onstruction of the Cinca hydroelectric scheme in the Pyrenees began as World War One came to a close and wouldn’t be completed until 1932, due to the immense challenges created by the terrain. The story goes that once water was flowing from the new reservoir high in the mountains, workers would cycle the canal route – which in places runs over 1,000m above sea level and several hundred above the valley floor – to ensure the aqueduct was free of obstructions. If this is indeed the case, then this trail has seen wheels turning on it for at least 91 years, possibly even longer, making it one of the world’s oldest off-road bike paths. That’s why my riding companion Doug McDonald and I are here in the northeastern Aragon region of Spain – to ride that trail and find out whether there’s any truth in this rumour.
