Hut-to-Hut Trekking in the Picos de Europa

A stunning week in the mountains! The scenery was incredible and hiking at the end of the season we really felt like we had the Picos to ourselves. Our guides Ruth and Txetxu were fantastic in helping us through each section, especially with some difficult weather and high winds!

Worth noting it can be a bit, cold in October and we had to change the itinerary one day due to a storm so maybe bear in mind when booking. The autumnal weather meant we got changing leaves, crisp sunrises and quiet trails though!

Highly recommend for a real escape into the mountains!

Super grateful for both our guides Ruth and Txetxu - couldn't wish for more on my first mountain hike! Day 2 was the most difficult (and scariest for me, as a newbie), but I always felt supported and encouraged. The evening conversations at the hut next to the fireplace and at dinner made all the difference and put my mind at ease again :) I feel like this trip has changed me for the better - more than a month has passed since the trek and I still feel empowered, like I have gained wings. The views are absolutely stunning. I'm not saying goodbye, I left a piece of my heart in Picos de Europa and I definitely want to come back and explore more! :)

So grateful to our two guides. They really were very thoughtful and professional. They guided us successfully through some very challenging terrain. Taking time to talk to us about the local culture, landscape flora and fauna. Great group. Good accommodation and food (mountain refuges).

This was my first experience of Much Better Adventures, and it exceeded my expectations. It took me a while to land on which trip to book but really pleased I picked the hut-to-hut trekking in Picos de Europa.

Too much to praise but here are a few of my highlights:

The route was more challenging than expected. Day 2 was particularly tough and there were times where we were climbing over boulders or traversing across steep drops, but I personally loved the thrill!

It feels very remote. Minimal paths, no sign posts and you often wouldn't see anyone other than those in your group until you arrived at the mountain huts. This allowed me to completely switch off from normal life to enjoy my trip to the fullest.

Our guides were superb! Ernes and Txetxu were extremely knowledgeable, supportive and there was a great dynamic between them.

The mountain huts were a personal highlight. Basic but filled with charm. They were cosy, warm and had a great atmosphere. Nothing better than finishing a long walk with a glass of red wine and playing card games while watching the sun set in the mountains. The food was simple but can be likened to going round to your grandma's for tea.

I was also incredibly lucky to be joined with such a great group of people. I went as a solo traveller but our group formed a great bond. I laughed more in one week than I had in a year.

Thank you Much Better Adventures for the most incredible week. Wish I could do it all again!

It was an incredible trip filled with goodness, beauty, friendship, possibilities and reward. It was my first time with MBA and to have a trekking trip over 5 long days. did not know what to expect but our 2 amazing mountain guides/ leaders made everything possible, safe, fun, and pleasant. Ernes and Txetxu grew up in the local area. Their knowledge of the mountains, weather are profound. They are true leaders and shepherds. They made sure we were well looked after, no body was left behind, no body was with injuries that they did not know about. Brief us for the next day. with their professional attitude and passion for the mountains, we cannot help but love them and respect them so much.

the group I was in had a diversity of people ranging from different background, stages of life, physical strength and abilities. It was good fun and most important thing was everyone was supportive to each other. everyone looked out for each other!

weather was perfect! we were so blessed to have mostly sunny and dry days. Ernes and Txetxu kept a very close eye on the weather as in the last two days there was supposed to be storm. We were very blessed to have dodged both of them!

the refuges and huts (and the hotels as well!) were beyond my expectation! They were very well maintained, tidy, neat, clean. beds were very comfy. the rooms were warm enough so sleeping bag was not really needed. (I am a cold person so I had my fleece jacket on to sleep most nights). Ear plugs are highly recommended. two of the refuges/ huts have soap/ shampoo/ body wash for us to use. The shower place of the refuge in day 2 is an outdoor one which is quite an experience! Dinner provided from all the refuges and huts were amazing!! very hearty and tasty!! it's so worth the wait !!(dinner time was mostly 08:30pm!) We were told that breakfast was very basic so we could bring a bit more by ourselves if we want. I would say we all were quite happy with the bread, biscuits, little cakes and cereals, coffee, tea provided. Ernes and Txetxu took orders for our lunches everyday. the sandwiches were so good and portion was generous! in the lunch bag there was always a little bit more surprise like chocolates, sweets, nuts, apples, juice. Thank you so much for the staff in the refuges and huts!! without their hardwork we won't be able to finish our journey in such a good shape! ( for most refuges and huts, they do not have bins/ facility to keep our own rubbish. so it's handy to have a little bag to keep the rubbish and discard them when we can!)

There were not much technical parts. maybe 20% of the whole trek? There was a small amount of paths that was acceptably exposed. Some scrambling was involved in day 2 but nothing that Ernes and Txetxu could not get us through. Scenery was incredible!! There were plenty of rest/ breaks for us to sip water, eat snacks, lunch and admire the view!

