Coma Pedrosa - HP in Andorra (29.07.2010)

Our summer vacation in Norway 2010 was initiated with terrible long term weather forecasts. We therefore, without any hesitation, booked plane tickets to Spain, with one promise to each other; at least one "proper" mountain hike. So with mountain boots, ice axes and crampons in our suitcases we went to Spanish summer with 35 C, in Alfaz del Pi close to Alicante and Benidorm. Almost every day we exercized hiking to the "Albir Mountain (Sierra Helada)" in the morning. Early July 28. we started our drive to Andorra with plans of ascending Pic de Coma Pedrosa, HP in Andorra. Despite some route finding problems near Barcelona and our GPS (mis)leading us to some terrible mountainous dirt roads in the Pyrenees we eventually arrived in this mini nation in early evening. We found a nice hotel(with nice prices as well..) in the upper part of the village Arinsal, close to the trailhead to Coma Pedrosa.

The next day weather was at it's best. Our hike started at about 1400 m a.s.l. in woodlands with lots of (to us) exotic flowers. On a distinct trail we ascended, at about 1900 m a.s.l. trees became more scarce and the landscape changed to green alpine meadows.

At about 2450 m(?) the trail divided at a small mountain lake, the left one straight Ahead passing the lake to the east/North east, but beyond that a steep and seemingly loose talus to the summit area. We followed the trail on the right, ascending on the SW/W Ridge, named Bases de L'Estany Negre in the lower part and Torregols del'Alt closer to the summit point.

On a steep, but not very exposed point on the ridge we met two women; sisters from USA, afraid of climbing beyond this steep point. With some encouragement they joined us to the summit, uniting with two additional siblings; a brother and a sister.

The views were fabulous, to the north we imagined we could see Pico de Aneto; HP in the Pyrenees and to the south looking straight down to Arinsal, some 1500 vertical meter below.

Nice descent in the warm and sunny weather. Additional vertical meters had to be worked through when we, at about 2400 m discovered that a pair of jogging shoes loosely attached to the backpack was missing. Luckily, I found them on the trail back at about 2900 m.

The next day Bente had looked forward to tax free shopping in the capital Andorra la Vella, but after about half an hour all shops surprisingly closed; why? we asked. The answer; the President of France, Nicolas Sarcozy, was about to arrive on an official national visit to Andorra, and everything closed down...After an aborted, disappointing shopping round, but a memorable hike to a very fine national HP we started our retour to the coast of Costa Blanca...