The Balma de les Ovelles, the Sheep's Shelter, lies in the high country where Catalonia meets Aragon, between the valleys of the Noguera Ribagorçana and the Noguera Pallaresa. This is the southern edge of the Pyrenees, a land of limestone ridges, deep gorges, reservoirs and scattered villages, many of them half empty. Rock shelters like this one, used by shepherds and their flocks for thousands of years, are found throughout the region, and some hold traces of prehistoric painting or occupation. The name tells you what it was most recently used for, and the landscape around still carries the sound of sheep bells.
To the north, up the valley, lies the Vall de Boí, whose Romanesque churches, with their tall bell towers and painted interiors, are a World Heritage site; the churches of Santa Eulàlia at Erill la Vall and Sant Feliu at Barruera are among them, and in Taüll the church of Sant Climent has a famous painted apse, now reproduced on site with light projections. To the south, the Montsec range is cut by the Congost de Mont-rebei, a spectacular gorge where a walkway is carved into the cliff above the river, one of the most dramatic walks in Spain. Near Tremp and Isona, the rocks are full of dinosaur remains, including eggs and footprints, and a museum displays them.
The riding is superb and varied. The main road up the Noguera Ribagorçana valley follows the river past reservoirs and through gorges, with tunnels and cliffs, towards the Vielha tunnel and the Val d'Aran. Smaller roads climb over passes between valleys, narrow and twisty, with little traffic and huge views of the mountains. Surfaces are generally good on main roads, more variable on minor ones, and rockfalls are possible after storms. Winter brings snow at altitude, and some higher roads close; summer can be hot in the valleys and stormy in the afternoons.
Fuel needs planning. The nearest larger town listed is Tremp, about nineteen kilometres away, and El Pont de Suert is another option up the valley. Smaller villages may have only a bar or none at all. Try the hearty mountain food of the Pyrenees: trinxat, a cabbage and potato cake with bacon, local lamb, and sausages called xolís, washed down with a strong coffee before heading on.