La Porta del Cel: 5 stages and when to book
The Porta del Cel, the gate of heaven, is the Catalan Pyrenees’ classic hut circuit: five days from the slate village of Tavascan through the Alt Pirineu Natural Park, over the Port de l’Artiga into Ariège and back past the Pica d’Estats, the highest mountain in Catalonia. Granite, lake country, chains, old snow, and the whole thing booked with one payment, half board and the circuit’s own map included.
Start and finish: Tavascan.
The 5 stages
| Day | Stage | Distance | Climb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tavascan → Bordes de Graus | 3.9 km | 344 m |
| 2 | Bordes de Graus → Refugi de Certascan | 9.8 km | 1,357 m |
| 3 | Refugi de Certascan → Refuge du Pinet | 11.9 km | 1,440 m |
| 4 | Refuge du Pinet → Refugi de Vallferrera | 11.8 km | 1,426 m |
| 5 | Refugi de Vallferrera → Tavascan | 18.6 km | 1,497 m |
The line is the OSM circuit relation chained and cut at the five hut anchors, gated against the published stage table; 1.2 km of mapping gaps on stage 4 is bridged in straight lines. Elevation is a terrain model. Nobody has walked this line for the app.
Book these first
One central booking covers all four nights and the Tavascan hotel, half board included, paid once.
- The Refugi de Certascan, 40 places for every walker on the circuit’s second night
- The Bordes de Graus camping, only 30 places on the first night
The 2026 package: €105 down on reservation, then roughly €243 to €280 half board for the circuit depending on federation membership (FEDME/FEEC members pay less), picnics about €56 for four days.
A FEEC or FEDME licence pays for part of itself on this route through the member rates.
When to go
The guarded season and the central booking run 9 June to 30 September. The organisers state snow lies on the passes into mid-July, and the glacier remnant past the Pica d’Estats can ask for crampons into late July: late July to September is the walking window for most people.
- JanuaryDeep winter at 2,900 m
- FebruaryDeep winter
- MarchStill full winter above 2,000 m
- AprilThaw begins, nothing is open
- MayBefore the season
- JuneThe season opens on old snow
- JulySnow retreating, storms building
- AugustHigh season
- SeptemberThe connoisseur’s month
- OctoberThe season closed on 30 September
- NovemberWinter arriving
- DecemberWinter
La Porta del Cel in Treksup
La Porta del Cel is a paid route in Treksup: its full plan, with every stage, water, where to sleep and weekly trail conditions, comes with the paid tier. 7 routes are open in full for free.
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Page updated 30 September 2026.