1 m away
Collserola North Loop
A medium-length loop through the northern reaches of Collserola.
Difficult Trail Running
- Distance
- 14 km
- Ascent
- 543 m
- Descent
- 543 m
Barcelona Trail Races, also known as Ultratrail Collserola and Gran Trail Collserola, is Barcelona's backyard ultra trail race.
Trail Running Severe
The Gran Trail Collserola presented by Barcelona Trail Races (originally known as “Ultratrail Collserola”) is Barcelona’s backyard ultra trail race. Covering 76km and climbing over 2,600m, this isn’t the steepest ultra that you’ll ever race… but if you approach it complacently, it will destroy you!
As Wikipedia puts it, “the route of the Barcelona Trail Races is not characterised by large elevation gains, very steep slopes or technical difficulties.” Instead, “the hardness of the race is due to the softness of the ascents and descents that push the runners to a non-stop pace, making it very fast.” The winning race pace is usually “between 5 and 6 min/km.”
The route begins right on the outskirts of the city, making it very easy to access and reducing the complexity of the logistics that you’ll need to manage. It’s very easy to get from your lodging to the race start, especially if you stay in a nearby part of town.
From the edge of the city, racers will climb the front side of Collserola and then traverse the top of the ridge past the funicular, eventually reaching Muralla China. This portion of the route traverses some of Collserola’s most popular singletrack trails.
In contrast, the northwestern loop of the route runs through some of Collserola’s least-used trails before returning to the popular el Tibidabo area.
From El Tibidabo, the next major loop samples some of the very best—and gnarliest—trails in Collserola, including El Aqueducto, before climbing back up to the top of the ridge and dropping back down to the edge of Barcelona.
Collserola is chock-full of rugged, ancient singletrack twisting and turning beneath a dense forest canopy. Suddenly, the trail routinely pops out into an open area near an ancient building, often with historical significance—and then it’s back to the forest. This ultra-distance race through Collserola is one of the best ways to soak in the grandeur of the forest and mountains!
Sources: https://bcntrailraces.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BarcelonaTrailRaces https://tracedetrail.fr/en/trace/trace/53573
Severe
1 m away
A medium-length loop through the northern reaches of Collserola.
Difficult Trail Running
179 m away
An inspiring point-to-point route running from Barcelona all the way to Sant Cugat del Valles.
Easy Trail Running
3.1 km away
A beautiful ridgeline traverse of the Collserola mountain range.
Moderate Trail Running
4.5 km away
A mellow run with beautiful views of Barcelona
Easy Trail Running
4.5 km away
An easily-accessible loop route connecting some of Collserola's most popular trails.
Moderate Trail Running
4.5 km away
A short loop through the forest of Collserolla.
Easy Trail Running
7.3 km away
Run along a smooth gravel road with gorgeous views of Barcelona and the Mediterranean.
Easy Trail Running
8 routes · Trail Running