Guías Boira

Guías Boira is a mountain and canyoning guide company based in Alquézar, at the entrance to the Sierra de Guara. Its company name is Altura Sport S.C. and it is registered in the active tourism company register under number TA-HU-88. On its website it speaks of more than 20 years of guiding in Spain, the Alps and other European massifs, although it does not give the founding year or the names of its partners. Its guides are qualified sports technicians in high mountain, canyoning, skiing and climbing.

What it does and where

Canyoning is the core of its offering. In Guara it works with four levels, from the river Vero and other introductory descents to long, technical canyons for those with experience, and it also descends canyons in the Pyrenees. In summer it adds via ferratas, sport and traditional climbing, hiking, rafting, ridges and guided ascents of peaks such as Aneto, Monte Perdido, Vignemale, Balaitús or the Midi d'Ossau, as well as weeks on Mont Blanc. In winter it moves to ski touring, mountaineering, ice climbing, snowshoeing and gullies and north faces.

As well as Guara and Rodellar, it guides in the Benasque valley, the Tena valley, Jaca, Castejón de Sos, the Aran Valley and Aigüestortes, and outside the Pyrenees in Gredos and Guadarrama. It has a calendar of courses in canyoning by level, mountaineering, rock and ice climbing, via ferratas, ski touring, snowshoeing and glacier rescue. For schools it organises school multi-adventure, and for companies, outdoor training.

Groups, ages and equipment

Groups are formed according to the regulations of each canyon and aiming for everyone to have a similar level. On the most demanding canyons, level IV, the maximum is six people per guide, and good fitness is required along with having done level II canyons with a guide before. Children can do the Vero from age 6, and other canyons such as the Peonera or the Oscuros de Balcés from 9 or 10 if they are used to sport.

The company supplies the wetsuit, water shoes, helmet, harness, carabiners and ropes, and a dry barrel for whatever cannot get wet. Boots are not lent: you must bring sports shoes or mountain boots, because sandals, flip-flops and neoprene water shoes are not allowed. Also a swimsuit, towel and dry clothes for afterwards. If you wear glasses they ask you to use a retaining strap, or contact lenses.

When and how to book

It guides canyons all year, depending on water flow, water temperature, regulations and numbers, although spring and summer are the best times. The Vero is done on foot from the office, on a circular route; for the rest you need to travel by car. Days usually start in the morning and finish after lunch, with a 30 to 60 minute walk-in. The meeting point is the office on paseo San Hipólito, open from 9:30 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 20:00.

You book through the form on the website, by phone (625 556 596 or 974 318 974) or at [email protected]. There is a discount for groups of ten or more, weekend and multi-day packages, offers for long weekends and gift vouchers with an open date during the year. The guides work in Spanish, French and English. The website does not publish the cancellation policy or detail the insurance, so ask when booking. The listing for canyoning in the river Vero explains the easiest descent from Alquézar.