We leave Salardú in the direction of Baqueira by road, following the route of the pass that leads to Pla de Beret. It is a 6-kilometre climb with a 400-metre elevation gain, steady but manageable, passing houses and surrounded by fir and black pine forests. As we gain altitude, the views over the Val d’Aran widen and the road winds its way through high mountain meadows. The Pla de Beret, at an altitude of over 1,850 metres, is one of the largest natural plains in the Pyrenees. This is where the Noguera Pallaresa river has its source, surrounded by an idyllic setting of pastures and rounded peaks which in winter become the largest ski area in the Pyrenees: Baqueira Beret.