PICOS PEAKS & GORGES

8 days from USD 1,350 to USD 1,530 land only
Tripcode: TSQ

Countries Visited: Spain

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Our Clients’ Reviews

Average Review Rating: from 33 reviews.

Allan Shelley

PICOS PEAKS & GORGES

Written November 2011
Good day walking from a comfortable and friendly hotel. The Picos and good company. What more could you want?
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Messing about in the snow.
What did you think of your group leader?
Good technical skills combined with enthusiasm for the landscape and an ability to share it. A rare combination.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The 'cooking' option on the free day doesn't appear to exist at all. Why? It appears in your literature. It was a pity, because the rest of the cooking part of the holiday nicely compliments the walking.
Adam Wilson

PICOS PEAKS & GORGES

Written November 2011
I'd highly recommend this trip to any keen UK walker wanting rugged scaled up mountains, breath taking views and a real glimpse into rural life in northern Spain. Ours was the last group of the year and technically was well out of the usual tourist season in the area. The cooking classes were a good inclusion on the chance the November weather was poor, but as it happened were an added bonus as the weather held out for the whole week. To cap it off we even managed to get snow on our boots and break trail through a drift.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Scaling one of the central peaks of the range and having panoramic views of the sea, the famous Monolith and the beautiful valleys. Catching our first proper sight of one of the local vultures made the day even more special. I've not munched a sandwich in a more stunning spot.
What did you think of your group leader?
All the hotel staff were excellent and our guide whilst young had bags of knowledge about the area and its heritage. I really enjoyed chatting with him and he made individual time for the whole group of the course of the week. The changeable weather forecast and a varied group made it a challenge at times but he remained cheerful throughout.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you go later in the year I'd recommend taking a thermos flask! It came in very handy on a couple of the days were we gained a lot of altitude. Also gaiters are worth packing as some of the routes were quite muddy. Finally if you get the chance I'd definitely recommend taking the trip to the coast; the walk along the cliff tops was a nice break and the sea food in the town excellent.
Sarah Kirby

PICOS PEAKS & GORGES

Written October 2011
A beautiful part of the world for trekking, and wonderfully varied walks through stunning scenery with a real sense of achievement at the end of the day. Great hotel, great leader, so a fantastic package all round! It helped of course that the weather was gorgeous and the group friendly and fun.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Getting to the top of the scramble - wobbly legs, but what a view!
Cold, cold beer after a hard day's walk
What did you think of your group leader?
He was amazing; so passionate and knowledgable about the area and a fun guy to have around. He was so encouraging on the hard bits - "the steeper the shorter!" - running up and down like a mountain goat so he could speak to everyone.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
For single travellers, maybe check before you book the make-up of the group - how many solo travellers, age range etc. I actually didn't do this but I got lucky with a great mix of people, though it may be easy to end up with people who are all much older or younger or all couples (not that this would necessarily be a bad thing of course, but it may be a consideration for some people)
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The one thing that slightly worried me before I left was the fact that most evening meals were taken in the hotel - part of the fun of travelling is getting to know the local cuisine and culture and there's less of a chance to do this if you eat in the same hotel every night, rather than explore the town where you're staying. However, the food at the hotel was lovely as were the staff, but maybe it would be good to have the option? (This is a very minor issue though and I appreciate it may be difficult at a small hotel especially the quiet season)
Alan Thompson

PICOS PEAKS & GORGES

Written September 2011
Great tour leader, well done Victor! Great group of people and a nice selection of varied trekking days all topped off by a wonderful hotel with enthusiastic and very helpful staff.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Scrambling to the top of the twin summits of Mancondiu with its fabulous views
What did you think of your group leader?
Victor was a top man, great athlete and an inspirational leader for a very varied group with mixed experience and personalities!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
For this trip, buy a bottle of whisky in duty free on the way out, it may be Spain but drinks are still extremely expensive! Still getting over my bar bill!!!!!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Nice trip, well put together itinerary so top marks Exodus (now where's my £5 for saying nice things)!
Gareth Davies

