37th Raiers Descent of Coll de Nargó a Success with Optimal Segre River Flow

The tradition, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, enjoyed excellent river conditions.

Image of a traditional raiers raft navigating the Segre river in Alt Urgell.
IA

Image of a traditional raiers raft navigating the Segre river in Alt Urgell.

The 37th edition of the Raiers Descent of Coll de Nargó was successfully held last Saturday, with a dozen crew members navigating the Segre River in two rafts, benefiting from optimal water flow.

The traditional descent, which commemorates the ancient raier profession, took place in Alt Urgell for the third consecutive year during spring, a decision that ensures sufficient flow in the Segre River. This practice, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, enjoyed "very good" river conditions this year, allowing for a "calm and safe" descent, as noted by raiers Berta Campanyà and Rosa Maria Vidal.
The Associació de Raiers de Coll de Nargó maintains its commitment to holding the event in spring to guarantee the necessary flow. One of the rafts, which began its journey from the Organyà bridge to Clop de Fígols, experienced a oar detachment, although the journey was "saved," as explained by Josep Pérez, one of the participating raiers, who described this year's descent as "very fun."

"Last year the river was very rough, and this year it has been a delight and a stroll."

Berta Campanyà and Rosa Maria Vidal · Raiers
Bernat Peytiví, president of the Associació de Raiers de la Ribera del Segre, emphasized that the autumn and winter rains contributed positively to the increase in river flow. This circumstance allowed the raiers to carry out the descent "practically without any danger," unlike previous years when they had to avoid obstacles and the lack of water slowed down the rafts.
Before the descent, which began around 12:30 PM, onlookers were able to observe the preparations, including the pounding of redortes to tie the rafts, the construction of the oars, and the final assembly of the vessels. These tasks were carried out after a week of preparing the wood and raft sections.
The Associació de Raiers de la Ribera del Segre was awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi in 2024 for its work in preserving Catalan intangible heritage. This is the third year that the tradition has been recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco. The Coll de Nargó descent also includes a tribute to the raiers' wives with a floral offering at a village fountain dedicated to them. The day concluded with a popular lunch in the Town Hall square and a raier evening celebration.