The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- 6 april 2009 -
Two men & three stones

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 esfr-trip-track-20090406.kml
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click right on this link to download gpx-version
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A lovely stage from bm050 to bm059. Especially when climbing to Atxuria excellent weather, a nice breeze and splendid views. The final descent was long and tough.
 


For explanation of the gps-coordinates and other cartographic backgrounds:
see my cartography page

En route: 7.52 hours (9.15-17.00), net walking time ± 6½ hours

According to my watch: 778m up, 997m down, 1775m total denivellation.

According to visugpx
- distance : 10.84 km
- cum. elevation gain : 436 m
- cum. elevation loss : 669 m
- total elevation: 1105m

- altitude maxi : 728 m
- altitude mini : 190 m
- altitude average : 448 m
Starting at 9.15 and taking the dirtroad from bm050 onwards.

This picture: La Rhune still visible to the NW.


We climb the borderridge and soon we reach bm051.
Bm051
Further on: bm052
Bm052
And a bit further: bm053
From bm053, the borderline follows a stream to bm054. It seems a straight line on the map but actually the stream goes a bit S, then E and finally a bit N.

We followed the stream but found out later that there's an easier access. From bm053 (10m to the N) a dirtroad descends E with further on a branch (not on the map) to the right to bm054

Concerning this plan: "beekje" = stream

Bm054

From bm054 the border climbs SE along a stream until its source. You can climb along its south-bank to bm055 and continue to bm056.

Route for the GRPdesBf: from bm054 follow the track NE uphill to a farm/barn and then take a path to the S to bm056. Variant: a detour to bm055 from bm056 or doing bm054 ->bm055 -> bm056.


Bm056

Remarkable: there's an old and a newer bm056 and an old local  communities-tripoint-marker.
Bm056
Then a detour to bm055

Jan-Willem climbed directly to this bm from bm054.

Bm055
Lunch-time. Two men against three stones. La Rhune still visible in the background. A passing trail-runner took this  picture.

From bm056 a trail (yellow/white waymarked) climbs NE on a sort of ridge to bm057.

In between this local marker

 

with this backside.
Bm057 with Jan-Willem
Bm057

Further on, the yellow/white trail merges with or becomes a yellow waymarked trail that goes underneath the Atxuria to a pass.


In the meantime it's getting cloudy  with very strong winds. Vultures above our heads.

From the pass, I climb to the summit of Atxuria while Jan-Willem shelters for the wind. However, I can't find the unnumbered cross mentioned in the Procès-Verbal.

I return to the pass where Jan-Willem is waiting. We descend on the other side in search of bm058.

This picture: a view to the NNE, you can see the edge (whitish) of the quarry where we will pitch our tents later.

Finding bm058 isn't easy because I located the pass on the ridge of Atxuria wrongly. It's on Spanish territory.

Jan-Willem proves to be a better map-reader and with orienting on the forest (on this picture) and the quarry, we find on the slope
bm058

We descend (long and tiring) on the yellow trail to the parking of the Caves of Sare. Coffee-break at the Caves


We search a while for bm059 but in vain. Next to the quarry and beyond  a roadblock, we pitch our tents.

Then it starts to rain, the whole night. This picture: taken the next morning.

Coordinates:  N43 15 59.3 W1 33 52.6