The
bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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10 september
2010 -
Starting from Hospice de France
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esfr-trip-track-20100910.kml
(click to open in Google
Earth or copy link to Google Maps;
click right on this
link to download gpx-version)
Summary: part of a 3-days trip around Hospice de France near
Bagnères-de-Luchon, exploring bm331 to bm359. First day: climbing the
Port de Venasque with bm332 and through Spain returning in
France and continue untill bm340.
Weather: splendid
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For explanation of
the gps-coordinates and other cartographic backgrounds:
see my cartography page
Start: 10.45, break: 12.30-13.00, finish: 17.45, net walking time: 6½
hours
According to the gps-tripteller:
Distance: 17,0 km
Time moved: 5.08h
Time standing still: 1.53h
In total: 7.01h
Total ascent: 1510m
Maximum height: 2467m
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According
to visugpx
- distance : 15.74 km
- cum. elevation gain : 1419 m
- cum. elevation loss : 896 m
- total elevation: 2315
- altitude maxi : 2488 m
- altitude mini : 1378 m
- altitude average : 2090 m
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Coming
from Lourdes, I park my car at Hospice de France.
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I climb easily to
refuge Venasque.
On this picture: the pass to climb in the distance. |
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Looking back to
Hospice de France. The path is good and with its many lacets not
steep,
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A sort of milestone
along this classic passage into Spain.
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I'm close to the
refuge and looking back. The hill-ridge in the distance is the
borderridge where I will walk tomorrow.
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And
in the middle of this zoom-in there's the Col de Barèges where bm356
should be.
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A short break at
the Refuge de Venasque. |
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And continuing past
this lake to Col de Venasque.
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Beyond the lake
looking back.
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A monument on the
Port.
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Bm332.
Above the monument, there’s a cross with F and E but no engraved
number but a painted one.
It’s on the east side of the ‘brèche’ as
it should be according to the Procès Verbal but the absence of an
engraved number is uncommon.
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An overview of the
pass with bm332.
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Bm332, close-up
In march 2011 I will learn that in 2002 the Commission Mixte d'Abornement was presented with
photographical evidence that the second "3" was in fact a "5". It was
agreed that the French delegation would take care of the modification.
Read it in these proceedings.
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From the
information panel on the monument:
Being called the "Port Vieux" in the 16th century, it replaced the Port
de Glère (with bm331) on the Luchon - Vénasque route.
The pass itself was artificially adjusted to facilitate the passage.
During the French-Spanish war 1793-1795 a surveillance post was
constructed here.
From the beginning of the 19th century the commercial use of
this trail diminished rapidly.
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I descend and then take a trail (waymarked, just beyond a sort
of
km-sign (Luchon-Venasque) to the left (west) in the direction of Pas de
l’Escalette.
But first you pass the Port dera Picada (that’s the one you
see from here, at the Port de Venasque).
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The Port dera
Picada getting nearer, following trail nr.23.
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And looking back at
Port de Venasque.
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From
the Port
dera Picada the next pass - Pas de
l’Escalette - is visible.
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Approaching the Pas
de
l’Escalette
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First there's
bm333, on the summit in the background is bm334
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Bm333
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Bm334 on the
summit.
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Then it’s
following the path - a sort of shortcut - descending to
bm335.
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Bm335, just off the
path
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and descending to
bm336 on pass Pas de
la Mounjoye.
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Bm336 with its
metal frame
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I leave the path
and will follow the border-ridge untill Roumingau with bm340.
This stretch of border-ridge (with bm337-339 on it) requires a
steepclimb to get on it. Encircling that first Pic at the east-side
might make it easier
But first along bm337
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Bm337
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Looking forward
along the border-ridge to Pic de Roye with
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Bm338
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Bm338
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A fine view back at
the borderridge.
Move the mouse over the
picture to see where Pas de l 'Escalette is.
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Bm339
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Bm339
At the end of this ridge, there's a steep slope, I descend at
the west-side of it and continue
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to spot bm340 in
the distance
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Bm340
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Bm340.
Looking back to that steep hill slope.
I start looking around for a suitable camping-spot and water.
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Interesting: at
this point the borderline ignores the watershed and makes a shortcut
on the west-side of it.
Camp N42 42 56.6 E000 40 40.7 H1893m |
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