The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- saturday 5 september 2015 -
Cold and cloudy

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track-20150905.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 10-days trip to the Pyrenees, mainly meant as a reconnaissance for the GRPdesBf, starting with a two days roundtrip from Mantet re-doing bm511 to 517.

Today: from Mantet to Porteille Mantet (bm511) and proceeding E along the borderridge to Col Pregon (bm515).

Weather: on the mountain ridge: cloudy, foggy, cold
For explanation of the gps-coordinates and other cartographic backgrounds: see the cartography-page

The gps-track has not been manually  corrected which explains the inaccuracy and misalignment at some points.

GPS
- 24,7 km
- max H = 2499m
- elevation gain: 1224m
- time: 9.48h


Started at 9:45, no break , finish at 19:30 = 9.45 net walking time

According to Gps-Track-Analyse

- distance : 25,1 km
- cum. elevation gain : 1604m
- cum. elevation loss : 1646m
- total elevation: 3250m

- altitude maxi : 2495m
- altitude mini : 1463m
- altitude average : 1966m
I arrived in Mantet in the morning after a long drive through the night from Holland.

This picture: from the lovely village of Mantet looking towards the valley to climb to Porteille Mantet.

The route is well way-marked.
I'm on my way, looking back to Mantet.
It's a long and steady climb, clouds drift in.
A simple shelter
with no furniture whatsoever
The Porteille Mantet becomes visible
Zoom-in
This is the spot where the GR10 branches off to the right. But I have to continue straight on.
Not much further is
the nice Refuge de l'Alemany
The waymarking has become yellow/red and yellow.
The Porteille Mantet getting closer.
The final part
With some streaming water available.
At the Porteille: bm511 appears.
Bm511, looking S
Bm511, looking N
Bm511, you see the red/white waymarks of the cross-frontier GR-trail 76.

Also (vague) the trail ahead S-SE to follow.
Bm511, looking N from where I came from.

If you walk the GRPdesBF, a spot for bivouac (flat and with water) is not far downhill (± 30min) from here into France.
This is the trail to follow from bm511: yellow/red waymarked
but also red/white waymarked.
The trail goes underneath the ridge which is to the S and will
get back on the ridge further on.

The waymarks bring me to
the foot of the climb to Roc Colom.

Here I have to leave the painted waymarks
to climb - helped by cairns - to
this small 'fortress' at the top of Roc Colom.
Roc Colom
Roc Colom
Bm512 is not far away: ± 25m SSW from the 'fortress'.

You can spot that fortress from bm512.
Bm512
Bm512
Bm512
Bm512
From Roc Colom, I descend at the other side S-SE and pick up again the waymarks
and continue along the ridge
until I reach Col del Pall with bm513
Bm513
Bm513
Bm513
Bm513
From bm513, I go SE on the trail and these waymarks will guide me SE underneath Pic de Costabonne.

You will pass the only watersource on the GRPdesBF-trail between bm511 and 519.




There's also a cabin ± 250m S of this trail: Refugi Costaboni.

I didn't visit it but pictures on internet show a neat cabin with bunkbeds and there should be source behind the cabin.
The trail underneath Pic de Costabonne will bring you - from bm513 - after 1,3 km to this fence.

The main trail descends along the fence S into Spain. Spot the yellow waymarks.

But this is wrong trail. I did try that trail downhill but it brought me further from the borderline.
I returned and
instead I crossed the fence and follow
the red/white waymarks
from this GR-variant
Those waymarks guide you - gradually descending - in ± 250m SEE to this second fence.

Now I'm back at the borderline
and all I have to do is continue along the red/white and yellow waymarks
which bring me to bm514
at Col de Siern.
Bm514
Bm514
Bm514
The trails get more distinct and the waymarks lead me further SEE along them to
Col Pregon which you can spot in the distance with bm515
Bm515
Bm515
Bm515
Bm515
My bivouac for the night: just N of bm515.

Finding water was not easy. From a swampy area 400m E a tiny but browny stream started.
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