a0339 - Rivers of Aragon II - Congost de Mont-rebei Hiking

Loop trail from Parking La Masieta to Montfalco hostel via congost de Mont-rebei path

About three hours inland from Barcelona, the Noguera Ribagorçana river demarks the border between Catalonia and Aragon, winding through the serra de Montsec natural park of the pre-Pyrenees region until it finally approaches the breath-taking Congost de Mont-rebei gorge. It is famous for striking bright blue turquoise waters paired with high cliffs up to 500m in height in the narrow 20m wide canyon which has a world famous hiking trail cut into the side of the mountain.

The hiking route starts in La Masieta parking area near the village of Puente de Montaña. From the parking area, follow the GR1 trail along Camí de Congost de Mont-rebei passing the small shop. Continue along the path crossing the Barranc del pinell dry river via the wooden footbridge. A short distance ahead the path enters a forested area and swings to the right curving round the side of a bluff to reveal fantastic views of a lake.

Continue along the path and cross the first suspension bridge. It is advisable to only have three people on the bridge at any one time to prevent excessive rocking for those that suffer from mild vertigo. The bridge crosses a small inlet where a river flows into the main Noguera Ribagorçana river although over the past two years this section has been dry due to the drought.

At the end of the bridge follow the Camí de Congost de Mont-rebei path to the right into the forest From here on the path gets narrow at some points being only a metre wide. Take care when traversing this section. A short way ahead the path enters the Camí vell de Congost de Mont-rebei canyon and it is at this point that the path is high above the water with no protective barrier on the edge. note that there are metal cable hand holds on the mountain side of the path where the path is very narrow.

Along the canyon section as it curves there are benches and viewpoints. in some sections the path is cut into the sheer cliff side of the canyon and passes via a couple of short tunnels. this is a spectacular section of the route and in the tunnels there are small exits onto cliff top viewpoints with benches. I recommend taking it slow for safety reasons and also to enjoy the spectacular views.

As the path snakes into the mountain side there is an almost invisible path going up to Cova de Colomera. This is an optional part where you can use the chains to ascend the steep path to the cave. Allow an extra 30 minutes to ascend and descend to visit the cave. I highly recommend it. From this giant natural cave you have views down the canyon to the lake.

Once continuing along the canyon path after a short while the canyon begins to open up and the path transitions into a forested section with a slight descent. you will come across two forks in the path. always take the right path signposted to puente Montfalcó The path will begin to descend down some stone steps and you get views of the stunning red Montfalcó suspension bridge that crosses a natural narrowing of the gorge. From the bridge and far side you will get spectacular views of the cliff formation glinting golden in the sun as eagles fly high above.

After the bridge the path ascends a rocky section where there are several view points to look back at the canyon. At the summit of this climb you will see that the path disappears. if you look closely you will see the most vertigo inducing section of the route. A series of wooden stairs have been stuck to the side of the mountain that descend in several flights down to the bottom of the vertical cliff face. These are the world famous Montfalcó stairs. The stairs have fall protection on the open side but take your time to carefully descend.

Well you made it to the bottom of the stairs! congratulations. Continue following the Camí de Montfalcó al Congost de Mont-rebei path and shortly ahead you will see a path forking off on the left and going down. I recommend taking this path down and following it under the overhanging cliff. When the water level in the lake is high there is a natural beach here which is a great place for swimming.

At this point if you are doing this route as a one day hike I recommend turning back here to return via the same route that you came. If you are doing this as a two day route you can continue along this path to the Montfalcó hostel for an overnight stay. The path to the hostel ascends through a forest to the hill top hostel.

From Montfalcó hostel there is a short path to Ermita de Santa Quiteria, a small mountain top chapel. Shortly before arriving at the hostel you will pass the natural Font de Montfalcó but this natural spring may be dry because of the drought and cannot be relied on to top up water bottles.