FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HomeFAQ
CAMPSITE
WHERE IS THE CAMPSITE? HOW CAN I GET THERE?
The Sustainable Campsite is located in Cap del Rec, at the base of the Lles Nordic Ski Resort, 1,956m above sea level and surrounded by lakes, woods and 3,000 meter summits. Click on this link to see the campsite on Google Maps.
By car: take the N-260 from La Seu d’Urgell or the E-9 from Manresa (via Túnel del Cadí) to reach Martinet and then the village of Lles de Cerdanya. Then follow the signs to Estació d’Esquí Nòrdic de Lles.
By bus: Alsina Graells, stop in Martinet.
By train: line R3 from Barcelona to Puigcerdà (we will pick up boys/girls who request it at Puigcerdà station, arriving between 2 pm and 4.30 pm).
WHEN DO THE WEEKS START AND FINISH?
We start on Sundays at 6 pm and finish on Saturdays at 12 pm.
WHERE WILL I SLEEP?
You can arrive at the camp with both a suitcase and/or a backpack. The first day you’ll have to carry your luggage from the parking to your tent, but it will not need to be moved afterwards.
WHERE WILL I EAT?
In the middle of nature! If the weather is good, we have breakfast, lunch and dinner next to the Refuge El Fornell using wooden tables and benches. The tables and benches are protected from the sun by a gazebo, which is lit up at night. If the weather is bad, we eat inside the Refuge, using the tables and benches from the restaurant.
WHAT WILL I EAT?
The kitchen team is responsible for preparing meals for all participants in the camp every day, as well as the picnic when there are day trips outside the camp. We try to choose natural, quality products from local or nearby producers. You will find more information in the We know what we eat section.
IF I HAVE A SPECIAL DIET, IS IT POSSIBLE TO COME TO THE CAMP?
We work to make Pyrene Summer Camp as inclusive as possible. We’re happy to make any necessary adaptations so that everyone can experience the Pyrenees with us. As you already know, this year we’ll have the same kitchen team led by Jordi Tomàs from Descuina’t, who tailors the menu to accommodate intolerances, allergies, or special diets for health, ideological, or religious reasons. Likewise, the entire team of monitors makes sure everyone has the best possible experience at camp, taking into account each person’s individual needs.
WHAT WILL THE WEATHER BE LIKE AT CAMP?
In July, in La Cerdanya, we usually have sunny days, and at midday, the summer heat can reach up to 25ºC / 77ºF, so we wear t-shirts and shorts.
A couple of afternoons a week, it’s common to get summer storms. They’re usually short and, if it’s hot, even welcome. When they come with lightning and thunder, we need to find shelter and wait for them to pass. With these afternoon storms in mind, it’s important to bring a waterproof mountain jacket.
When the sun goes down, the temperature drops quite a bit, and at night it can get cold (down to 4ºC / 39ºF). At dinner time, around 8 p.m., everyone wears a sweatshirt and long pants, and on colder nights, a down or winter jacket is always useful.
In the village of Lles de Cerdanya, there is a weather station where you can check temperature and rainfall data here.
WHAT WILL COMMUNICATION BE LIKE DURING THE CAMP?
During the week, participants do not have access to their mobile phones, so they cannot receive calls. For anything you may need, you can contact Èlia or Raül Cavaller at any time, 24/7.
To ensure the smooth running of the camp, only participants staying for two consecutive weeks are allowed to make calls, on Saturdays between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., using Raül Cavaller’s phone number: +34 659 642 794.
If there is an emergency or any questions during the week, feel free to call us at any time. In addition, we publish a daily post on the Camp Blog with photos and updates from all groups so you can follow your child’s day-to-day experience.
If there’s a special occasion during the week, such as a birthday, we can coordinate a call so the participant can share the moment with you.
HOW CAN I SEE THE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMP?
During the camp we’ll be taking pictures of the activities. You’ll find them here.
WHAT LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN IN THE CAMPS?
At the Pyrene Summer Camps we speak Catalan/Spanish and English. In the BOLD ADVENTURE, WILD ADVENTURE, BIKE and HORSE RIDING campsapart from the local instructors, we have an English Native Speaker instructor who comes from Great Britain, the USA or Canada. Its mission is to provide participants with conversation in English. 30% of our participants are international. For participants who want to practice Catalan or Spanish, we chat with them in the language that the parents ask us to.
We create a relaxed atmosphere where we use all 3 languages interchangeably. And of course, when we speak and we want the English-speaking monitors to understand us, we must speak in English, as when we have a guest at home who does not speak Spanish or Catalan.
