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11th ATiC meeting
Castellbo, pyrenaen mountains / Spain





Location

For the first meeting in 2001 we have choosen a location in spain in the heart of the pyrenaen mountains, just some kilometers away from the border to Andorra.

Castellbo is a very small town near the city La Seu d'Urgell. While only 7 families live in Castellbo, they have a small, low-comfort campsite directly attached to the town.

Further support like shops, mechanics or restaurants are available in Seu d'Urgell, about 12km away, or in Andorra, about 35km away.

Coordinates of the campsite:

N 42° 22' 23,0''
E  1° 21' 26,6''  

Recommended map: MICHELIN 443 North East Spain

Accomodation

The campsite in Castellbo is quite small and offers only limited comfort. There are toilets, warm showers and possibilities for BBQ. If we are very lucky, the pool is yet open. The family who owns the campsite also operates a small restaurant but they have no capacities to serve dinner every evening and for more than 30 people. So you *must* be equipped to prepare your meals on your own - special camping gear required :) However, we will try to arrange common meals (AtiC-BBQ ...) after arrival, but will need helping hands and volunteer shoppers for that.

There are no rooms available in Castelbo.

Tours

The Pyrenean mountains offer a wide variety of tours on any level of difficulty. You can choose between perfectly paved tarmac roads (see this link) in the mountains, easy off road gravel passes and no road areas (another link). On the Spain side of the pyrenaen mountains traffic density is quite low and you won't see many tourists.

Some of the mountains around are climbable by bike and offer giant views to the landscape.

You can go off- and on-road to Andorra, into the Sierra del Cadi and Sierra de Boumort. 

Report by Tina and Andreas

After the last meeting in Clermont the idea came up to organize a meeting. Since me and Tina joined some meetings before and enjoyed that very much, we thought it is a good idea. After some thinking we decided to make a meeting in Spain at our most loved region, the Pyrenees. 

In October we phoned to Micha and told him that we want to organize a meeting. He said just do it. So the work began. :-) In December we first called Maria in Castellbo and I asked her if it might be possible to "organize un concentration de los Motos Honda Africa Twin" at the camping. She should ask her father if it might be possible. I told her that it will be round 30 - 40 bikes. After some calls, the most like "Maria is not here, she is at work" and talking to her mother in "Catalan" and understanding nearly nothing, Maria gave me the O.K.! I told her that the meeting will be round whitsun and she told me it should not be more than 30 people because "our restaurant is so kleine" (very small). Registration began, and list grow up really fast. Some more calls about bbq, restaurant, participants, comprende nada, date, time, vino followed.

Then the day came and after a day of work me and Tina started our trip to Spain on Friday evening. We reached France late at night and took a hotel near highway. Next day we wanted to meet Rhys, Micha, Adi and Wolfram in a small village somewhere deep in South France. We reached the village in the afternoon and looked for the "Hotel de ville". Nobody there, so we decided to wait at the rail station (while Rhys and Adi have been waiting at Hotel de ville). After some SMS and calls we all came together at the station. We went on for some hours and took another Hotel south of Lyon. Next day it it was raining and we decided to take the highway. Rain stopped before Orange and sun and heat came up! Yeah, that's why I love the south. Near Perpignan really heavy wind came down from the mountains. Micha had heavy problems to hold the bike on the highway. The last 150 km all the way up to Castellbo through the mountains - really great. The last 10 km on the small way up to Castellbo we went faster and faster. A great and warm welcome from Maria and the family - and from a Welshman with a 19" long dick (Hi Ralph). During the day more and more bikes arrived. 

In the night the first job was to organize dinner for round 20 people (incl. Aqua tinto). No problem. On the next day we started to explore the region. We made some small groups and up we go. Down to the valley of LA SEU and then into the Sierra de Boumort. After 30 km the first "easy off road section" up to the Col dell Canto and on to l'Orri (2500m) then down near the ski resort (some took the way ON the ski track - Ingo, Falk :-) ). Then to the l'Ern, the "house-mountain" back to Castellbo. Just a nice warm-up tour. At night we went to the restaurant and Maria and her family start to serve the dinner. 1st round has gone really fast, but more and more really good food came out of the kitchen. Also lots of special bottles of vino tinto. After two hours of eating and drinking most people have been totally satisfied and I started my game for the rest of the week - collecting money from everybody for the meals. :-) (I loved this job!!). We discussed with Maria dinner for next day and went down to the tents. 

