The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- sunday 21 june 2020 -
Doing CI340, transfer to Cabane d'Herechet, doing 408I-IV

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Summary: part of a series of 6 trips in june 2020 near Luchon and in the Basque country. This is trip 2.

Today: I spend the morning with photographing CI340 and returning to Hospice de France. In the afternoon - from the village of Fos - I climb to Cabane d'Herechet and cover bm408I to IV. I spend the night in the cabin.

Weather: splendid
TRIP 1

track-20200621-trip1.kml
(click to open this trip in Google Earth or copy link to Google Maps; click right on this link to download gpx-version). The gps-track has not been manually  corrected which explains the inaccuracy and misalignment at some points. For cartographic backgrounds: see the cartography-page

Gps-waypoints of all bordermarkers (most recent version):
kml:  esfr-bordermarkers-all-waypoints.kml
gpx:  esfr-bordermarkers-all-waypoints.gpx (with elevation added by gpsvisualizer.com)
According to Garmin Basecamp (uncorrected track):

Distance: 4,2 km
Max-height: 1876m
Min-height: 1379m
Elevation: +12m -508m
Total elevation: 520m

Start 9:57  Finish 12:11
Total time: 2:14
The morning is bright and promising.

My plan is to continue with my search for the missing 'bornes de paçage' between bm333 and 357. See this page for more information about them.

This picture: from the Vallée de Roumingou - where I camped last night - I descend along the dirtroad


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and pass the rock with CI340.

'CI' means Croix Intermédiaire. It's on the straight line between bm340 and 341 and the cross was engraved in the 1950-ies as an additional marker.

Why? On this dirtroad entering Spain, it is not obvious where you cross the border.


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CI340: there are engravings at the top


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and at its side.

Then walkers pass by, ask me questions and another one happens to know very much of the bornes de paçage!

It is Christophe Thomas, a local historian who is a connaisseur of the Spanish pastures on the French side of the border around here and of the 'bornes de paçages'.


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(this picture: Christophe continuing his walk after our conversation)

He tells me that borne C (the one I couldn't find yesterday) still exists. He has maps at home and he promises to send me information and maps.

And he mentions one Serge Brunet, another historian who has published a lot on this subject.


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When he has left, I conclude that it's better to return here after I have received his documentation.

So I decide to stop right now and return to Hospice de France.

But first a few other pictures of CI340. With chalk the engravings on top become much more clear.


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The same with the large cross


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at the side of CI340.


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CI340, looking back with the Vallée de Roumingou in the background.


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Then a nice & easy descent back to Hospice de France.

I make picture of the terrain and trails which I explored yesterday.


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The steep passage of Pas de Ribesettes becomes more obvious on this first zoom-in.

The 'bornes de paçages' E and F were placed above the Pas de Ribesettes.


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Zoom in to Pas de Ribesetttes.


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The dirtroad makes at the bottom a bend to the right (to Cabane de Roumingou).

The trail straight ahead descends to Hospice de France.


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Deep down, Hospice de France is already visible.


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On my way down, another viewpoint gives a good sight at the terrain of yesterday.

Yesterday I concluded that the spot where I searched borne de paçage C was too low in respect to the mountainridge.

Such a low position would have been mentioned in the accounts of border-commissioner Jean Sermet. He leaded the reinstallment of the bornes de paçages in the 1950-ies


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Arriving at Hospice de France.


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A shepherd's protest against the reintroduction of bears in the Pyrenees (I think).

At my car I reorganise my backpack and drive to Fos.


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TRIP 2

track-20200621-trip2.kml
(click to open this trip in Google Earth or copy link to Google Maps; click right on this link to download gpx-version). The gps-track has not been manually  corrected which explains the inaccuracy and misalignment at some points. For cartographic backgrounds: see the cartography-page

Gps-waypoints of all bordermarkers (most recent version):
kml:  esfr-bordermarkers-all-waypoints.kml
gpx:  esfr-bordermarkers-all-waypoints.gpx (with elevation added by gpsvisualizer.com)
According to Garmin Basecamp (uncorrected track):

Distance: 8,4 km
Max-height: 1450m
Min-height: 554m
Elevation: +972m -342m
Total elevation: 1314m

Start 13:57  Finish 18:24
Total time: 4:27
Parking my car at the start of the trail to Cabane de Herechet,


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though that start from the dirtroad is not that obvious.

