One of the eternal challenges of being a tourist is getting under the skin of a city. You can practise as much of your school French on the Parisian locals as you like or wolf down strangely unidentifiable south-east Asian foodstuffs with gusto, but you still can't escape the nagging feeling that you are an observer, not a participant.
In Barcelona, however, there is a way to get up close and personal with Catalans. It's unique, intense and as hot-blooded as a charging bull. Dubbed the "castell" – the human castle – it's a daunting sight for the uninitiated, particularly when you've agreed to help build it.
Luckily, Eduard Pares, one of the organisers of Barcelona's Castellier displays, is on hand to help. "This is our tradition, our culture, our sport," he says, gesturing to the castellers currently building the "pinya" or base of the castle. "It is a combination of balance and strength."
Such is the status of "castelling" that it recently received an official listing from Unesco, being recognised as an "Element of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity". It originated in Valls, near the city of Tarragona, in the 18th century and has since become popular across the whole of Catalonia, with teams emerging from the Balearic Islands too. The nod from Unesco came thanks to a combination of its authenticity and cultural values of teamwork, goal-setting and integration of all ages.
Personally, as someone whose team-building experience amounts to an afternoon spent playing with Lego in an airless function room at a work training day, I'd just call it an astounding demonstration of trust.
I'm here with a film crew too, part of the Expedia.co.uk's People Shaped Travel video series, which reveals unique experiences in cities around the world. It's testament to their skill and confidence that the cameraman is allowed to squeeze into the seething mass to get the best footage.
Slowly, the castle builds, with those at the bottom looking as intensely focused as you'd expect with the weight of several people bearing down on them. Clenched-teeth heroism seems to be the order of the day here. Physically, and mentally, it's crucial that no one buckles.
Like a rugby scrum, the biggest guys take the most strain but as the castle builds, it's clear that this is a truly democratic phenomenon. There is no typical Casteller – young or old, big or small – with a place for everyone in the human pyramid.
Indeed, it's the youngest girl or boy, the anxaneta, whose light weight and agility sees them given the final honour of taking the top spot, raising an arm to salute to the audience that the castle is complete.
Down at the bottom, though, where I remain, it's a bunfight. My role is simple. Pack together with dozens of other bodies and be prepared to catch someone if they fall. This "safety net" function is one that any casual visitor can fulfill and is as good an introduction to a foreign city that I've ever experienced. The upper layers of the tower are built as quickly as possible in order to put minimal strain on the lower castellers, with each new addition scrambling up and using a team-mate's waist sash as a handhold or foothold.
A cheer goes up to signal the end of another successful assembly, although Eduard advises that no castell is considered a success until all layers are safely back on the ground.
"This is a way of life for us," he says proudly.
I feel privileged to have been part of it.
How to do it
• See the Castellers de Barcelona website for more information.
Three nights' room-only at the four-star Confortel Almirante is from just £153pp, based on two sharing a double room. This includes return flights with Easyjet from London Gatwick to Barcelona departing on 6 February 2012. Located in the centre of Barcelona's Old Town, this modern, nine-storey townhouse hotel is a short walk from the Gothic Quarter's 14th-century cathedral. For reservations, visit expedia.co.uk or call 0330 123 1235.
