GR11 - Arinsal to Encamp, 2days, 572km done

---

Sunday 21st August
Sick day in Arinsal
0km

Well after a restless night, it was clear from Paul that we were not going anywhere today. Booking in for another night at this hotel, we returned to sleep some more, as well as watching some bad Spanish day time Tv. We did make it out briefly together for a small lunch of coffee and toast but soon after eating, Paul needed to get back to the hotel room. I had another mini explore and checked out the other supermarket this time before also returning to the hotel to chill.

Feeling a bit better, we ventured out for dinner, returning to the original bar we went to when we arrived yesterday for their veggie menu. Welcomed back by the guy, we enjoyed tasty onion rings, garlic bread and the veggie Wok; delicious. With no instant need to find a toilet, Paul seemed to be feeling better and we returned to our hotel to repack our bags ready to go again tomorrow.

Monday 22nd August
Arinsal to La Cortinada
A whopping 6km
7:30 - 11:30 with two emergency toilet stops and 20mins at top of col

After a much better nights sleep we got ourselves up and ready but we were still not feeling 100% (my tummy was also grumbling this morning). We agreed we should be ok to get going and hopefully make it to Encamp, so set off by 7:30. Out walking again, we were feeling good and followed the winding road up out of Arinsal to the track path on the left, which quickly steepened. Back in the trees, we steadily climbed the rocky but easy path one zigzag at a time.

Unfortunately, about half way up, Paul’s gut decided it had had enough and we made an emergency stop. Knowing we might as well keep going to the next town, we managed to finish off the climb and have a snack break at the top. Feeling ok in himself, we soon began the descent, enjoying the tall trees filtering the sunlight, when it struck Paul again. Eventually making it to the bottom and along (some dry and slippy pine cones&needles on this section) we pulled over at a bar for a drink and rethink.

We found a trail that stayed lower along the river to Ordino we could take, rather then the higher ridge walk, but there was still then the rejoining of the GR11 in the next valley where another big up&down was needed to get to the planned town of Encamp. Not feeling up to this, we had a quick hotel search and found options in Ordino were limited and expensive. However, a hotel just across from us in La Cortinada did have a reasonable rate and room available. Hotel Mu, with cow pattern design and a spa, seemed too good an option not to take. So here we are, resting and recovering some more, (and managing to drink beer ok eh Paul?), taking the meaning of slow&steady to a new level.

Fingers crossed we’ll get back on that trail for longer tomorrow.

Tuesday 23rd August
La Cortinada to Encamp
12km
8:15 - 14:00 with a few short breaks, 40mins at top picnic area

Waking and feeling better, we enjoyed the hotels coffee&croissant deal, making friends with the staff again who seemed keen to visit Plymouth, before setting off back on the trail. Well, kind of, as we actually stuck to the easier, lower, less up&down route, along the river to Ordino. We’d recommend this path too, as it’s actually a really well maintained, gravel&board walk path along the river and importantly off the road. You then have to turn off into Orindo and head straightish up into the valley to rejoin the GR11; simple and interesting.

It’s here the incline begins, and whilst it was long, it was also pretty as it followed easy tracks through woodland again, passing a picnic area with pool (which clearly says no swimming; differing from the guidebooks advice), zigzagging further to another pic is spot. Now we did stop here for a snack break and water top up and, to Paul’s surprise, another toilet situation. I enjoyed sitting in the slowly warming sun though, chatting to a few other hikers who passed us here, including a French guy who was super friendly but obviously way faster then us as he only started on the 4th August!

Eventually finishing off the last bit of the climb, we enjoyed the more-level, open top briefly before following the increasingly rocky path downwards again; with a few brief rocky steps to hop down. The sun was getting hotter now, and the descent, pretty steep in parts, did begin to feel a little too long towards the end. Thankfully there were moments under tree-shadow which helped and it wasn’t really that long before we made it down into Encamp. A pretty big town it instantly felt busy and loud and weirdly, maybe just bad timing on our part, a lot of places looked shut. Looking for a drink and bite to eat became an annoying mission as the places we did find open only had set 3 course lunches or, apparently no menu at all (despite seeing locals eating?). When asking one place if they had any food without meat she simply said no and that was that.