More people arrived the next day. - A meeting in Spain without Spanish riders? No, suddenly one was here! He stood there over night, next day he have to go back to work, but another one came for the rest of the days. In our breakfast area a small "service area" has been created. Ingo and GLG became famous in "changing tires". At this time Ingo swear that he won´t crash his @ at this meeting. So another day in the beautiful mountains, with some little river crossing brought a lot of fun. At night another famous dinner. Schneißi was not longer allowed to drink wine, so he only get some "aqua tinto" (something like red water). Later at night he was talking with Maria's father (The father spoke pure Catalan, Schneißi pure German - they understood each other quiet good). 

Day 3: The pool was filled with water since some days. With COLD water of course!! Only the hard ones were swimming, and we had a lot of hard ones there!! :-) So days were like first bike party, then pool party and finally restaurant party. 4 from Hungary arrived. Rhys, Ewi, Tina and me made a little "No - road tour". Our first break has been really early, because Rhys had some problems under his helmet, his head was still too big, because of last night. But the longer the off road tour least, the more fit he was. We explored the Sierra del Cadi. GPS shows a main road ca. 3 km away, but no chance to reach it, so we had to move back. We took some other ways deep into the sierra. Back to the camping, a shower, a look into the kitchen. - The family was working really hart for tonight's dinner. PAELLA! This night everybody learned the spanish way of drinking by taking the bottle away from the mouth (not really much t-shirts get wet, Schneißi did it with aqua, of course!! :-)). We decided that the family should have a break, they worked really hard and for now more than 30 people it is too much work. So the next day we prepared a bbq. 

Day 4: Maria and Schneißi went shopping for bbq. I drive said Schneißi, but Maria said NO; I DO. When they came back, Schneißi was a bit more white in his face. He could not believe that it is possible to overtake a Caravan on that curvy small road, but Maria made it. ;-)). In a group of 10 we made another off road day. The off road disaster day.! The heavy NO ROAD day. Short before Andorra I told the group that we can go down to Andorra or take that gravel through the mountains and take the little bit longer way to Andorra. 2 bikes had less gas, but... . Instead of going left after some kilometers we took the way right. :-) And than the heavy section began, first with some deep mud holes, no problem, one crash. Than we reached a river and some said we have to follow the river. "It's getting better after 200 m!!" "Sure?" "Sure!". Better was 50 m gravel between the next more deep mud hole. :-)). But everybody did it without a crash. 2 bikes stood for some minutes without gas, put also this problem has been solved very well. A bit later we came back to the camping. Only Adi was a bit angry with me, but not long! We thought bbq is running than we arrive, but nothing happend, so we had to start the bbq late evening. Tasted quite good after that day!! Maria's father organized some light for the area, bread, beer, salad and aqua tinto till late in the night. 

Day 5: Only a small tour together with Ewi. Off road off course. Another bbq at night. We got tons of food to eat. - You have to go off road during the day to loose the weight from eating at night :-)). I became sad because the end of the meeting came nearer and nearer. During the week it was always a coming and going of the people, depending on holiday, train, etc. 

Departure: Most had gone, only Conny, Martin, Holger, a trailer and Tina and me took some more days in the mountains. Everybody reached home well. So we look forward the next meetings. 

Key words: aqua tinto, easy no road, MARIA, I drive!!!, cafe con lecce, river crossing, Schnaps, no gas, Micha fall off the bike, I love you Maria, pool party, 

 

Participants

  1. Andreas Lienhardt & Tina
  2. Michael Dipper
  3. Thorsten Rack
  4. Martin Bischof & Kornelia
  5. Beppe Burlando
  6. Hermann Cavina (c/o
  7. Ingo Doering
  8. Ralph Mason
  9. Gian Luca Giangualano
  10. Loredana Durighello
  11. Erik Csupor
  12. Istvan Budai (c/o
  13. Endre Ortner
  14. Gabor Molnar
  15. Torsten Metzner
  16. Holger Haenisch
  17. Werner Rosenthal
  18. Katharina Lehmkuehler
  19. Adrian Burkert
  20. Francesco Gentile
  21. Juergen Reimann & Claudia
  22. Stefan Schneider
  23. Carlos Pena
  24. Thomas Mueller
  25. Frank Mueller
  26. Christina Melcher
  27. Arnd Ruegge (c/o
  28. Karl Wiemers (c/o
  29. Falk Schmal
  30. Rhys Williams
  31. Wolfram Birk
  32. Bernd Wolfes
  33. Elisabeth Zell (c/o
  34. Christian Huber
  35. Frank Ewert
  36. Bernat Suñé (Wednesday, Thursday)
  37. Rafita Garriga

Disclaimer

We as the ATiC provide only information regarding to this event. We offer roadbooks for possible tours and try to help you in finding a suitable accomodation. However, you join all events totally voluntary and on your own risk. We are absolutely not responsible for things that happen to you or to your gear. In case of an accident, damage or loss you and the involved persons are fully responsible to each other. You cannot claim ATiC for any reponsibility.

 
 
 
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