Page 49 - Cross Country Travel Guide 2019

Jérôme Maupoint goes deep into these wild mountains

Castejón de Sos
A stone’s throw from 3,404m Pic d’Aneto
(pictured top, opposite), the highest point of

the Pyrenees, Castejón is the largest site in
the Spanish Pyrenees. The scenery matches
the flying potential: extraordinary. Approach
with respect because the house thermal at
Gallinero really propels you to adventure
in the high mountains. The classic route
towards Andorra or Cerdagne, 100km east,
guarantees memorable crossings both for
the beauty of the place and the generous
aerology. Cloudbase above 4,000m is not rare
from April to October.
Beginners can also find a playground for

themselves in Castejón because the flight
from Gallinero offers a difference in altitude
of 1,300m and a large landing field close to
town. Fly early morning or late afternoon.
One hour away by car is Àger. Linking
these two sites is an unforgettable flight. For
outdoor enthusiasts, Castejón is the ideal
base camp for mountain sports.
tandemteam.es, flyager.com

Hecho

Hecho is not the kind of place you
arrive at by chance. This is the heart of
Aragon, where the first big summits of
the Pyrenees sit. You just need to lift your
head to take in the extent of the scenery
with two limestone bastions: the Peña
Forca and the Bisaurin.
There are two good reasons to come
to Hecho: trout fishing and crossing the

Pyrenees by paraglider. The first one is not
that simple... it’s really for specialists! The
second one is not that simple either, but
you’ll find a place filled with harmony.
Ideally, launch in a good cycle because the
take-off is low, so set up as high as you can.
After that set your course to the east. If the
day goes as promised, it might take you to

the end of the Pyrenees.
The site has potential not only for long XC
flights, but also for bivouacs, an adventure
in which moving slowly and wanting to get
immersed in the landscape come before
performance.

PYRENEES CROSS COUNTRY TRAVEL GUIDE 2019 49