The
bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- tuesday 2 september
2014 -
Three cols, two refuges
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esfr-trip-track-20140902.kml
(click to open this trip
in Google
Earth or copy link to Google Maps; click right on this
link to download gpx-version)
Summary: part of a 2-weeks trip along the entire Pyrenees, focussing on
high altitude reconnaissance of parts of my GRPdesBF-trail.
Second day of a two-days trip exploring the trails between bm311
(Col de Sobe) and bm312 (Port de la Peyre St-Martin).
Today: via Col d'Arrious, Col d'Arrémoulit and Port de la Peyre St-Martin back to Val d'Aste.
Weather: splendid, warm
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For
explanation of
the gps-coordinates and other cartographic backgrounds: see the cartography-page
Start: 7.15, break: 14.15-15.00, finish: 19.30, net walking time: 11.30h
Gps-tripteller: no stats due to partial gps-failure
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According
to visugpx
- distance : 24,8 km
- cum. elevation gain : 991m
- cum. elevation loss : 1892m
- total elevation: 2883m
- altitude maxi : 2446m
- altitude mini : 1400m
- altitude average : 2128m
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Early start.
From my bivouac-spot, I walk back in the direction of Col de Sobe.
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But I don't go that far because I visited bm311 yesterday.
This spot (with the boulder to the left) is where I have to make a sharp bend to proceed to Col d'Arrious.
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This panorama shows the approximate course of the route
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Soon the Col d´Arriou comes in sight.
But the trail doesn't head directly to the Col (slope too steep as you can see) but takes a course via the Lac d'Arriou.
It then joins the main route at Col d'Arrious unless the Passage
d'Orteig provides a manageable shortcut to the Lacs d'Arrémoulit. I
want to check that.
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I'm at the Lac d'Arriou, looking S.
To the left the trail which brings me to the
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famous Passage d'Orteig (blue dotted line) which is a shortcut between Lac d'Arriou and Lacs d'Arrémoulit.
I want to see if that's an option for me and the average GRPdesBF-walker.
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It's a dangerous-looking passage above a precipice. There are cables to secure your passage
I have a look and doubt for a while but it's too vertiginous for me and - thus, so I decide - for the GRPdesBF.
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Then back to the lake and proceeding
to Col d'Arriou and doing the easy descent/climb to the Lacs
d'Arrémoulit via the 'normal' route.
This picture: the Lac d'Artouste to the left and the trail climbing to the Lacs d'Arrémoulit.
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Arriving at the first of the several Lacs d'Arrémoulit.
The Col d'Arrémoulit comes in sight.
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The next one is the largest.
There's a refuge here.
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Zoom-in of previous picture.
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From the refuge – along the lake – a trail starts with a vague beginning but later on with more cairns.
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The trail climbs through rockfalls (well waymarked with cairns)
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to Col d'Arrémoulit.
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From Col d'Arrémoulit, it's a steep, steep descent to the lakes of 'Ibones de Arriel'.
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This is the first lake
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and this is the second (the trail now going along the left side of the lake).
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Beyond the second lake, a 'paved' path takes you along
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this waysign. And that's my destination: the lake of Respomuso
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which now comes in view in the far distance.
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The trail so far is mainly rocky like this: loose cobbles which make walking a tiring experience.
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Then the trail arrives at the lake and joins the GR11-trail.
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The GR11 brings you along Refugio
de Respomuso which is a bit off the GR11.
Lunchbreak at the refuge.
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After the lunch continuing to the lake of Embalse de Campo Plano.
Navigating is easy, the GR11 will bring you there.
There's a
shortcut from the refuge to the GR11: continue past the refuge for ±75m
and climb E along a tiny stream to the GR11.
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The trail is now easier to walk on
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and brings me smoothly to the lake of Embalse de Campo Plano.
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Just before a long concrete wall, the
GR11 bends to the right.
I part from the GR11 and continue on the
other side of the wall on a trail to the lovely grassy plains of Campo Plano.
NB: the red line = the main route of the GRPdesBF, the blue line the variant to bm312.
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On
this panoram we can see very well the GRPdesBF-routes to be taken. The
main route (red) will climb to Col de la Fache, the blue route
(variant) climbs hence and forth to Port de la Peyre St-Martin to cover
bm312.
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The Campo Plano makes a perfect place for a bivouac including a stream for fresh water.
This picture: looking ahead towards the trail to Col de la Fache. There's a waysign pointing to it:
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this one.
But I continue to Port de la Peyre St-Martin.
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It's a short climb towards Port de la Peyre St-Martin.
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which is followed by a long rocky corridor
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to the green borderpass itself with bm312.
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I see that it's still 3 hours walking to Val d'Aste where my car is parked.
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Bm312
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Bm312
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Bm312 - closeup
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Then on an easy but long, long trail
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descending back to my car.
Finally hurrying to find a camping in Arrens-Marsou before dusk.
I end up on Camping Mialanne.
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