Just a couple of hours from Barcelona, on the way towards the high Pyrenees, you reach one of the most distinctive riding areas in Spain.

Most riders from abroad know it simply as Tremp, although locally the wider region is called Pallars. In recent years, the local trail community has created a huge variety of riding here: granite slabs, narrow clay ridges, pine forests and loose, rocky trails.

There are easy trails for riders who are just starting out, but also some properly intimidating lines, including the well-known Dragon Khan.

And within half an hour, you can be riding a completely different kind of terrain — cooler, higher-altitude forests, longer descents and much more vertical.