The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips - thursday 8 september 2016 - Roc de France previous trip      next trip track-20160908.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 9-days trip to the Pyrenees, covering various targets from east to west. Today: checking the routes around Roc de France and what is best for the GRPdesBF Weather: cloudy 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. Started at 15:15 , finish at 17:15, According to Gps-Track-Analyse - distance : 4,8 km - cum. elevation gain : 410m - cum. elevation loss : 415m - total elevation: 826m - altitude maxi : 1436m - altitude mini : 1235m - altitude average : 1317m Yesterdag I drove from Holland to the foothills of the Mont Ventoux. I always wanted to visit its famous summit. I admire the bikers who arrive at the top after a long and tough climb. After Mont Ventoux a long drive to Coll del Pou de la Neu above Maçanet de Cabrenys. From Maçanet de Cabrenys it's a long dirtroad uphill, the last part being a narrow concrete road. This is the Coll del Pou de la Neu. A signpost points to the trail which descends to Refuge de Salines, part of the GRPdesBF At the French side of the Coll,  a yellow waymarked trail enters the forest and climbs through this beach forest uphill. The broadcast station comes in sight. At this point turn right, the yellow trail is going behind the station. I have passed the station and look forward (w/sw) to the ridge ahead which is essentially the borderline, gradually descending  towards Coustouges. The yellow trail follows the rocky ridge There are also blue waymarks Then there's a steep and rocky descent. No problem if you take care. After the descent, looking back to the rock summit where I descended from. I have arrived at the GR10-trail and look back (east) to the rocky ridge where I come from. It took me 1 hour from the Coll up to here. From this point - as said, looking back - there's a bifurcation ahead. The GR10 will go left underneath the ridge while the yellow trail leads you over the ridge. If we zoom-in, we can see where the yellow trail enters the forest This is the bifurcation mentioned above: left is the GR10, right is the yellow trail The right trail with a zoom-in to the tree where we see a yellow waymark and a red/white cros. I return to the Coll on the GR10 which is a nice and easy path. And here I leave the forest and I'm back at Coll del Pou de la Neu. The GR10 took me 45 minutes to return so 15 minutes less then the yellow trail over the ridge. Conclusion: for the GRPdesBF it's easier and faster to use the GR10 Finally I drive to camping la Rive Verte in St-Laurent-de-Cerdans. previous trip      next trip