The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- 11 may 2010 -
Bm001 revisited

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 esfr-trip-track-20100511.kml
(click to open in Google Earth or copy link to Google Maps;
click right on this link to download gpx-version
)

Last night in our Gîte d Etappe in St-Étienne-de-Baïgorry.‭ ‬Today two targets:‭ ‬exploring a GRPdesBF-main-route-traject leading from bm130‭ ‬to Col de Baztan and photographing bm001‭ ‬from the other side of the Bidasoa-river.‭ ‬In between:‭ ‬some exploration near Venta Baztan.

Weather:‭ ‬cloudy,‭ ‬in the afternoon some rain.
 esfr-trip-track-20100511-trip1.kml
(click to open in Google Earth or copy link to Google Maps;
click right on this link to download gpx-version
)

Trip 1: ‬exploring a GRPdesBF-main-route traject leading from bm130‭ ‬to Col de Baztan

We drive to Venta Baztan at the border and then a few hundred meters further where we spot‭ (‬just beyond a house at the left‭) ‬a narrow concrete road climbing into the forest at the right hand.‭ ‬That‭’‬s the one we saw on Google Earth.‭ ‬From there we find our way to bm130‭and back, ‬combining different maps and a GR11-guidebook.

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



According to visugpx
- distance : 7.8‭ ‬km
- cum. elevation gain : 265‭ ‬m
- cum. elevation loss : 262‭ ‬m
- total elevation:  527 m

- altitude maxi : 980‭ ‬m
- altitude mini : 793‭ ‬m
- altitude average : 927‭ ‬m
In between (and away from the esfr-border) we came across these peculiar stones.
The little one contains some engravings which suggest that it is some kind of a bordermarker. Anyway, not an esfr-bordermarker.
Bm130, the end of our reconnaissance-trip
At Bm130 the border leaves the fence (and the watershed) and goes in a straight line to the hilltop of the Ichterbegui.
See the curisosities-page
for the item on Pays Quint.

Move the mouse over the picture  to see the approximate borderline.
Description of our route from bm130 tot Venta Baztan:‭ ‬from bm130‭ ‬follow the orange or  GR11-red/white-waymarks untill you reach a gate,‭
Go through the gate and continue on the country road‭ (‬quitting the GR11‭ ‬which stays at the other side of the fence‭)‬.‭ ‬The country road becomes a concrete road for a while and descends steeply later on.
Then you arrive after a bend in the road at a point where you can see to your left above a cabin in army-camouflage colours.‭ ‬At the other side you see down below a meadow in the forest.‭ ‬You need to go down along the fence of the meadow through the forest untill you reach a narrow concrete road.‭ ‬Following that one down brings you to the main road.‭ ‬A few hundred meters to the left and you are at the venta Baztan.‭ ‬Takes about one hour walking‭ (‬one way‭)‬.
 esfr-trip-track-20100511-trip2.kml
(click to open in Google Earth or copy link to Google Maps;
click right on this link to download gpx-version
)

Trip 2: taking  a break at Venta Baztan and doing some ad-hoc exploring around.
I make a picture of the roadsign before the venta saying there‭’‬s information about Pays Quint at‭ ‬2‭ ‬minutes distance.‭ ‬We drive several kilometers into Spain but don‭’‬t find anything of that kind.
I spot another probable submarker in front of the Venta at the edge of the meadow which ascends to the north.‭ ‬Needs a little climb to reach it.‭‭No number or sign on this round little stone.‭
We're looking approximately in the direction of the borderline to bm136 which is located in the forest behind.
Like the other stone higher up in the middle of the meadow, ‭the round stone is approximately on a straight line from bm136‭ ‬to bm137.

Move the mouse over the picture to see the two supposed bordermarkers.
 esfr-trip-track-20100511-trip3.kml
(click to open in Google Earth or copy link to Google Maps;
click right on this link to download gpx-version
)

Trip 3: photographing bm001‭ ‬from the other side of the Bidasoa-river.

Via Sare we drive to Endarlatsa, ‭to  ‬the old bridge over the Bidasoa-river,‭ ‬close to bm001.
For explanation of the gps-coordinates and other cartographic backgrounds:
see my cartography page
Parking near the old bridge, the new bridge in the background.

From the Spanish side I make a lot of pictures of bm001,
Taken from the new road, a bit lower is the old road, converted into a bycicle-trail.  Bm001 is well visible at the left bank of the river. At the far end of this picture both old and new bridge cross the river.

However, there‭’‬s no trail leading from the bridges to bm001,‭ ‬it‭’‬s too steep there anyway
Another zoomin from bm001
But I can see that south of the steep ridge of the bm there is a sort of cleft,‭ ‬large and well recognizable if you come from that trail from the north.‭ (see 20090402 )
If you reach that cleft, you have to go straight down on the ridge to find bm001.
‭Other indications: o‬n top of that cleft‭ (‬which is Spanish‭) ‬you can‭ ‬see conifers naaldbomen.‭ ‬On top of the ridge of the bm there‭’‬s a larger distinctive rock.‭ ‬And from above you should be able to see the new bridge‭ ‬and road as an orientation-points.‭ ‬This should be enough indication for the walker coming from the north on the variant-trail to see where he should descend for bm001.

Move the mouse over the picture to see the borderline

Zoom-in

Under the new bridge, in the background the old bridge.

Photo by Jan-Willem
A monument, it looks like a mini-bordermarker but it seems to have no relation with the esfr-bordermarkers.

Photo by Jan-Willem
Taken from the old bridge.

Photo by Jan-Willem
Another zoom-in from bm001.

Photo by Jan-Willem

We had planned to stay our last night in Sare. But back at the car we decide spontaneously to drive back home to Holland immediately.‭

End of a pleasant and productive journey to the Basque country.
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