Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
8 May 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
10
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Badges (4)
Details
Description
We are a couple (Cèlia and David), restoring an ancient building (ca. 200 y.o.) in an isolated village, Santisteve del Mall (Isàvena, Aragonese Pyrenees).
Attached to the building there is a piece of land - originally surrounded by a dry-stone wall (up to 1,50 m. high) that is now damaged due to the pass of time as well as wild animals and cattle. We want to restore it.
Santisteve del Mall is located at the Isávena country, in the South face of the Central Pyrenees, at some 1.050 m.a.s.l.. Close to Santisteve are the villages of Poblla de Roda and Roda de Isàvena (est. ca. 10th century). The entire Isàvena valley is a quiet community to enjoy the silence of its pristine natural environment.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Help around the house
Interests
Self development
Van life
Farming
Sustainability
Languages
Books
DIY & crafts
Plant care
Cooking & food
Gardening
Carpentry
Nature
Hiking
Cycling
Camping
Mountain
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Before starting the work, an initial-basic induction on dry-stone walls is provided. We have books on the matter available if people like to go deeper.
Later on, travellers will help to restore a piece of an ancient custom in the mountains which is to build dry-stone walls for different purposes. In this case is to enclose a small land to set boundaries and prevent wild animals or distracted cattle to ruin the crops.
Additional tasks like caring the greengarden, preparing food,apply lineseed oil, hiking, riding MTB, or simply stay chat or chill the rest of the summer evenings and overwhelming nights. We will be delighted to share this moments with the visitors.
The greengarden follows permaculture, no-dig, no-till approaches. We are on the learning curve on that, so any advice will be very welcome.
Help
In the Ribagorçan Aragonese (South face of the Central Pyrenees) culture, a "clluga" is a piece of land enclosed by a dry-stone wall. The pass of time and also the pass of wild animals and cattle, damaged most of the stone wall in our "clluga" (known in the country as "La Clluga de Güerri").
The work is mainly focused on restoring the stone wall (up to 1,50 m high) in the perimeter of La Clluga. We will use stones already stored a few meters from its permanent place. The size and weight of the stones is small: they can be handled by one person and very sporadically the help of another person is needed. All the task is done at ground level.
Related to this tasks, basic knowledge and experience with wood working is a plus, but not necessary, as we have to use custom made wood templates, measuring tools, handtools,... with all the safety equipment needed.
Additionally, greengardening / permaculture tasks, DIY and maintenance works of the buildings could be also shared.
Languages
Languages spoken
Aragonese: Fluent
Catalan: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Italian: Intermediate
Portuguese: Intermediate
Swedish: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
Apart from the space for 2 people inside the cabin, a campsite for tents is in the farm. Nowadays, there is a tent with matresses and bedding for 1-2 people, with enought space in the land to pitch additional tents if visitors bring their own. Here is also a plot for up to 2 campervans which can use those coming with their own vehicle.
Running water (warmshower), electricity, composting toilet on-site.
Local food is provided, prepared and shared in the cabin.
What else ...
The village of Santisteve del Mall is located at a country in the South face of the Central Pyrinees, at some 1.050 m.a.s.l., surrounded by oak, juniper and pine woods.
Close to Santisteve are the villages of Poblla de Roda and Roda de Isàvena (est. ca. 10th century). The entire Isàvena valley is a quiet country to enjoy the silence of its pristine natural environment. Ideal to ride or hike.
To get to Santisteve, one must first reach La Poblla de Roda (road A-1605), take an uphill unpaved road for 4 kms, which can be done with any car.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
A wi-fi connection is available, enought to have video conferences with any of the most common tools (Teams, Meet, WhatsApp,...)
Space for parking camper vans
Water and electricity supply is avaliable.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (5)
David is very welcoming and, from the outset, made sure that we were able to settle in as well as possible. He was also very pedagogical about everything to do with work. Although we had no previous experience in building walls, he kindly taught us all the secrets of putting up a wall… read more
Each day, from the very daybreak, they worked in the erection of the retaining dry-stone wall of the greengarden. Despite that they didn´t have previous experience on the matter, they completed a beautiful and solid dry-stone wall, thanks to their outstanding focus on the… read more
Photos
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David is very welcoming and, from the outset, made sure that we were able to settle in as well as possible. He was also very pedagogical about everything to do with work. Although we had no previous experience in building walls, he kindly taught us all the secrets of putting up a wall… read more
Each day, from the very daybreak, they worked in the erection of the retaining dry-stone wall of the greengarden. Despite that they didn´t have previous experience on the matter, they completed a beautiful and solid dry-stone wall, thanks to their outstanding focus on the… read more
We also enjoyed sharing time together, preparing meals in the kitchen and learning about permaculture… read more
Each day, from the very daybreak, they worked in the erection of the retaining dry-stone wall of the greengarden. Despite that they didn´t have previous experience on the matter, they completed a beautiful and solid dry-stone wall, thanks to their outstanding focus on the… read more
Building the stone wall for the cabin was a great task.
We also learned a lot about the history of the place, the region and the culture.
We are excited to see how… read more
Thanks to their eager, hands-on motivation and amazing ability they soon coped autonomously with the entire process to erect the wall: screening sand, mixing it with lime and water to make a nice lime mortar, select and put in place the stones. The result was a… read more
