The Trail Malniu day by day plan

D 0. Puigcerdà.
Arrival of the group in Puigcerdà in the afternoon. Tour briefing, short optional run and dinner.

D 1. Puigcerdà – Malniu. Distance: 24Km Estimated tour time: 4 hours Altitude profile

In our SUV we’ll get to Guils de Cerdanya where the tour will start. Little by little we’ll climb up the mountains while we visit a couple of mountain huts. We’ll finally arrive to the Malniu refuge, where we’ll enjoy its beautiful lakes. If you feel fit enough, you will have the possibility of climbing the Puigpedrós, a tough 3Km ascend up to 2910m of altitude.

D 2. Malniu – Cap del Rec. Distance: 28Km Estimated tour time: 4 hours Altitude profile

Starting in Malniu, we’ll follow the GR11 trail down to the Folch i Girona mountain hut, around 2400m high. A short break to then keep going through fantastic scenery through small lakes and then running down the La Llosa valley, following the river and enjoying old building and small waterfalls. A short final climb up to get to Cap del Rec and get some deserved rest.

D 3. Cap del Rec – Estany de la Pera. Distance: 23Km Estimated tour time: 4 hours Altitude profile

We’ll begin the last day cruising some forest roads to then get bacl to the GR11 trail, continuously climbing up to 2400m. Once we get to the Estanys de la Pera hut we’ll enjoy the final hours of the tour or, if there’s still some stamina left, we can do a 5-peak (all above 2500m) mini-tour before returning back to Puigcerdà.

* Timings are completely approximate as weather, group expertise or route changes might increase or decrease them.

• How to get to the meeting point
• The group
• Logistics
• Lodging
• Meals
• Luggage

How to get to the meeting point

The meeting point for all runners will be either in Figueres or in Puigcerdà. For those who travel to Figueres, we’ll leave on Thursday in the afternoon from Plaza del Sol towards Puigcerdà.


To get to Figueres you have different options:

By train: The train station in Figueres is about a 15min walk from the meeting point. Just let us know you’ve arrived and we’ll pick you up or, if you prefer, here are the directions to get there on foot.

By bus: the bus station in Figueres is at the same square at the train station. Just let us know you’ve arrived and we’ll pick you up or, if you prefer, here are the directions to get there on foot.

By car: junction 4 of the AP-7 motorway will take you just 5km away from Figueres. If you prefer not to use a toll route, the N-IIa road crosses the city right next to the meeting point.

By plane: the two nearest airports are Girona and Perpignan, in France. If you fly to either of those airports let us know in advance so we can pick you up and then drop you off on the last day.


If you travel straight to Puigcerdà, you’ll have to be at the Campus Cerdanya Thursday afternoon. To get there, you have different options:

By train: Renfe has a route from Barcelona to Puigcerdà (through Vic) . Check out the schedule. From the train station to the Campus Cerdanya you have a 20min walk and here you have the directions to get there or let us know and we’ll pick you up. If you travel from France, the La Tour de Carol train station is just 5min away from Puigcerdà.

By car: It takes about an hour and a half to get to Puigcerdà from Barcelona or Girona and a bit more than a couple of hours from Toulouse. Here you have the directions so you can plan your road trip.

By plane: The two nearest airports are Girona or Barcelona in Spain or Perpignan and Toulouse in France. If you fly to Girona or Perpignan let us know in advance so we can pick you up and then drop you off on the last day.

The group

The group will have between 5 and 12 runners and a guide from Traiectus. The guide has a key role in a tour: he knows the trails, the logistics and everything about a trip such as this one. It is up to him to make everything run smoothly and to make the tour unforgettable. That is why it’s fundamental his directions are followed to the letter, that he is trusted and helped out in every possible way.

Although the tour will be customized to the performance of the group, most likely there will be different paces among the runners. We want everyone to enjoy the route as much as possible so we won’t force the group to permanently stay together. Every now and then, we’ll regroup at peaks, passes or key spots on the trail. This is a basic security rule which must be understood and applied so everyone can really enjoy the trail.

If you choose to do the tour self-guided, you will be given a map and a roadbook so you can guide without problems. As there will be no guide with the group, you will have the responsibility to act with respect and with common sense.

Logistics

Everyday, while the group is running, we’ll take care of carrying your stuff to the next hotel or rural cottage. Thus, when the tour reaches its daily end, the check-in will have already been done for you and your luggage will be ready for you so you can relax and enjoy a refreshing shower.

Accommodation

Lodging for the first night will be at the sports resort Campus Cerdanya. For the following two nights you will stay at cozy mountain huts. The type of stay will be half board and for lunch you’ll have a delicious pic-nic on the go.

Lodging will be based on rooms which will accommodate 4-6 people when in the Campus Cerdanya and in dormitories when spending the night at the mountain huts.

Meals

Every night we’ll have dinner together either at the sports resort or at the mountain hut. Breakfast will work the same way while for lunch we’ll have a (daily) prepared pic-nic which we’ll carry in our backpacks and we’ll eat on-the-go.

If you have any special dietary requirement (if you are vegetarian, for example) or you have any allergies, let us know beforehand so we can adapt your meals according to your needs.

Luggage

Your belongings will be distributed between what you’ll carry while you’re running and what will be carried by our service vehicle.

Items while running:

Mandatory:

• Technical t-shirt – Base Layer
• Polar fleece – Middle layer
• Soft shell (Gore-Tex, Windstopper or similar) – Top layer
• Running socks
• Shorts or running tights (long/short depending on the season and personal preferences)
• (Broken in) Trail running shoes
• Survival blanket
• Hydration backpack (up to 2 liters)
• Water bottles (if not using backpack)
• Cel lphone
• Headlamp

Optional:

• Sunglasses
• Summer/winter hat
• Gloves
• Trekking poles
• A Buff or similar
• Energy bars, gel, etc

Other recommended baggage:

• Large backpack or suitcase (80-100 liter)
• Comfortable clothing to wear after running
• Flip-flops or slippers
• Toilet bag
• First-aid kit (painkiller, strips, anti-inflammatory,etc)
• Sunscreen
• Replacement laces