Pic Negre Loop (Video + Map)

Peter (@peterofthespoon) and three other riders set out to tackle “El Pic Negre,” a three-day bikepacking loop named after the highest point on the route, which happens to be the eternal resting place for a famous old and rusty Volkswagen T-1. Along the way, he captured a lot of photos and footage to create this film for Ixcor Cycling. Watch it below, then scroll down to find a summary of the trip, a photo gallery from Peter, and a map of the route.

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Words by PeterOfTheSpoon

We’ve been supporting bikepacking and ultra-cycling events for a long time, and I was hungry to try it out with my closest buddies. So, I became the master of ceremonies for this three-day adventure through the Catalan/Andorra Pyrenees.

With the only premise of enjoying the ride, discovering new paths, and reaching places that no one of us have been before, three other riders and I departed from Berga to ride to Andorra in the first stage. The journey took us on some beautiful tracks and perfect trails for gravel and mountain bikes, but with a huge climb over 3,000 meters. A spa session in the cold waters of the Valira River made it worth the effort when we arrived in Andorra.

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The next day was going to be the hardest day, so we left for El Pic Negre early in the morning. As Nils put it, “A bikepacking route without hike-a-bike isn’t bikepacking,” and of course, that’s how it was. The first 12 kilometers took five hours because of the 1,700-meter climb to reach the famous old Volkswagen T-1 at its everlasting resting place close to El Pic Negre in Andorra, the summit of the stage.

After a critical moment where one of the riders had to surrender because of the hard effort, the rest of the group went down to Bellver de Cerdanya, where we spent the night and got some good rest.

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The third and last day, we went south to the beautiful off-road climb of Coll del Pendís where a good meal was waiting for us at the Sant Jordi refuge. Once we recovered all of our strength, we continued to Berga for a great finish, capping it off with a dip in Pantà de la Baells.

Pic Negre Loop

If you’re interested in attempting to recreate this adventure and seek out that old rusty Volkswagen, find the map of the route below:

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