Not a great first impression of the town, but we did then find a little cafe with a friendly woman who was more then happy to serve us, and which had WiFi. With Paul not wanting to go further, to start the next ascent and wild camp, we found a great cheap hotel room and checked in. Hotel Coray, opened in the 80s, had an older vibe, matched by the few other guests we saw, but was clean with pleasant staff and a great little balcony looking over the town and into the valley. It also had a leaflet about a delivery app for Andorra, which turned out to be a lifesaver, enabling us to order some veggie food to our room for dinner, where, after a little supermarket resupply, we rested and slept soundly.

Perfecto.

Wednesday 24th August
Sick day
0km

Having noted the upcoming storms forecasted for later today and tomorrow, we had planned to get up early and go, aiming to reach the refugio today before the storms started and then a bothy tomorrow, again before the predicted storms start. However, feeling bloated after breakfast, as we were getting our boots on to go, Paul began to not feel good again. Worried we would not be able to stick to our plan and get stuck outside in the storms, as well as just feeling poorly and needing the toilet, we hesitantly decided to stay in Encamp. Tomorrows forecasted weather was now bad from midday too, so, to try and rest properly and avoid the ‘should we or shouldn’t we’ situation we have found ourselves in the last few days, we booked in for two more nights.

After returning to sleep for a while, we went out for a little wonder and some food, when, as soon as we entered a cafe, Paul felt really bad again. It wasn’t just a bad gut feeling now though, but increasing waves of pain in his abdomen. With Paul returning quickly to the hotel, I did a little snack shop first before heading back where I found Paul looking in so much pain, looking hot, sweaty and yellow faced. Ready to ask the hotel to help us get to the hospital, Paul managed to find a position where it seemed to settle, and, after a brief nap, woke without the pain. Worried, we obviously used Dr Google and think maybe he passed a gallstone?, but with everything suggesting to get checked out after such an event, we did still end up going to ED in Andorra; using that life saving delivery app which also had taxis!

Arriving there just before 5pm, we were stunned at how quiet it was and even more stunned when he was seen by the initial triage within 20mins. It was then only another 15mins before he was examined by a Dr, bloods taken and given IV fluids. By 18:20, they had the blood results which showed no issues and they had no concerns with letting us go, giving Paul a prescription for probiotics&pain relief. This was a fast and efficient service! It was just a shame then, that, maybe to our ignorant surprise, that they did not speak much English at all. In fact, I think the language barrier definitely meant we were left without a real explanation or reassurance as to what may have happened. I guess we’ll stick with our own google research and the fact his physical obs and bloods are all ok as well as the medical professionals not seeming concerned to mean he is ok.

Paul was also feeling and looking much brighter, and having managed to eat & drink without issue tonight, and knowing we still have tomorrow as a rest day, we are hopeful we are past the worse of whatever was going on for him. We’re also happy to have taken out good travel insurance, as that 1.5h service cost a whopping 590euro! And we are most definitely happy that we had decided to stay in Encamp, as that might have not gone so well up in the mountains, especially as that storm did come in; downpours of rain, thunder and a disco sky as bright flashes are lighting up the sky&valley tonight.

Blimey, what an eventful day.

Thursday 25th August
Sick day
0km

It felt good to wake up slowly this morning, and eat some breakfast without any immediate issues. In fact, Paul was feeling good! Picking up his probiotics, we enjoyed some cafe/bar hopping (managing to find some good ones this time) as we explored Encamp more, and have decided it is not as bad as we had first thought. Clean, well maintained streets, pretty flowers, a blend of old and new parts, and with some cool wall artwork dotted around the streets, we even found a car museum which was fun to look around.

Returning to the hotel, we are now relaxing as the rain and thunder have just started again. Having eaten and drank with no issues, and feeling fit, we are once again, left planning and hoping that we will get back on to the GR11 trail tomorrow. As always though, we’ll just take it one day at a time.

---