After all, it's the people and the relationships we create give meaning and beauty to the experience. Ernes and Txetxu, their friends from the refuges, the group I was in made this place so special that it's not just another national park, not just another trek, but a glimpse of heaven on earth.

What made this trip fabulous can be split into two categories - landscapes and people, but it's really the people that made it possible to access and enjoy the landscapes as much as I did. Our guides were Ernesto and Txetxu. They had very different and enjoyable personalities, but both were at the core competent, knowledgeable and generous hosts with a tangible affection for the Picos de Europa. They shared their hiking tips and techniques, information about the landscape, flora and fauna we saw, and when my knee started hurting halfway through the week, even a knee brace to help me get through the rest of the trek. I reckon I've learned to be a better hiker from them. They communicated expectations for each day very well, so we always knew what we were getting into the night before. One variance between expectations based on the website vs. what Ernesto and Txetxu told us is that the second day was not 8hrs of hiking as suggested on the website, but more in the order of 10-11 hours. When they say it's the most challenging day, it absolutely is - the descent in particular is long and relentless; not to be underestimated! The rest of the hike was challenging, which I roughly expected going in, but manageable and I felt we were in very steady hands all the way through. On the last day of the trek there was a risk of thunderstorms, so the night before they walked us through the three possible routes we could take depending on the actual conditions. Where there was a more difficult or technical area involved, they helped get each member of the party through the area one by one, adjusting approach based on the person's experience and comfort levels. Since they were two of them, they would split up as needed so that the fast walkers could keep their pace without the slower walkers feeling rushed. It was very enjoyable hiking under their guidance.

The next set of people that made the trek possible were the people at the refuges and hostel along the way. A refuge is almost by definition a remote shelter operating with limited resources, so of course, it is not the kind of accommodation you would expect in places were there are roads, but they were each quite clean and well-maintained, with a cozy dining room where we were treated to some really delicious and warming homestyle cooking for each dinner that were just what we needed at the end of a long hiking day. As a Canadian, it was a bit was hard waiting until 8-8:30pm for dinner, but when the food came around, it felt like it was well worth it. My hat goes off to the people who maintain the network of refuges in the Picos and make it possible to spend days at a time exploring them while always knowing that the end of the day there's a warm meal and dry bed waiting for you. It's honestly pretty ingenious how they supply, power and manage the refuges, especially as they get more remote. They also put out a basic breakfast each morning (think bread, biscuits, preserves, coffee etc.) and for a fee will prepare a sandwich and/or picnic bag for the next day. For those who are not used to communal sleeping rooms, I highly recommend ear plugs. The kit list says to bring a 2/3 season sleeping bag, but our guides indicated that a sleeping bag liner would be enough - this proved to be the case. Each refuge provides a duvet and pillow with pillowcase, but not all have the resources to change the fitted sheets regularly, hence the sleeping bag liner/hostel sheet to maintain hygiene.

Finally, there was the hiking group! I met really lovely people on this trip. It was an experience we were going through together, and the encouragement, teasing and heart-to-hearts among us made the trek so enjoyable. I reckon we each had areas where we benefited from the support and help from the others on the trip and I truly appreciated the company I had and the help I received on this adventure. I hope to meet my hiking buddies again!

All of these people brought me to the Picos themselves, and they are stunning. The pictures give you a sense, but to experience their scale when looking out from the side of a mountain, or to look back and see all the kilometers you've trekked over the course of a morning is really special and can't quite be conveyed in pictures or words. The trail could be steep, it could be difficult, it could make me nervous at times, but one step after another, I am very happy to have walked it.

I’d dearly love to sit here and tell you we had all the ingredients for a great experience. We had lovely tour guides, a diverse and positive attitude group, all the gear needed and no delays or issues - the weather on the other hand, had other ideas. A relentless barrage of mist and rain for 4 straight days meaning you could see 100 yards ahead at best, but not even close enough to marvel at the majesty of the Picos. We all made jokes and made the best of it, but in truth it really “dampened” (excuse the pun) what could have been a super trip.

On a positive note, the sun came out on the last day and allowed for a bevvy of photos we’d been holding out for. Dario and Sergio were attentive and friendly and considering the language barrier did their absolute best to effectively communicate and look after all involved.

If you like hiking craggy terrain and overcoming some technical tracks with jagged sandstone and granite everywhere around then you won’t be disappointed, and is very fun giving you that sense of achievement when you arrived at the refugios. Personally I wouldn’t agree with the “Challenging” rating given in terms of difficulty. I have done the Tour Du Mont Blanc and that was more challenging and warrants the title I’d say.

In summary, the guides were great, the company was a pleasure, food was enough in some parts but other refugios offered nothing more than a slice of bread for breakfast, but the mountains and viewpoints.. well, if you get a bad bout of weather 80% of the trip, then your only act of solace is to enjoy the photos of the mountains on here and the few in your phone gallery.