During one of our first pre-trip classes, we discussed ideas for our “free day” in Barcelona. Montserrat was mentioned along with a few ways to get to the monastery. One of the options was to hike from the train station in Monistrol de Montserrat to the monastery…and possibly up to a higher peak. From the moment I heard the option, I knew I wanted to challenge myself and complete the hike to the monastery. Luckily for me, my roommate, Scarlett, also wanted to tackle the hike. Soon after, one of our group leaders and another trip participant decided to join us. I tried to prepare myself by walking and running as much as possible before leaving for Spain. I also tried to walk up the five flights of stairs in the Technical building on the Racine campus as often as I could. I researched as much as I could about the hike beforehand, but much of the information on the internet was vague. It seemed like a long, but not so challenging hike. On our last day in Barcelona, we all caught a train to Monistrol de Montserrat. After a small walk through the town and up a road, we found a trail head. It was not a leisurely path, but STEEP steps!! I felt slight panic as my heart rate rose and my breathing became rapid. “What have I done?” probably crossed my mind a couple of times before reaching the top of the first set of steps. But, I persevered. The path was mostly steep inclines and stairs, before finally becoming a wider, flat gravel path. The views, even not far from the starting point, were fantastic. After an hour and a half of some pretty intensive hiking, we reached the monastery. We ate lunch- including a Spanish dessert called miel y mató (a cheese similar to ricotta and honey)- and rested, then decided as a group to continue on to the “tippy top”. We decided our goal was Sant Jeroni, another hour and a half of hiking!! That portion of the hike was an interesting mix of uneven stairs (many of which were narrow, had no railing, AND next to the edge of the cliff), rocky pathways, and a very interesting stretch of trail that was within a shady, wooded area. I cannot even begin to describe what the view was like the higher we went. Breathtaking would be an understatement. We finally reached the top and the reward was spectacular; 360 degrees of indescribable landscape. I can say that this was truly one of the highlights and proudest moments of my life. I am so glad I challenged myself and followed through. Not only did I see beautiful views of Spain that one would only see by hiking Montserrat, I was also able to talk with Scarlett, Aracely, and Debra and have wonderful conversation along the way. The four of us hiked back together from Sant Jeroni to the monastery, and from there we split off. Scarlett and I took the train back to Barcelona (which turned out to be another adventure in itself), and Debra and Aracely hiked back the rest of the way. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so glad that I took it.
