Pyrenees, October 2026
Back to the Pyrenees after a two-year break. Once again, it was the season finale in October, and once again with Marcellus and Extreme Tours.
The weather wasn’t so kind this time around. Lots of rain and even a bit of cold on the last day.
But the scenery, the food, and the company of friends more than made up for it.
On the last day, we also added a spectacular gorge—one we’d never seen before—to the tour.
Six wonderful days of riding, compared to a total of five days for travel to and from the destination. But all in all, I can say it was worth it.
We planned the trip for 8 participants. However, on the morning of the first day, Achim decided to head back because of the extremely bad weather. So there are 7 of us.
Five of us are riding motorcycles, and two are driving cars.
A very tedious undertaking. First, I drive just under 700 kilometers to Michi Sr.’s place. There, I load the motorcycle onto the trailer along with those belonging to Michi Jr. and Michi Sr. Then we head on to Marcellus’s place, where his motorcycle is loaded onto the trailer.
The next day, we head on to Switzerland to pick up Beat, and his motorcycle is also loaded onto the trailer as #5. We continue on to the Isère Valley and spend the night at a golf hotel.
On the third day, we head to Perpignan on the Mediterranean Sea. The two Michis travel separately by bus to Perpignan.
Today, the big topic was water. A severe rainstorm hit us. It didn’t just rain—it POURED. Even in France, roads were closed due to flooding. The beautiful D914 coastal road in France from Argèles-sur-Mer to the N-260 in Llançà wasn’t much fun in the pouring rain. It was raining heavily in Roses while we were having our morning coffee. So we took a slightly shorter route. Fortunately, the rain stopped around noon, and from then on we only had wet or damp roads.
Karte 2026_10_04
Today: fog and cool temperatures in the morning, followed by sunny weather. No rain except for a few drops in the sunshine. Today there were numerous border crossings: from Spain to France, Spain, France, Andorra, and back to Spain. There were also some great high mountain passes with magnificent views.
Karte 2026_10_05
Today was the longest day trip. We headed north to the French side of the Pyrenees. The weather was so-so. It drizzled just before we crossed into France, then stayed dry until just before we reached Spain. Then, on the way back, we encountered wet roads and heavy rain for about 40 kilometers in Spain. We set off through the rugged Ésera Gorge. On the Puerto de Contefablo, the road was covered in cow dung, but there wasn’t a cow in sight. We crossed into France via the Col du Pourtalet. Then came the quartet of classic Tour de France passes: Col d’Aubisque, Col du Soulor, Col du Tourmalet, and Col d’Aspin. For the Col du Tourmalet, we’d arranged with the Armée de l’Air for a low flyover by an A400M. It arrived right on time. Later, on the Col d’Aspin, we came across a herd of white cows, and just before the finish, a fairly large flock of sheep.
Karte 2026_10_06
We’re heading to La Seu d’Urgell, about 10 kilometers south of the border with Andorra.
It rained during the night, but the rain had stopped just in time for our departure. At first, the roads were wet. Later, it turned sunny. According to the forecast, it was supposed to rain starting at noon. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Only during the last 60 kilometers did we experience heavy rain at times.
A mountain pass was closed in the morning, so we took a significant detour. As a result, our planned 370 kilometers turned into 420. But the roads were beautiful, with rugged cliffs and gorges and great views of mountains and valleys. The paella we’d been looking forward to at the Cantina de Llinars wasn’t available, but we had something else Spanish instead—mashed potatoes, garlic, and fish.
In the evening, a funny little alcohol mishap: After the tapas, we’d ordered the mild Spanish herbal liqueur Orujo de Hierbas. It’s about 25 percent alcohol. The owner insisted that we also try the Orujo Blanco. That one, however, packs a serious punch with at least 50 percent alcohol. We made it through.
Karte 2026_10_07
Finally, no rain today and dry roads almost everywhere. It was quite cool, though. We took a southern route. The roads were very empty, quite fast, and winding in the morning. On the 35-kilometer stretch of the Coll de Bóixols, we passed one car and encountered four coming toward us. Plus a handful of cyclists.
In the afternoon, after more fast roads, we tackled the Coll de Merolla. It’s the most winding road I know. Almost no straight stretches—just curve after curve. To finish up, we rode over the Col de la Creueta with a great view of the mountains.
Unfortunately, Michi Sr. had to sit this one out because of a cold, but by evening he was feeling somewhat better and was able to join us in search of a nice paella.
Karte 2026_10_08
It’s the last day already. We headed back from La Seu d’Urgell to the beach in Perpignan. The weather was beautiful today, but it was freezing cold. Temperatures were very low—just above 0—on the first five high mountain passes. Then we rode a bit more at an altitude of about 1,500 meters, and as we descended, it got warmer.
The Aude Valley toward Quillan was fantastic today, featuring some truly spectacular gorges. But that was nothing compared to the extremely impressive Gorges de Galamus. Extremely deep, extremely rugged—and unexpectedly extremely windy. A great way to end the tour.
Karte 2026_10_09
Another two very grueling days. We set out very early in the morning and are back in Germany late in the evening at Ammersee, at Marcellus' place. The next day, in moderate temperatures and occasional rain, I drive the 700 kilometers back to Berlin on country roads.
Karte 2026_10_pyrenaeen