The
bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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25 may
2011 -
Vanishing trails
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| Summary:
part of a 7-days trip to the Pyrénées Orientales with Jan-Willem.
Mainly reconnaissances of routes. Supreme highlight: sailing to bm602 on day 1.
Day 5: two trips. Trip 1: from Col d'Ares to Col de Malrems. Trip 2: short reconnaissance near Vilaroja.
Weather: splendid, a bit cooler then yesterday, a nice breeze on the hills |
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esfr-trip-track-20110525-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)
Trip 1: a reconnaissance of a trail from Col d’Arens (bm519) to
Col de Malrems (bm221).
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For explanation of
the gps-coordinates and other cartographic backgrounds:
see my cartography page
En route: 11-13, break, 13.45-16.15 (4 ½ hours walking)
According to the gp-tripteller: Distance: 13,8km Time en route: 5.25h Total ascent: 1582m Maximum height: 1605m
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According
to visugpx
- distance : 13.05 km
- cum. elevation gain : 612 m
- cum. elevation loss : 606 m
- total elevation: 1218
- altitude maxi : 1605 m
- altitude mini : 1129 m
- altitude average : 1388 m
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We drive from St-Laurent-de-Cerdans to Col d'Ares.
First thing: making pictures of bm519
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Bm519
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Bm519
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Bm519 from some distance
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Once again we see several monuments remembering the exodus of Spanish refugees in 1939.
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Then we take the
dirtroad SE (not the private road, leading to a house) and pass through this open
gate
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and passing later on a small electricity-building or likewise |
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and
arriving at the border-ridge with its two parallel fences.
In between
these fences descending on a distinct trail. This picture: looking ahead to the east.
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The trail has various waymarkings.
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The red-blue
waymarking however will bring us past bm520 and finally as far as bm521. |
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The yellow
ones bend away from the ridge before we arrive at bm520.
This picture: bm520 already visible.
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Bm520
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Bm520
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Bm520 |
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Bm520
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The
red-blue waymarks are accompagnied by orange ones.
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This picture: at the forest ridge at the far end, the trail bends to the right.
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The
red-blue waymarks are accompagnied by the orange ones until a point where
the orange trail branches off at right angles and descends steeply and
zigzag in the direction of Col del Malrems.
This picture: looking down at Col del Malrems, taken a bit further.
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The red-blue trail continues SW and passes Roc del Tabal and then bends to the east to descend to the Col.
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I'm close to the col and looking back. The red dots indicate the red/blue trail.
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Close to the col, this monument for one Bernard Douarche, an "indefatigable walker and faithful friend".
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Jan-Willems takes a break in the shade of a tree while I - this picture - make my pictures of bm521.
(photo by Jan-Willem)
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Bm521
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Bm521
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Bm521
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We
take the same route when returning to Col d’Arens.
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Back at the point where the orange trail leaves the red/blue trail and descends in the forest.
I try the
orange trail for allmost the half of its descent to Col de Malrems.
I
find the red-blue trail more attractive and probably not much longer
then the zigzagging orange one.
Meanwhile, we have lost each other
because of a misunderstanding, giving concerns on both sides. But further on, we meet again.
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On the way back - close to Col d'Ares - I try the trail over the hilltop of Mt. Falgas, following the borderline.
But that is a tiring detour, not worth the effort.
This is the geodetic marker on top of it.
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When back at Col d’Ares, I walk back
& forth to bm518 on a shortcut I’ve seen at Google Earth. The
shortcut is south of the borderridge.
It's the red/blue trail again.
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Bm528
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Bm528
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Bm528 |
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Back to Col d'Ares. The restaurant is closed for the time being.
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esfr-trip-track-20110525-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)
Trip 2: short reconnaissance near Vilaroje for a GRPdesBF-shortcut from ± bm524 to Hostal de la Muga.
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For explanation of
the gps-coordinates and other cartographic backgrounds:
see my cartography page
En route: ± 17.30-18.45
According to the gp-tripteller: Distance: 4km Time en route: 1.15 Total ascent: 234m Maximum height:
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According
to visugpx
- distance : 3.36 km
- cum. elevation gain : 118 m
- cum. elevation loss : 115 m
- total elevation: 233
- altitude maxi : 880 m
- altitude mini : 778 m
- altitude average : 826 m |
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First along the dirtroad to Hostal de
la Muga. This picture: the beginning of that dirtroad with this sign
(private road, dead end). I walk until a house halfway.
At that point, no trace of a trail that
enters the forest uphill. Back to the parking-lot where JW is waiting.
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trial: a bit along the edge of the forest along the lawn. Besides the
private entrance to a house somewhere in the forest, I find back the
path on which we once left the forest.
I enter the forest on that path
but that trail will later on disappear in the bush. It seems that such
trails are vanishing rapidly.
This picture: a worn out sign somewere in the forst.
We decide to stay two days longer in this area. |
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