The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- sunday 28 august 2022 -
Redoing bm409, 409-1es, -3es, 4es, 6es,7es, 7fr & 410

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Summary: part of a series of 9 daytrips in august & september 2022 across the Pyrenees. The main goal was to finish my plan to have visited all bordermarkers at least twice. It was also a kind of sentimental farewell journey, visiting old friends and cherished places.
This is daytrip 4.

Today:
- an early morning run in Lourdes up the Pic du Jer
- a check on the progress of the construction of the bicycle trail along the Garonne (website)
- a check of the curious stone which Corinne found at Pont du Roi
- redoing some bordermarkers along the Garonne

Weather: warm, sunny


track-20220828.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 with elevation added by Gpsvisualizer.com):

Distance: 3,2 km
Max-height: 604m
Min-height: 578m
Elevation: +316m -307m
Total elevation: 623m

Start 12:49  Finish 14:14
Total time: 1:26

Between the previous trip and this one, I spent a day in Lourdes.

Today, in the early morning, I ran from my hotel up to the summit of Pic du Jer, something I dreamt of doing for many years.

Hence & forth: 13,5km in 2:12 with ± 550m up.
An achievement, I am proud of.




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Then: checking out of the hotel and driving to Fos. This picture: a nostalgic visit to the old camping site, closed for some years. I camped here many times. Some campers are parking now but the facilities are closed.

The old Gîte d'Étape in Fos has also been closed but there is apparently a new one, run by the Gentilhommerie-hotel.

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Then to Pont du Roi.


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My first goal is a peculiar stone which Corinne Gourgeonnet found against the old bridge.


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She wondered if this is perhaps the original bm410.


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And I can imagine her question if we look at this old postcard.

There is a resemblance between 'L'ancienne Borne' and the stone which Corinne found.
With some effort I can check the other side of this stone but


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I cannot find any engraving.


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This is where the stream coming from bm411 arrives at Pont du Roi near bm410 and joins - via a culvert under the road - the Garonne.


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Not much water at present.


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An information panel tells about the history of Pont du Roi.


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Including this picture. We still see a part of the original bm410 above the white milestone.

After the disappearance of bm410 (I guess because of an enlargement of the road), the white milestone was upgraded to become the new bm410.


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Close-up of the picture above with part of the bordermarker.


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And finally a view of the newly built Pont du Roi.


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Then a look at bm409-7fr.

It has been vandalised again


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after a renovation in 2016.


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Bm409-7fr with bm410


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Bm410


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Bm410


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Bm409-7fr with in the distance - at the other side of the Garonne -


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Bm409-7es


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There is still the informatio panel about a hiking trail


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through the forest to the hamlet of Pontaut upstream.

I tried that trail in the past but couldn't find a path nor waymarks.


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A bunch of rubberboats are passing below.


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Bm409-7es is now


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well visible from the bridge because of clearing the hillside from bushes.


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They are constructing something


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and I am prettty sure that it is a direct connection between the new bicycle-trial and the Pont du Roi.


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One can descend easily


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to the riverside and


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from there a short trail climbs uphill.

Also here: signs of some construction to be built.


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Arriving at the trail along the Garonne.

A bit to the N, the concrete


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bicycle trail coming from the north comes to an end, waiting for the connection to the Pont du Roi to be built.


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Again the dinghies, having arrived at their destination.


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Passing bm409-4es


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A small landslide has covered part of the concrete trail.


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Approaching bm409


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Bm409


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Bm409 with the new bridge over the Ruisseau du Terme.


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Bm409


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Information panel about the sources of the Garonne


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From the french side, looking to the bridge.

What strikes is that the french part of the bicycle-trail is a lot wider.


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Looking up the Ruisseau du Terme.


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Having descended to the riverside, I look for


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Bm409-4es, usually overgrown and difficult to spot.


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Bm409-4es


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Bm409-4es


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Next time, I will bring my bicycle.


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Back into Spain and through this breach in a wall descending


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to bm409-3es


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Bm409-3es


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And that's where I explore a piece of 'new land' along the barrage-lake.

This is about where the old casino stood a long time ago but probably at a lower level: before the barrage increased the water level here.


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Back along bm409-6es


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Bm409-6es


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Bm409-6es


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Bm409-6es

It's no longer possible to get close to this marker.

Some bordermarker-devotees want to touch every bm they find. That is a challenge in this case.


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Bm409-6es


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Now I am back at Pont du Roi for a last look at bm409-7fr


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and its miserable situation.

Done enough, I drive to


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Camping Espalias in Bossóst, one of my favourite campings.


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