We propose an easy route on snowshoes in the Catalan Pirineos. It is especially suitable if you are new to this sport.

If silence could draw a picture, the view of the Cadí mountains as seen from the plain of Les Someres would make a true portrait. The 6.7 kilometre circular route on snowshoes passes through here and takes about three and a half hours. If you don’t have your own snowshoes they are available for hire.

The trail starts at the Nordic skiing station of Lles de Cerdanya and quickly enters the region’s forests of mountain pine before arriving at the first stop along the route: the Orri lake. The accompanying Pirineus Trails guide will explain the special features of this lake: it lies within a glacial circle. You skirt around it, although the more daring ones have the audacity to cross it over the ice, and then the excursion continues.

Step by step the climb continues up to the highest point on the route, the plain of Les Someres, which lies at an altitude of 2,328 metres. The peace and calm is only broken by the crunch of the snow under the snowshoes. Enjoy the experience and listen to the silence, breathe the fresh air and marvel at the views of the north face of the Cadí. A word of advice: don’t forget to take your camera, there are marvellous panoramic views along the trail, but up here they’re spectacular.

The route continues with the descent to the Pradell refuge across a meadow. You may find it hard to believe, but in spring it is completely green. In winter it is covered with a thick layer of snow which makes it one of the most enjoyable stretches to cross sliding along on snowshoes. After a technical stop at the refuge to have a bite and enjoy the incredible views over the Catalan Pyrenees, the white trail continues along the final stage, a gentle descent back towards the starting point, the Lles de Cerdanya Nordic skiing resort.

Since you’ve come to one of the six Nordic skiing resorts in the Catalan Pirineos you ought to take advantage and spend the next day skiing. Lles has 36 kilometres of Nordic skiing slopes for skiers of all levels.

After a day on snowshoes there is a more relaxing way to recover and that is by visiting the Martinet and Montellà de Cerdanya Bunker Park to see the Pirineos line, an impressive defensive line built after the Second World War.