Well it's here - the trail entering the green roadside - and within 50m you will pass underneath a large  electricity pole and from there the trail is distinct.


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This cross is a remembrance of the deadly fall of a walker.


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Later on passing ruines


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and some horses which I will see back next morning at the cabane.


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Passing between the small twin lakes of Sasplays.


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There are more cairns indicating the trail than I remembered.


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After 1,5 hours arriving at Cabane de Herechet.


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First a check of the water-supply.

The rubber hose has been repaired providing fresh water again.

No need to get water at the stream in the forest.


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My backpack for this one-night's trip.


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Inspection of the well-equipped cabane: including half a bottle of whisky.


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I leave some stuff at the cabane and continue to bm408I-IV.

Behind the cabane this trail starts, climbing and


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becoming fainter but cairns help.


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A crucial point: here you have to go left. There are double red stripes on two trees.


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The trail along the hillside - still climbing - is faint but recognizable.

I keep an eye on the upper hillside to see if there is an easy access to a higher level. That might be a better way to access bm408I. All this as a preparation for a trip together with Carlos & Conchita Roca in the future. But it gets too steep everywhere to be an alternative.

Meanwhile I pass this open space and

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later on get to another open spot  with fern.

That is the place to be. It's the streambed of a small steep stream along which bm408I to bm408IV were placed in 1969.

See this page for the history of and discussion about these submarkers.

Bm408III is the first to cover.


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Bm408III was only discovered in may 2028, having slided down from its original place.

See this page how Michel Molia's son Xabia discovered this one and bm408IV.


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Bm408III


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Now climbing uphill along the stream towards bm408II.

It gets quite steep and


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then bm408II becomes visible.


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Zoom-in to bm408II


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Bm408II


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Bm408II


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Bm408II

Straight ahead uphill along the stream is not easy. Fallen trees are blocking the way up and the very steep hillside is not a place to slip or fall.


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But I remember a ledge at the right side leading up.

Also covered with fallen branches but it is manageable.


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But higher on the rockwall to the left is steep and also risky.


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I return to the beginning of the ledge. You can spot bm408II down below between the trees.


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The conclusion is that straight uphill is the only way to get to bm408I.

But I need to clear the 'path' uphill with a pruning shears and a pruning saw.

This picture: a first difficult passage, an abyss to its right.


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But after cleaning up it becomes more safe.


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My indispensable


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tools.


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And after this passage and some addtional cleaning uphill I reach bm408I.


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Bm408I


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Bm408I

I am content and descend - more easily than I thought, enough trees and branches on tricky parts to cling to - back to


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bm408II.

There I see that there is a more easy approach to bm408II from the other side of the stream.

The red dotted line shows how I cross the stream.


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The crossing of the stream in more detail.


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The same crossing, now seen from the other side with bm408II in the red circle.


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Zoom-in to bm408II


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I am back at the beginning of the climb. The stream disappears there to reappear later on.

Now I descend to bm408IV which has slided down the hillside and is


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stopped by a tree.


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Bm408IV


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Bm408IV


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Bm408IV


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A bit lower, the stream reappears and descends a bit longer until it drops very steeply.

There is route from there back to the Cabane d'Herechet but I can't find it.

So I climb back uphill and return the same way as I came.


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Back at Cabane d'Herechet at 18:30. The trip to bm408I-IV from the cabin took me ± 3h.

I have been here many times but never slept here.




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And that is what I want to do finally. I spent the night with enjoying the views outside, writing my log, whatsapping (cellphone coverage!), sipping whisky and finally going to bed.


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The next day I return to my car and drive to the Basque country, to Dantxarria.
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