The
bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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thursday 23 august
2018 -
Hard trip: redoing bm408-IV to 406
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Summary:
one of 8 solo daytrips in
the Pyrenees, in the area of Haute-Garonne near Bagnères-de-Luchon, in
order to redo the bordermarker-range no. 331 to 417.
Today: climbing to cabane des Réchets, then via bm408 IV-I to bm408 and then
along the borderridge from bm407 to 406, descending back on the
GR10-trail. Much longer trip than expected.
Weather: in general fine
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According to Garmin
Basecamp:
Distance: 22,5 km
Max-height: 2156m
Min-height: 537m
Elevation: +2597m -2597m
Total elevation: 5194m
Start 8:32 Finish 20:39
Total time: 12:07
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 | Another climb up to Cabane des Réchets - done many times before - taking ± 1,5 hours.
This picture: in the beginning, passing under the high-voltage line.
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 | Last
year I heard from Michel Molia the story behind this cross.
A
couple passed on this point, finding a coat or so from someone. While
trying to hang it more visible on a tree branch, one of them leaned too far and fell to his or her death.
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 | Looking back to Fos.
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 | Part of the trail, showing that in the old days it was a much used and thus maintained and ameliorated trail.
Nowadays the trail gets overgrown in this part (the bend to Col Carrech) with fern in summertime.
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 | From about Col Carrech this view to the ridge to the south-west.
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 | Another view to that same ridge. See this page for more information on the undivided terrain of Bidaubus.
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 | Zoom-in to the approximate spot where the Ruisseau du Terme merges with the Garonne.
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 | Continuing in the beech forest.
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 | Arriving at cabane des Réchets, a fine cabane with a splendid view.
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 | This watertrunk is empty, the hose having become disfunctional since a few years.
But no problem, there is a stream cq source about 200m to the SW-SWW.
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 | The tidy cabane from the inside.
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 | I continue in the direction of bm408IV and come - after ± 150 SW - across this tiny stream.
I follow it upstream - waypointing it in my gps -
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 | and end up at this source of the stream which is 200m SWW of the cabane.
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 | I climb through the forest in the direction of bm408IV, it's a steep hillside to climb.
But there is vague trail here - found before on other trips - with the bended tree-trunk which you need to pass underneath.
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 | Having arrived at the tilted 'plateau' where bm408IV is to be found higher on.
Below bm408IV starts at a source a tiny stream which
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 | disappears in the deep beyond this edge as a sort of cascade.
The question is if this stream has a continuation at the bottom of this cliff.
It doesn't matter anymore in the bm408-submarkers discussion but I'm curious. Reason enough for a next visit next year.
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 | I climb towards bm408IV
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 | which is (zoom-in) behind this tree.
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 | It was found last year by Xabi Molia, the son of Michel Molia in an epic trip on 31 may 2018 to find the lost bm408III and 408IV.
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 | I'm back for new and better pictures.
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 | Bm408IV
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 | Bm408IV
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 | Then I climb to bm408III
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 | which is at the north-side of a field of fern covering the lower part of the small stream which starts at bm408I.
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 | Bm408III
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 | Bm408III
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 | Bm408III
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 | Bm408III
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 | That stream is only - now in august - runnig in the upper part.
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 | I climb towards bm408II, the slope is rapidly getting steeper.
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 | Bm408II (zoom-in)
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 | Bm408II
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 | Bm408II
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 | Bm408II
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 | Bm408II
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 | I continue climbing uphill which becomes even more difficult on this very steep hillside.
Be careful, better not to be alone.
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 | Finally I reach the upper part where it gets less steep, to my relief.
That's where - at the beginning of the cascade-like stream - I find
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 | Bm408I
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 | Bm408I
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 | Bm408I
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 | Bm408I
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 | Bm408I
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 | At this edge of the 'precipice', there is a sort of trail going south. I suppose it's a game trail.
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 | Then (from bm408I) climbing up - less steep - finding my way around rocky steep parts in the direction of bm408
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 | and in this case with a bend arriving SE of bm408.
From bm408I it's better to start climbing early, in fact before a steep rockface cq outcrop.
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 | Bm408 (zoom-in)
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 | Bm408
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 | Bm408
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 | Bm408
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 | Bm408
This pictures shows what is the best way to descend to bm408I downhill.
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 | So: about 15-20m to the north of bm408 a descent is more easy.
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 | Climbing from bm408 to the ridge, looking back.
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 | Having arrived at the ridge with to the NW Pic de Sacaube.
