the Romanesque Bridge of San Urbez, which we will cross again after three unforgettable days of journey. From there, only remains to overcome the last ascent to get out of the bottom of the canyon and return to the house, thus concluding a transformative and powerful pilgrimage experience in which we face our difficulties and overcome our fears.
DAY 1
Schedule:
DAY 2
Type of Terrain: Trails marked out in most of the route with uneven terrain in specific steps.
Schedule:
DAY 3
Type of Terrain: Marked trails in most of the route with uneven terrain and even the need to use your hands in specific steps.
Schedule:
Note: the route and schedules are subject to changes depending on the group and/or weather conditions.
They help us to understand, through experience, our deep connection with nature. It makes us notice in each step and in each breath, that the energy that exist inside us it is just the same as the energy that exists out there.
Nature is our greatest teacher. Silence and deep listening helps us enrich the experience She offers.
What is the level of difficulty of the journey?
The level of difficulty is medium. It may include sections with certain challenges.
People with little or no prior mountain experience, and a good physical condition, had no problem doing it.
Do you need to be well trained or is it something more relaxed?
You need to have a good physical condition and some experience in this kind of physical activity.
How many hours are we expected to walk per day?
About 8 hours per the day, including pauses for meals, interpretation of nature, etc. Approximately there will be around 6 hours of active walk.
The time of activity in the mountains can always vary depending on the conditions of the group and/or the weather.
Will the trek be very difficult and with big differences in elevation?
Technically they are not very difficult. However, you should to take into account the hours of walking and occasional steep slopes, both positive and negative.
Where will we sleep?
In two-person tents, shepherd’s huts (without services of any kind) and, if weather is favorable, in bivouacs.
Does everyone carry their backpack (including tents) or will they be carried to the destination every day?
Everybody will carry their backpack with their personal equipment (clothes, sleeping bag, mat, etc …) and food, which will be distributed among the whole group.
The tents and collective material (stoves, pots …) will be carried by the guides.
How much weight will we have to carry?
To a large extent, the weight you will carry depends how much you stick to the proposed “what to wear” list. If you limit yourself to this list and you carry light technical equipment, the backpack should not weigh more than 8-10 kg, including the weight of the food supplied by the team.
Is the trek in silence?
In the mornings, we will try to cultivate joyful silence, especially when walking. However, in the interpretative stops, breaks, etc., we will have time to share experiences.
Will we practice yoga daily?
Before leaving for the daily walk and at the end of the day, we will spend a few minutes practicing Sun Salutations and some yoga asanas to stretch and relax the body.
A moment of silence to connect with nature, with yourself and with the group. Sharing a bowl of “living tea” we deepen all the richness that dwells in “the way of tea” (Cha Dao).
We give ourselves the opportunity to make from something ordinary something extraordinary and full of meaning.
Including what we wear on the first day of the trek.
Others
If you lack some of the necessary equipment, at Casa Cuadrau we have good quality sleeping bags and backpacks for rent.
Check availability of these services by email (ops@casacuadrau.org) or WhatsApp at: 645 830 346.
The retreat starts on Friday, June 21st at 16h. Check-in is from 15 to 16:30h. Then, there will be a yoga class and an introduction, followed by a dinner and an opening of the retreat. The retreat finishes son Tuesday, June 25th at 12h, after brunch.
