The
bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- tuesday 8 september
2015 -
Charles Darrieu: mountain guide and porter
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track-20150908.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. This day is one of a week of
backpacking from Guzet-Neige to Puigcerdą, traversing Andorra.
Today: after being dropped by Charles in the mountains beyond
Guzet-Neige, I climb to bm424 and traverse to bm425 and then continue S to
Pla de Boavi.
Weather: clear skies, sunny
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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
- 16,9 km
- max H = 2453m
- elevation gain: 1015m
- time: 11.49h
Started at 7.45 , break 13:15 - 14:00, finish at 19:30 = 11h net walking time
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According to Gps-Track-Analyse
- distance : 17.8 km
- cum. elevation gain : 1741m
- cum. elevation loss : 2078m
- total elevation: 3818m
- altitude maxi : 2466m
- altitude mini : 1471m
- altitude average : 1925m
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I spent the night at the house of Charles Darrieu who dropped me in the early morning in the mountains.
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That's me, ready for a week of backpacking. According to Charles: packed like a mule.
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Charles guides me through the first part in the direction of the borderridge.
This is one of two steep descents, luckily aided by iron grips.
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Looking back at that rocky descent.
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This is in fact the backyard of Charles who moves easily and self-assured over this kind of terrain.
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We are approaching the border-ridge but
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there's still some rock-climbing to do when we loose the trail.
Charles - in his seventies - takes over my backpack and dances over the rocks like an 'isard'. I admire Charles.
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This is about where we part.
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A last picture of me by Charles and a view of the approximate route ahead.
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There's a cabin around here.
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There's no waymarking but
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cairns guide me
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uphill.
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This is a view back.
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When getting close to the ridge, the cairns disappear or I losse them.
But it's not difficult to proceed to the ridge which is now (this picture) close.
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Standing at the ridge and looking SE towards Port de Sounou (bm424). As
you can see, the terrrain is easy to travers to the Port.
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Getting closer to Port de Sounou (this is a zoomin)
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Getting nearer.
Indicated: how to proceed beyond bm424 towards bm425.
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Bm424 is engraved on this rock and can be difficult to find.
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But this is the backside of bm424 and you can spot an iron pole on the rock nearby.
That will make locating easier.
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Bm424 with some chalk.
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Bm424, looking towards France
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Bm424, looking NW where I came from.
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Bm424, now seen from the iron pole.
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Zoom-in of previous picture
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And a last view of the Port with its rocky descent into France.
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From the Port, looking S-SW
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Now proceeding SE to the ridge from where I can traverse to Port de Guillou (bm435)
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Getting closer
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and closer.
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Now I'm just across the ridge and looking NEE to Port de Guillou where bm425 is.
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There's no trail or waymarking and you have to proceed by trial and error
over the terrain from one grassy strip to another towards the Port. But it's not difficult.
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Getting closer
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and closer.
The large boulder in the middle of the Port is the carrier of bm425
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The boulder seen from the other side with bm425 engraved.
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Bm425
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Bm425
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From the Port looking into France
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Bm425
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Bm425
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Bm425 with a view along the mountain slope where I came from.
I have a break here, feasting on the lunch which Charles gave me.
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Looking S towards two lakes, I start to descend towards them.
There's no trail or waymarking but the descent is easy.
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On my way down, this view NW of the mountain slope whit the approximate route I did to traverse the mountainslope.
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In the valley and looking back at Port de Guillou.
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A stream starts in the valley.
I climb over the small hill
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and red waymarks appear
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which bring me
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to the barrage-lake of Laguna Romedo de Baix
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with the barrage in view now.
To continue along the stream to Pla de Boavi, I don't have to cross the barrage.
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but I want to check a rocky passage at the S-side of the lake.
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This is that rocky passage, secured by a cord, which I remember as not being easy.
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When you follow the GRPdesBF main route (and skip the variant doing bm424 and 425) you need to use this passage.
This picture: on top of that passage and looking NW where the main route comes from.
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This picture: on top of the passage and looking downhill.
In fact it's not difficult to descend along the cord when you take your time.
Note the red/white waymarks: probably the cross-frontier GR using Port de l'Artigue.
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Back at the barrage.
At the other side is the meetingpoint of the main trail of the GRPdesBF
and the variant doing bm424-425 (the blue dotted line). That's the end
of stage 36.
From that meeting point, the next stage starts. It descends along the stream.
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From the N-side of the barrage I proceed E, then S descending along the stream.
There's a vague trail
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and now and then cairns to help you.
There's one small steep descent but manageable.
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The stream gets gradually a bit larger
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while the trail sometimes has to climb to avoid steep parts along the stream.
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Then you have to get attentive. At some point you have to cross the stream.
But where? Well, not here, but further downstream.
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The crossing is at this point. It's at a kind of pond in the stream.
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You can spot cairns at the other side.
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Looking back: the 'pond' and the small cascade which feeds it.
This is a quite characteristic spot and you shouldn't miss it as such.
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The cairns first guide me uphill to this point and then through the forest to Pla de Boavi.
BUT: although there's an abundance of cairns in the forest, I loose the trail and have a hard time finding it back.
ADVISE: walk from one cairn to the next, each time remembering where
the previous one is. As said: there are a lot of cairns and the next
one can never be far away.
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Finally, I arrive at Pla Boavi but first coming along (but not crossing) this footbridge.
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Pla de Boavi, a perfect spot for a bivouac. It has been a long but nice day.
It's already late and it darkens quickly, animal sounds startle me. I
realize that the absence of cattle with their ringing bells has made it
a quiet and serene day.
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