THE ROUTE

El Piri is a fixed route of mixed gravel and tarmac terrain through the most beautiful areas in the Catalan Pyrenees.

The route has been developed from scratch by James Hayden. Having made Catalunya his home in 2020, he set about exploring the land intimately. Putting the route for El Piri together was about joining the ancient city of Girona to his new home in the Pyrenees, linking the most beautiful areas on the way, via the nicest tracks and small roads possible.  

The route is designed to be as rideable as possible, with only a couple of brief rougher sections, thus generally pushing your bike will only be required if fitness or gearing forces it. While the route follows the best gravel available, it is not all perfectly smooth, and with near 20,000 meters of climbing, the route is demanding. The tarmac sections are quiet back roads with little vehicle traffic. The route has been designed to flow well, with hard climbs and off-road sections leading into flowing tarmac or seemingly endless descents.  

The route for 2026 will be very similar to 2025, with only small changes to improve the flow. The distance and elevation will remain similar. 

The route is available online for anyone to ride when they want.

The route is only fully ridable between May to September due to higher parts being covered with snow in winter. The route would be best enjoyed over the course of a week.