WILL THERE BE AN INFORMATIVE MEETING BEFORE THE START OF THE CAMP?
Yes, we’ll be holding a virtual meeting to explain how the camp works and to answer any questions you may have. Take note, you have 3 options:
Tuesday, June 3 at 7:00 pm – Parent Meeting in Catalan
Wednesday, June 4 at 7:00 pm – Parent Meeting in Spanish
Thursday, June 5 at 7:00 pm CEST – Parent Meeting in English
HOW DOES THE TRANSPORT SERVICE IN THE BARCELONA AREA WORK?
If you’re away from home during your child’s camp week and live in the Barcelona area, we can pick them up or drop them off at your home. If they’re bringing a bike, make sure to note it down.
You can request this service when booking the camp, or if you’ve already made the reservation, you can request it through your USER AREA. In the “Reservations” section, you’ll find the “REQUEST TRANSPORT” button, where you can fill out a form and pay for the service.
Pick-up on Sundays and drop-off on Saturdays in Barcelona usually take place between 12:00 and 3:00 p.m.
The schedule depends on the final route we take, as well as airport pick-ups and any last-minute requests (which may lead to adjustments in the pick-up/drop-off route).
For this reason, we will inform you of the exact pick-up/drop-off time 12 hours in advance via message or phone call.
If we haven’t contacted you by the evening before the transport service, please let us know, as there may have been a communication issue.
HOW DOES THE BCN AIRPORT PICK UP / DROP OFF SERVICE WORK?
Every Sunday when the shift begins we offer the PICK UP service and every Saturday when we finish the shift we offer the DROP OFF at the Barcelona airport (BCN) and Barcelona area. You can request it when you make the reservation on the website and up to the day before if you have had any unforeseen circumstances.
We are at the airport on Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm picking up campers who arrive from all over the world.
When the camp ends on Saturdays we arrive at the airport from 12 noon, so we ask families to pick up their return tickets home no earlier than 2 pm and no later than 7 pm.
Please contact us before buying tickets. We understand that from some origins there are few flights / connections to Barcelona, we will talk about it.
The meeting point at the airport is Cooofe, a small Italian café, located in Terminal 1.
If your flight arrives at Terminal 2, don’t worry, there is a free shuttle bus service to Terminal 1. It’s easy and in no time you will be at the Pyrene meeting point in T1.
We provide families with the phone number of the person responsible for the collection and, once they land, your child can contact us directly. If there is any incident with the suitcases, we have an access permit to the Passenger Only area to be able to help your child@, since they are minors.
When they return home and have to catch a plane, we help them check in and accompany them to the security check. We stay at the airport until their plane has taken off, so if there is any incident with their flight, we are there to help them and find a solution.
Lunch on the day your child arrives and the day they leave is the responsibility of the families.
HOW DOES THE PUIGCERDÀ TRAIN STATION PICK UP / DROP OFF SERVICE WORK?
Every Sunday we offer a PICK-UP service, and every Saturday a DROP-OFF service at Puigcerdà train station.
The meeting point is at 3:00 PM at Puigcerdà station. The last train that arrives on time is the one arriving at 2:50 PM.
Please note that the first meal provided at Pyrene is dinner at 8:00 PM. Therefore, bring a sandwich to eat on the train. If your child is bringing a bike, make sure to note it down.
For the return trip, we arrive at the station at 1:15 PM to catch the 1:37 PM train. As they arrive in Barcelona around 5:00 PM, lunch is included in the return price.
The transportation fee from Puigcerdà to Cap del Rec and back is €20 per person and trip.
You can request this service when booking your camp, or if you’ve already completed your reservation, you can request it through your USER AREA. In the “Reservations” section, you’ll find a “REQUEST TRANSPORT” button, where you can fill out a form and pay for the service.
CAMPS AND ACTIVITIES
WILL I BE ABLE TO DO THE ACTIVITIES?
The activities of all the camps are designed for the age group at which each camp is aimed. We t have in mind that the participants in the camps of programmes with different activities such as MINAIRONS, JUNIOR ADVENTURE, BOLD ADVENTURE or WILD ADVENTURE might be the first time they sleep in a tent or bivouac, climb a 2,900 m mountain, go mountain biking, canyoning or horse riding.
That’s why Pyrene instructors are always there at the most difficult moment, when you run out of strength or at the easy point of getting lost. We are here to lend a hand making these moments more enjoyable and making it easier to learn new skills. Being groups of 25 participants with 4 camp leaders we can make 2 groups and those who, for example, prefer to do a shorter mountain bike ride, stop to visit a Romanesque church while the other group does a longer ride doing a technical descent on a trail.