PICOS PEAKS & GORGES

Written September 2011
An energetic, but not exhausting, week in a beautiful area of Spain. The new guide, Alvaro, made sure that we were safe and had an enjoyable time
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Just being outdoors in both the high lush pasture and the craggy limestone with memorable views.
What did you think of your group leader?
Alvaro was very enthusiastic about his patch of Northern Spain. He looked after all members of the group, providing just the right amount of information about The Picos de Europa.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
As with all Exodus trips, just be prepared for some itinerary changes - it's part of the fun. On this trip, there was some change to the order of the walks.
On at least three of the walks, there were opportunities for those who wished, to shorten or simplify the route. Consider taking a knee support or two if your knees have a combined age of over 100 yrs! ...just in case.
The Hotel Torrecerredo is basic, the owners Pilar and Jim will look after you well and the food is good. Some great Riojas on the winelist.....try the "Muriel" one. Had two great evening meals in the village too.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
A very mixed group of people and we all seemed to appreciate each others company......lots of laughs and dry humour.
Did the 10km down-river (Rio Sella) kayaking on the free day which was a bit more sedate than expected as the water was low. This was good fun and a welcome opportunity to rest the legs and use the arms. I think the river can get busy in July/August.
If this review seems a bit "flat" it is because I tend to understate things...... I had a GREAT time.
John Denyer

PICOS PEAKS & GORGES

Written September 2011
An excellent unspoilt part of Spain with stunning scenery and jagged peaks. The Picos mountains provide excellent walking and for the most part you see no one else!
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What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent knowledgeable leader who knew his stuff.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
We went on the "strenuous" week which we enjoyed but be prepared to be walking for 9-10 hours on a couple of days!
Angela Horton

PICOS PEAKS & GORGES

Written August 2011
Our 4th Exodus holiday and as always it met our expectations and we would highly recommend it. Lovely hotel, small and friendly in a beautiful location with great views. The rooms are simple but very clean and and the food is really great with lots of choice and plentiful. Nobody will go hungry. I do not eat meat and was impressed with the variety of choice of meals that I could eat. We enjoyed sitting on the terrace having a beer after a day walking. The barman is really friendly and provides peanuts or crisps with your drinks. The walking was great not too strenuous but a decent length. We started our walks at 9.00 and were usually picked up in the mini-bus around 4 - 4.30. The people in our group were great, very friendly and chatty which added to the enjoyment of our holiday. The ages of our group were mixed and as usual for an August holiday many were teachers.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I loved all the walks, unfortunately due to the weather we were only able to do one peak.
The Cares Gorge is lovely and it was great dangling my feet in the icy cold, refreshing water in the river in Cain before having lunch and a beer.
Seeing a Golden Eagle flying over the valley in Inguanzo.
What did you think of your group leader?
Jim and Pilar the hotel owners were friendly and helpful. They provide the transportation from and to the airport and also do the drop offs and pick-ups for the daily walks. We were never left waiting very long.
Victor our mountain guide was great, a local young man, highly qualified and considerate of everyone. He ensured everyone was safe and told us how much water would be required each day. He had a great sense of humour and always had a story to tell.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be aware that changes in weather will alter the programme of walks
Make sure you drink enough water and take heed of Victor's advice regarding filling up at different springs.
Take time to walk into the village and visit the Cabreles Cheese Museum.
We haven't ever used poles but the majority of walkers had poles so you might want to try them before you go.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We did a walk on our free day rather than visit the beach. Jim provided the map and we did a lovely walk visiting the pretty village Inguanzo.
A few of the people in our group stopped over at Bilbao at the end of the week which I hadn't thought of but it seemed like a good thing to do. Jim or Pilar dropped them off after they dropped us at the airport. The Guggenheim at Bilbao sounds interesting.