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 | Lookin
the other way. I skip a search for the Bidaubus cross A downhill to the
SE because of the undergrowth this time of the year.
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 | Instead I continue uphill towards Pic de Sacaube. The fern makes walking tough.
Although the distance to bm406 is ± 3km as the crow flies, it will take me 3 hours.
This picture: looking back with the route to take to get to bm408.
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 | Arriving at bm407
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 | Bm407
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 | Bm407
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 | Bm407 but now the former marker, built in the 1860-ies.
The new bm407 was constructed in the 1950-ies when all former markers
(most of them having disappeard completely long before) from bm333 to
417 where replaced.
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 | There are a few other remnants left along the ridge between bm376 and 406 but this is by far the best preserved old marker.
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This is drawing of Robert
Darrieumerlou of a picture by Jean Sermet from 1960 showing the Spanish
weapon which was then still present.
It represents the 'collier de la Toison d'Or' with a ram hanging from a gold collar.
This drawing is to be found on Robert's extensive website on this page.
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 | Bm407
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 | I head towards Pic de Sacaube.
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 | At the ridge there is a sort of trail.
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 | Getting along the ridge, clouds are drifting in.
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 | Having arrived at the Pic itself with a view of the steep descent to tackle.
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 | A wider perspective: the field in the depth to the right is where I will pass after descending from the Col d'Esclot d'Aou.
But that is still a long and tough way to go.
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 | I descend at the south side of the ridge, that seems the most safe route.
This picture: having descended and looking back uphill.
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 | About the same view. It seems that a more straightforward climbing is possible.
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 | But now the Pic in a more comprehensive view. I drew 3 possible routes to climb the Pic but I took the right one (south side)
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 | Getting along the ridge, sometimes descending a bit when the ridge get too sharp.
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 | The ridge gets flatter and the Col de Sacaube comes in sight
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 | with a herd of cows peacefully resting.
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 | To
circumvent the next rocky part of the ridge, I descend and eventually
take a route more south than needed. I should have sticked more to the
ridge.
This picture: looking back.
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 | It means that I descend to much and have to climb again towards the ridge
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 | and to the hilltop with bm406
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 | Bm406
I haven't had a coffeebreak so far (and lost my hartkeks-crackers) but it's already 16:30. I decide to continue.
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 | From bm406, I descend along the ridge to the west towards Col d'Esclot d'Aou
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 | and joining the GR10.
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 | This is a bit further than Col d'Esclot d'Aou and that's where the GR10 descends.
It will take me 3,5 hours to descend to the the valley.
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 | Wayfinding gets easy now: just following the GR10-waymarks.
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 | It has gotten foggy
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 | with sometimes better views.
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 | This is a view (I think) of Col de Sacaube
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 | which seems steeper on this zoom-in than in reality.
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 | These are the Cabanes des Courraux, one of them is a hiker's cabin.
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 | I enter the forest
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 | and traverse a meadow with cabane d'Artigue
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 | with a basic interior. I can't remember seeing a source or stream nearby or any sign pointing to it.
So: if this is your planned overnight accomodation, then look out for
any source or stream when descending from Col d'Esclot d'Aou.
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 | I end up at his gate
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 | and will arrive at this mountain road.
Soon I will be surprised: the GR10 takes another route than years
before. Instead of a direct and steep descent along the ruisseau de
Palarquère to the bottom,
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 | it descends east of the ruisseau in countless and effortless lacelets down a beautiful beech-forest hillside
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 | with in the lower part remnants of walls
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 | and barns.
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 | Finally I arrive at the bottom of the valley,
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 | the trail ending here it seems. But I missed a sidetrack a little before
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 | which brings you more gentlyto the road, a bit south of the concrete gully
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 | and well at his point.
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 | The last part is even more easy: along the canal,
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 | going straight along where the GR10 turns left (to the village of Fos).
That straight continuation is also the main route of the GRPdesBF.
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 | I spot yellow waymarks here
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 | and there which means that this road is not forbidden for walkers.
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 | At the end of the canal, continue along the dirtroad
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 | passing along an old barn and behind it the high voltage line from the very first photo of today.
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 | Beyond the barn is where the trail starts to Cabane des Réchets.
At this point the alternative route along bm406-408IV will join again with the main route of the GRPdesBF.
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 | Back at my car and 21:00 at the camping.
It has been 12 hours of walking and I'm tired and content. Although
having entered my sixties, I can still manage such intensive and long
hikes. But it seems that I'm getting more scared at steep and risky
parts.
Tomorrow will be a resting day.
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