We encourage cooperation between the participants, we don’t do any race, on the contrary, we create connections between the young people making teams: we need to help each other to be able to pass the daily challenges we set. The MINAIRONS, JUNIOR ADVENTURE, BOLD ADVENTURE and WILD ADVENTURE camps have different activities every day, so maybe yesterday I led the group in hiking because I have done mountaineering, but today during the horse riding activity I will be helped by 2 companions who are great horse riders. This constant change of roles encourages confidence and participation of the group members. Thanks to the varied daily challenges, the group must work collectively to achieve these common goals.
In the description of each camp, you’ll find a score ranging from 0 to 10 indicating its difficulty. This score is the sum of the physical demand and the technical complexity, usually determined by the type of terrain where the activity takes place — for example, whether the bike route follows a wide forest dirt road or a narrow, rocky single trail.
HOW WILL YOU DO THE ACTIVITIES IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER?
Rain or bad weather doesn’t stop our activities. If it rains, we go out anyway: we get wet, ride through puddles, and get muddy while having the best time.
In case of a thunderstorm, we seek shelter to ensure the group’s safety. Luckily, summer storms are usually brief, and we resume the activity once they’ve passed. Don’t forget that bringing a waterproof jacket is essential!
We check the weather forecast every day and adjust the weekly activity schedule according to days with storms, wind, heat, or other conditions. We are part of the Civil Protection alert system and receive warnings about extreme heat, storms, or other weather events. Participant safety is always our top priority. For example, if we’ve hiked five hours toward a summit but fog blocks visibility in the last 50 meters, we turn back and return to camp, no questions asked.
Canyoning is especially sensitive to weather conditions. Before starting, we check the river flow and monitor the forecast to ensure safety. If the activity can’t be done (it’s only been canceled once in 20 years), we activate Plan B, just as exciting: rafting at Parc del Segre in La Seu d’Urgell.
WILL I HAVE FREE TIME DURING THE DAY?
Yes, after lunch you’ll have free time to do whatever you want, like take a bath in the river, play table tennis, balance in the slackline, rest, sunbathe… all in nature!
MY SON WILL BE 12 YEARS OLD IN JUNE, WHICH CAMP SHOULD WE SIGN HIM UP FOR? JUNIOR ADVENTURE OR BOLD ADVENTURE?
You’re right. You will have seen that the JUNIOR ADVENTURE camp is for ages 10 to 12, and BOLD ADVENTURE is for ages 12 to 14. It is intentionally designed so that some camps overlap with those above or below in age, so families can decide which of the two camps to sign their children up for. For example, this also happens between MINAIRONS and JUNIOR ADVENTURE, or between BOLD ADVENTURE and WILD ADVENTURE.
This is because you know your children better than anyone else and know whether they usually relate to children their own age and slightly older (one year older), or whether, on the other hand, they currently prefer to gain confidence and security by being among the oldest in their group. At these ages, children are more childlike, and for many, staying with their own age group and one year younger is a sensible decision. As we’ve said, however, we leave this up to the parents’ judgment.
CAN I DO THE ACTIVITY OF CANYONING IF I HAVE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE?
Of course! Canyoning is one of the most fun activities that we offer, and you can do it in the AVENTURA JR and WILD ADVENTURE camps. It is an easy activity, and the river has exits along the entire stretch. The only requirement is that you can swim.
IF I REGISTER FOR 2 CAMPS, HOW DO THEY WORK TOGETHER?
Participants who are only staying for one week at camp leave on Saturday at 12 noon. For those who are joining two or three weeks in a row, from the moment their group leaves at midday until the next campers arrive on Sunday at 6 p.m., they are supervised by Pyrene staff who run a special program. This special transition day between one camp and the next is completely free, and no extra booking is needed.
Usually, between 5 and 10 campers per week stay on for two back-to-back sessions. On Transition Day, we organize activities adapted to the age group, the energy levels, and the weather. Some possible activities include swimming in the Orri lake, a movie in Puigcerdà, thermal baths in Dorres, pizza + ice cream in Bellver, or even a visit to Circ Cric if the timing works out!
If you stay for two camps, laundry service is included at no extra cost — we do it using the washing machine we have at the camp.
If you’re staying for two sessions in a row, we recommend choosing two different camps (for example, first session Junior Adventure and second session Junior Bike) to enjoy a more varied and enriching experience.
