MICROTRIP #8 SDS

Not every journey needs a summit.

For Microtrip #8, we leave behind the obsession with reaching the highest point and follow water instead. Deep into the heart of La Garrotxa, spring reveals one of the most extraordinary landscapes in Catalonia: a territory shaped by cliffs, forests, waterfalls and time itself.

Starting from Sant Privat d’en Bas, we enter the great natural amphitheatre carved by the River Gurn. Here, water plunges over the edge of the Amer fault line, creating the Salt de Sallent, an 80-metre free-falling waterfall that becomes one of the most dramatic sights in the country.

From there, the route climbs steadily through humid forests and hidden paths, following the sound of flowing water before reaching Les Escletxes de la Freixeneda. These narrow rock corridors, cracked open by geological forces over thousands of years, form a labyrinth unlike anything else in the region. Walking through them feels less like hiking and more like stepping into a forgotten landscape.

Throughout the day, we move between beech forests, moss-covered stone, wildflowers and streams that appear around every corner. The air is cool, the ground alive with spring growth, and the constant presence of water gives the entire route a rare sense of movement and calm.

A reminder that some of the most memorable days in the mountains are not measured by elevation gained, but by the landscapes that stay with you long after you've left them. The landscape keeps shifting until the very end. Waterfalls give way to forest. Forest turns into stone corridors. Narrow passages open into broader trails beneath the canopy.

Each section feels distinct, yet all belong to the same journey. As the route descends back towards the valley, the sound of water returns. Familiar now, but different somehow after a day spent moving through the hidden folds of the landscape.

No summit waiting at the end.

Just a gradual return through one of the most remarkable corners of La Garrotxa, until the houses of Sant Privat come back into view.

Salt de Sallent & Les Escletxes de la Freixeneda, full loop.