The
bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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sunday 17 april
2022 -
Redoing bm085 to 090
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Summary:
part of a series of 10 daytrips in april 2022 in the Basque country,
mainly redoing bm085 to 197. This is day 9.
Today: redoing bm085 to bm090
Weather: splendid
Basecamp: camping Irouleguy in Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry.
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According to Garmin
Basecamp (uncorrected track with elevation added by Gpsvisualizer.com):
Distance: 20,2km
Max-height: 956m
Min-height: 98m
Elevation: +1778m -1778m
Total elevation: 3556m
Start 8:54 Finish 18:38
Total time: 9:44
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 | Parking in Bidarray.
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 | Picking up the GR10.
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 | Later on - along the tarmac road - a sentimental view at the spot where Jan-Willem and me
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camped on 9-4-2009.
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 | After
crossig a bridge, the tarmac roads arrives at this point with the house
(former farm Bernetenea) in the background. The road starts to climb
now to the right.
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 | This sign is interesting.
There is apparently now a trail which traverses underneath the house to pick up a dirtroad at the back of the house.
That dirtroad and a trail starting from it after a converted barn can bring you to bm085.
I will arrive that dirtroad (and the trail beyond it) later on after a detour up and down the mountainside.
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Is this route useful if you want to reach bm085 from Bidarray?
Certainly yes: if you want to make a nice roundtrip from Bidarray to bm085 and possibly the next markers bm086 to bm089.
It will probably save you 1 to 1,5 hour in comparison to my route of today.
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 | I continue on the GR10 and have left the tarmac road.
Nice panorama.
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 | Further on, I have reached the spot where there is a bifurcation if you come from the other side. That is from bm084.
The left trail is the GR10 continuing to Bidarray (where I came from).
To the right begins the direct route to bm085. I want to check that route again.
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 | The trail is still distinct enough but not waymarked.
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 | To the right this peculiar
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 | rock formation.
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 | Then passing this ruined barn
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 | Further descending to this barn
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 | which used to be a barn but seems now a holiday cottage.
The red line shows the route to follow.
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 | Useful: a watertap opposite of the barn.
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 | This sign tells us that after 30m there is a walker's path to the left.
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 | And that's here.
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 | It descends and crosses this stream.
It's the borderstream which descends from bm084 to bm085.
The trail descends first parallel to the borderstream
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 | and then bends to the right.
In fact I could have tried to descend from here directly through the
forest to bm085 (only 45m) but I prefer a more elegant approach.
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 | So continuing on the trail until this point where you can already spot (blue circle)
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 | the footbridge across the river.
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 | At this point, you have to leave the trail and follow the 'blue' variant towards bm085.
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 | Passing a nice bivouac-spot. To the right the river.
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 | I arrive at the borderstream where it meets the river. In the blue circle I spot
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 | already the second bm085: only a number on a rock, no cross.
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 | At the other side of the borderstream, the pillar bm085
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 | Bm085
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 | Bm085
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 | Bm085
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 | Bm085, seen from the borderstream
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 | Zoom-in from previous picture
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 | Then the second bm085 in more detail.
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 | bm085-number.
There is no information about the origin or reason of this number.
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On this panorama both bm's visible.
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 | Time for a lunch break, along the river.
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Then - while returning - I discover a vague trail which brings you easily to the main trail.
That is in fact an easier way to reach bm085.
This picture shows it: the red trail is the main trail leading to the footbridge. The blue trail brings you to bm085.
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 | It passes through these patches of stone wall.
After 'doing' bmo85, you can return along the river back to the main trail.
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But to be honest - after watching the gps-track closely later on - it doesn't make much difference. |
 | The main trail brings you to this footbridge
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 | and beyond it to this dirtroad
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 | which passes this Basque house
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 | and crosses another bridge.
The road zigzags uphill, passes a farm and a parking lot
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 | and reaches this point (looking back).
Here I leave the tarmac road and pick up the dirtroad
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 | which passes this gate which could be a gateway to bm086
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 | but it is easier to continue on the dirtroad and take this gate.
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 | This one. Bm086 is 70m to the NW in the meadow.
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 | Bm086
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 | Bm086
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 | Bm086
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 | Bm086
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 | Bm086
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 | Back on the dirtroad and approaching bm087 (already visible).
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 | Bm087
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 | Bm087
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 | Bm087
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 | Bm087
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 | Starting from bm087 I spot this track whichI considered to be vanished.
On 6-5-2010 it brought Jan-Willem and me to bm088.
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 | Let's show the approximate course of this track.
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 | I decide to try it again.
In the beginning the trail is distinct
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 | but the undergrowth gets denser further on and the trail vaguer.
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 | It descends to a stream, crosses it and climbs
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 | uphill on - again - a distinct trail.
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 | Looking back on this panorama.
Conclusion: a possible route in winter or spring but probably in summer too overgrown.
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Well, what is then the alternative route to reach bm088?
From bm087, follow the red route (= the main route of the GRPdesBF) uphill.
Then take the blue dotted shorcut to reach bm088.
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 | Almost uphill
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 | and now arriving at the flat rock
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 | which is bordercross bm088.
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 | Bm088
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 | Bm088
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 | Bm088
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 | Bm088
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 | Bm088
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 | Bm088
I take a mini-break, the climbing was tough.
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 | Enough pictures of bm088, I climb uphill and look back.
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 | This panorama showes the route ahead.
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 | I follow this cattle track
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 | and look back again.
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 | Then arriving at this peculiar pillar.
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 | It has the dimensions and form of a regular bordermarker but lacks any engravings.
On 6-5-2010 Jan-Willem and me managed to turn it and check all four sides: no engravings found.
It lies ± 275m NE of bm089 and is a mystery.
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 | Another picture and
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 | this is the last one.
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 | Continuing to another mystery.
This flat rock is ± 50m SE of bm089
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 | and has a rectangular engraving
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 | and a cross
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 | and with difficulty a '9' can be seen. The '8' is an estimation.
The origin or reason of this cross - so similar to for example bm088 - is unknown.
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 | Then a bit descending to bm089, rather difficult to find between the other rocks.
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 | Bm089
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 | Bm089
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 | Bm089
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 | Bm089 with
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 | a zoom-in to bm088.
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 | Another view of bm089
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 | with this zoom-in.
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 | Now climbing - along this stone 'wall' - towards bm090.
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 | Uphill, there is this passage through the wall
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 | and further on, bm090 gets in sight.
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 | Bm090
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 | Bm090
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 | Bm090
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 | Bm090
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 | Bm090
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 | Bm090
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 | Bm090
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 | Bm090
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 | The 'work' has been done, I follow the GR10 back to Bidarray
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 | which is annoying longer than I thought (about 2,5 hours)
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 | Waysigns in between.
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 | Still 45 minutes to go.
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 | The last part before reaching Bidarray.
It's already late and I drive immediately to Carlos and Conchita's apartment for dinner, updating and pleasant chats.
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