EQUIPMENT
WHERE CAN I FIND THE LIST OF SPECIFIC MATERIAL FOR MY CAMP?
Inside each camp tab you’ll find a section with the required material.
WHAT DOCUMENTS DO YOU NEED FROM PARTICIPANTS?
Before the camp starts, we need you to send us a copy of your child’s health insurance card. You can do this by email at [email protected] or by uploading it to your User Area on the camp website.
We do not need any original documents, not the ID, the health card, or the vaccination record.
If your child needs to take medication during camp, we also require a medical prescription signed by a licensed healthcare professional. Without this document, we will not be able to administer any medication.
WHICH KIND OF BAG DO I HAVE TO BRING?
You can arrive at the camp with both a suitcase and/or a backpack. The first day you’ll have to carry your luggage from the parking to your tent, but it will not need to be moved afterwards.
WHAT KIND OF SLEEPING BAG SHOULD I BRING?
We’ll be sleeping 1,900m above sea level. On warm summer nights the temperature is around 10º﮿C or 12º﮿C. However, if it rains the nights are cooler, being around 6﮿ºC or 8﮿ºC. There is also the chance of cold northern winds in mid of July, where temperatures could drop to 2﮿ºC. For this reason we recommend that you bring a winter sleeping bag suitable for temperatures around 0﮿C / 5﮿ºC. If you can’t get a thick sleeping bag then you can rent one of ours. To do this visit the RENTAL tab or click here. Ask us for more information about our sleeping bags which are suitable for temperatures as low as -8﮿ºC.
HOW CAN I RENT A BIKE, A SLEEPING BAG, A BACKPACK...?
At the camp you have some specific gear available to rent. If you need a sleeping bag, a mountain bike, backpack or helmet… you can rent it and it will be ready for you when you arrive at the camp. If you go to JUNIOR ADVENTURE, WILD ADVENTURE or BIKE camp you’ll need to bring a bike. If you prefer you can request to rent one from us. Bike rentals are NOT included in the cost of the camp. You can make the request up until 48 hours before the start of the camp. To do this click here.
WHAT FOOTWEAR SHOULD I BRING?
It’s essential to bring one (if possible two) pairs of hiking shoes. If you want you can bring a pair of hiking sandals, like the ones in the picture. Feel free to bring your wellies too!
WHAT IS THE ADEQUATE FOOTWEAR FOR CANYONING (JUNIOR ADVENTURE AND WILD ADVENTURE)?
We do canyoning with laced up sports shoes + a non-slip sole. This ensures adequate adherence to the rocks, and if they’re well tied it avoids them floating away downstream. We DON’T use flip flops, water shoes, pumps or anything similar for this activity.
WHY CAN’T I BRING MY TABLET OR VIDEO GAME CONSOLES?
Because we’ll be spending the day walking, looking, doing, touching, playing…and we won’t even have time to charge our devices…Ahh! There are also no outlets in the tents.
CAN I BRING MY PHONE?
You can’t bring your phone. Many of you will arrive by train, boat or plane and having a phone makes things easier. However, take into account that once you arrive at the camp all the phones will be kept in the office.
SHOULD I BRING MONEY?
It’s not necessary that you bring even a euro, EVERYTHING is included in the price. You can bring a maximum of €20 if you want to buy a Camp T-shirt, a hat, sun cream or something that you may have forgotten to bring. Take into account that the organization is not responsible for the money that you decide to bring.
CAN I BUY PYRENE MATERIAL?
On the last day of each week you will be able to buy clothes designed by us. All the sizes and colours that you want, to live Pyrene wherever you want.
RESERVATION AND PAYMENT
WHAT DISCOUNTS ARE THERE?
WHEN IS THE DEADLINE TO MAKE THE SECOND PAYMENT?
HOW DO I MAKE THE SECOND PAYMENT?
With a credit card, enter your User Area, click on the RESERVATIONS tab, and on the right under Actions click on the PAY button. Accept the Terms and Conditions and click Pay for Order.
IF I DECIDE TO CANCEL MY RESERVATION, CAN I RECOVER THE AMOUNT I HAVE PAID?
Yes, only €35 will be charged for management and banking costs as long as you request cancellation before May 31st with the exception of the HORSE RIDING and PYRENE EXPLORER camps. These camps do not accept cancellations, so neither the advance nor the second payment will be refunded once made. You can consult the Terms and Conditions for more information.
If you still have doubts and need help, we are at your disposal to resolve all your questions: by phone at +34 659 642 794 and/or by sending an email to [email protected]. THANK YOU!!