The
bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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13 september
2010 -
Drinking wine with a sailor
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Summary: A daytrip from Bagnères-de-Luchon in two subtrips with two
targets: bm364 and bm417, both not found yet.
The two trips together: 8½h, maxH 1777m, total ascent 1381m
Weather: hazy in the morning, bright in the afternoon.
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esfr-trip-track-20100913-trip1.kml
(click to open in Google
Earth or copy link to Google Maps;
click right on this
link to download gpx-version)
For explanation of
the gps-coordinates and other cartographic backgrounds:
see my cartography page
Trip1
Start: 9.15, finish: 12.15, net walking time: 3h
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According to the gp-tripteller:
Distance: 5,1 km
Time moved: 1.30h
Time standing still: 1.32h
In total: 3.02h
Total ascent: 244m
Maximum height: 1406m
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According
to visugpx
- distance : 4.03 km
- cum. elevation gain : 175 m
- cum. elevation loss : 177 m
- total elevation: 352 m
- altitude maxi : 1399 m
- altitude mini : 1283 m
- altitude average : 1351 m |
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I parked my car at
Col de Portillon.
Target: to see if bm360 (and
further) is accessible from the Spanish country road, coming down from
Col de Barèges.
I've been here before on
10
june 2009
But first bm366
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Bm366, looking to
Spain
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I descend from the
Col into Spain and pass along this border-pillar. At this point the
border leaves the sidewalk and enters into the forest.
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But I keep following
the road untill
.
.
.
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the country
road to the right to Col de Barèges.
This picture: at the start of that country road and looking back.
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Further on there’s
a sign
pointing to the right: “Plan des Bruishes”.
That's a trail leading to an open grassy space, a bit rerouted because
of the fallen trees. It goes along the right side of the open space,
then to the left of the tiny stream and to the right of it
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untill
bm360.
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Bm360 is repainted
since last year. |
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Bm360
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The double red stripes at trees (bordermarkers as it were) and arrows
help
to get close to bm361. |
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It’s under a large
overhanging rock wall.
Move the mouse over the
picture to see where bm361 is.
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The red color of
bm361 is visible through the pine tree.
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Bm361
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Bm361
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Bm361, the number
and cross are engraved, not the F and E |
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Red stripes and
crosses help again, now to get to bm362
Getting to bm362 required some searching. From bm361, it’s climbing in
a clockwise curve, keeping an eye on the double red stripes.
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Bm362
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Bm362
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Bm363 is easier to find since it has a borderstone outside a
cross. |
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Bm363
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Bm363
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Bm364 is unfindable
as it was last year.
This picture: somewhere in the forest, indicator of the border.
The
position of bm364 can be established quite exact, taking in
account the distances from bm363 and bm365 to bm364 as mentioned
in the Procès-Verbal and the red stripes on trees and an occasional
boulder.
Apparently this is the same rock as Jacques Koleck found in 2010 and he
reports that it is located 108m from bm463 and ± 4m west from the
dirtroad
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If
we examine the IGN 25k map more closely, you'll see that my waypoints
of bm364 and bm365 and my red-stripes-trail from bm363 to the Col du
Portillon don't fit with the borderline and bm364 and bm365 on the map. So: the question remains where the real borderline between bm363 and the Port is. |

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Bm365 is several meters above the roadside.
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Bm365
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Bm365, the stone
pillar now covered by a fallen tree.
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And there are some unnumbered bordermarkers like this one
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and this one with F on one side and E on the other.
Then - over and
under
fallen trees - back to the col. And driving to Canejan in Spain.
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esfr-trip-track-20100913-trip2.kml
(click to open in Google
Earth or copy link to Google Maps;
click right on this
link to download gpx-version)
For explanation of
the gps-coordinates and other cartographic backgrounds:
see my cartography page
Trip2
Start: 13.00, break: ½ h, finish: 19.00, net walking time: 5½ h
From
Canejan I climb the same path as last year, with a break at an old
couple’s house who invited me for a glass of wine. The man was once
sailor and retired here with his wife.
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According to the gp-tripteller:
Distance: 13,7 km
Time moved: 4.01h
Time standing still: 1.59h
In total: 6.00
Total ascent: 1074m
Maximum height: 1777m
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According
to visugpx
- distance : 12.6 km
- cum. elevation gain : 1005 m
- cum. elevation loss : 1001 m
- total elevation: 2006 m
- altitude maxi : 1772 m
- altitude mini : 886 m
- altitude average : 1423 m |
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Roundtrip
from Canejan, the target being bm417 since the sky has
cleared. But
that is too ambitious, at Pas de la Portéule it’s already 15.30. This
picture was taken when I arrived at the ridge, before bm415.
Later on - in autumn - I will learn that bm417 was more close then
I have thought for years.
Robert Darrieumerlou showed on this webpage pictures of his recent
conquest of bm417. |
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And those pictures
proved that bm417 is on the Cap de la Pique and not on the Pic de
Huradic which is further on the ridge.
The
Procès-Verbal mixes up both Pics and shepherd Roger was resolute on the
bm417 being on or near Pic de Huradic. According to him a pillar-shaped
one like bm416 and that puzzles me still. He was so explicite in his statements. See esfr-html-trips-20060829.html
Anyway I have to return and then will try to walk the whole ridge. |

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But I'm not yet at
Pas de la Portéule
Having arrived at the ridge, I first pass bm415. There’s a trail
starting from here
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leading to bm416
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and Pas de la
Portéule which is a bit further than here. At this spot I stop and
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return and decide to do bm414-411 again and to explore the footpath
from/to Pas de Trentanade.
You
need to tackle a steep rocky wall (at the end of the ridge on this
picture), just before you enter the forest but that can be done on
either side or in the middle.
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Then a gentle descent in the forest on the hillridge. Being attentive
to make some noise to warn the possible bear(s), as the shepherd told
me in 2006.
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Bm414 is easily found (note the cross at the foot of it) |

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as is bm413,
also stone + cross.
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Bm413, the cross at
the foot
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Bm413
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But, as in 2006, I
miss bm412 (only a cross) and first find bm411 (only a borderstone)
which is a bit to the left of the crête.
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Bm411 |
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Bm411 |
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Back uphill I find bm412.
According
to my gps it's 62 meters from bm411. |
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Bm412
Then I try to find the trail to the footpath Canejan - Tuc de Pan as it
is shown on the maps. First from bm411 but without success.
However, I manage to find a kind of a trail underneath
bm412. So that’s where I should locate Pas de Trentanade, I
think, not at bm411. But the trail vanishes in a field of dense fern.
Wrestling through it, I reach the footpath.
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It might be easier
- I think - to do bm411-bm414 as follows.
Instead of diagonically
crossing the forest from the cattle drinking place eastwards to the
borderridge, go from the drinking spot first in NE-direction along the
edge of the forest.
Then NW through the
forest. If you do that while staying horizontally or gently climbing,
it should take you to the
borderridge at approximately Pas de Trentanade. From there you can find
bm411 and 412 and climb along the borderridge to bm413 and bm414 and so
on. |
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I descend to
Canejan and pass again the house where the retired sailor and his wife
live.
From Canejan driving back to Bagnères-de-Luchon. |
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