UNESCO MOUNTAIN IN ANDORRA 2

France Renovation Renovation Fixed dates

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, the sciences, and culture. The Madriu-Perafita-Claror National Park and UNESCO Reserve is the only one of the kind in the small mountain nation of Andorra. The Madriu stream runs freely in the high-altitude valley: the only one in the country that has no road and no town, in this way preserving an authentic mountain landscape as it was hundreds of years ago. For more info visit UNESCO Website: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1160 Come back in a few years to see the result and the positive impact of your work on the local community!

💼 What the programme involves

For adventure and mountain lovers! Spend two weeks (or one month: two projects one after the other) disconnected from civilization in the Pyrenees mountains. No electricity, no roads, no 5G, no billboards, no shopping malls… just you and the mountains. Come to the Madriu UNESCO Reserve in Andorra at 1200 meters high (4000 feet)!!! In the UNESCO Reserve you will learn the ancient art of dry-stone masonry with exclusively hand-powered tools and an ancient machine. With the support of a technical leader, you will rebuild a dry-stone wall up to 3 meters high. You will learn to use a Greco-Roman Pentaspastos ("Five-pulley-crane") to haul 200-kilogram granite stones. The Pulley-Crane will have been carved and assembled from freshly cut pine trees by the group before you. Group life will be organized as wildlife camping in the National Park. During a weekend you can go on a trek up to some of the summits around the area. Half the group will be international volunteers and the other half volunteers from Andorra. It is a unique opportunity to experience life in the mountains and take a break from the modern world. Experience life and work as it was hundreds of years ago and learn the skills of our ancestors. Learn the tales of the Pyrenees, the magic of its valleys and summits, and the wisdom of the mountain-dwellers. Help to keep this millennial UNESCO heritage alive!

🏠 Accommodation on site

IMPORTANT: Adventure conditions. In the heart of the UNESCO Reserve, you will sleep in individual tents in high altitude, and a larger tent will be at your disposal for daily life. There will be no electricity available. You will be able to set up very basic commodities there, such as a solar shower. The group will share the cleaning tasks and prepare meals together. The budget will be allocated to the group leader and you will participate in the preparation of meals with the available products you will have in storage.

📍 About the location

The Madriu-Perrafita-Claror National Park and UNESCO Reserve is the only one of the kind in the small mountain nation of Andorra. The Madriu stream runs freely in the high-altitude valley: the only one in the country that has no road and no towns, thus preserving an authentic mountain landscape as it was hundreds of years ago. From the National Park you are completely isolated from towns and cities: all round you will be the towering peaks of the Pyrenees. On weekends you will go hiking around the National Park. For more info visit UNESCO Website: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1160

⚠️ Requirements

It is necessary to be in a good physical condition and ready to do sport to participate to this project as you’ll need to climb the mountain up and down regularly. We ask for a motivation letter when you register.

ℹ️ Additional information

Bring a sleeping bag for cold weather, both lightweight and very warm clothes as well as rain gear, mountain hiking shoes, mosquitoes repellent, flashlight, batteries, sunscreen and sunglasses. Bring warm working clothes and gloves. A backpack is necessary to go up and down the mountain regularly. For the bravest who dare to take a dip in the river, bring your swimsuit. Feel free to bring activities from home such as photos, games, musical instruments, etc. Foreigners belonging to the European Union must bring with them a personal EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), and everybody must, in any case, bring their insurance certificate. If health issues happen on the project, volunteers will have to pay for it, and then be reimbursed once back in their home country.

Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.