This year, Andorra will once again be hosting the Ultra Trail Vallnord, the legendary trail event that crosses the country through the mountains. At Caldea, we love supporting these kinds of events, so we’ll be collaborating with the competition again this year.
This year’s event, which marks the 11th time it has been held, will run from 11 to 16 July, and will welcome a total of 3,500 runners from 50 different nations. The organisation will have the support of around 400 volunteers, many of whom have stayed loyal to the event since its first year.
The 7 routes have different schedules, but they all begin and end in the picturesque town of Ordino. The Andorra Ultra Trail Vallnord allows runners to choose between 5 distances, ranging from 233 km to 42.5 km, as well as 2 hikes (2.5 km and 10 km) which are open to the public. Just like every year, the dates of the event coincide with the full moon, if the night is clear this will help to light the path for the runners during the darkest hours of the race.
This type of competition tests both the strength and the resilience of the participants. The longest trails – Eufòria (233 km with 20,000 m of positive elevation) and Ronda dels Cims (170 km with 13,500 m of positive elevation) – are defined by the physical and mental challenge that they pose and require significant preparation. They traverse the mountains, ascending and descending peaks, and there are some very steep slopes… but it’s all worthwhile just to enjoy nature in its purest form: the landscapes, the stunning views and the unique sounds. Despite the event taking place during the summer months, registrations begin in November and end in April, which just goes to show what a hotly anticipated sporting event this is at an international level.
If you are yet to experience the atmosphere at the starting line of any of the routes of the Andorra Ultra Trail Vallnord, we strongly advise that you do so this year. The experience is sure to leave you with goose bumps!
Eufòria is the first trail on the schedule. Beginning on Wednesday at 7 a.m., it’s the longest route and the only one that is contested in pairs. With a total distance of 233 km and 20,000 metres of positive and negative elevation, participants will traverse 32 peaks and ridges of between 2,500 and 2,900 metres in height. The route is also one of the newest, and this will be the third time that it has been included.
Ronda dels Cims, takes the participants on a 170-km route that circles the whole country and includes 13,500 metres of elevation change. Starting on Friday 19 July at 7 a.m., this trail covers a total of 16 peaks and hills with various types of terrain, and also includes Andorra’s highest peak: the Comapedrosa at 2,942 metres.
Mític, with a total distance of 112 km and 9,700 m of elevation change, departs from Ordino on Friday night and travels through some of Andorra’s wildest and most iconic locations, before also ascending to the top of the principality’s highest peak. It starts on Friday 19 July at 10 p.m.
Celestrail is a 50-mile (83 kilometres) circuit with 5,000 metres of elevation change and the curious honour of beginning at midnight on Saturday 20 July. The leading pair from the Eufòria race (who will have departed on Wednesday morning) are expected to cross the same finishing line in Ordino approximately two hours later.
Marató dels Cims is a 42.5-km mountain marathon with 3,000 metres of elevation change that passes through the northern valleys and includes 3 peaks of over 2,700 metres in height. The participants will set off on Saturday 20 July at 8 a.m. and the fastest of them is expected to complete the route in about 4.5 hours.
Solidaritrail is the solidarity hike that is open to the public and takes place on Sunday morning. It covers a distance of 10 kilometres with an elevation change of 750 metres as it traverses the parish of Ordino.
And lastly, new for this year is Tamarro, a 2.5-km hike that’s open to the public and features an elevation change of 50 m. It starts on Saturday at 9 a.m.
Consider yourself notified: in July you’ve got an unmissable appointment in Ordino, where you can experience the incredible atmosphere of the Ultra Trail Vallnord for yourself.
And after all the excitement, come and enjoy bathing in the thermal waters in Caldea!
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