The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- sunday 11 september 2016 -
Revisiting bm52

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track-20160911.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: taking the 'classic' route to bm542.

Weather: warm, sunny
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 9h , finish at 14:30

According to Gps-Track-Analyse

- distance : 8,5 km
- cum. elevation gain : 787m
- cum. elevation loss : 787m
- total elevation: 1573m

- altitude maxi : 759m
- altitude mini : 439m
- altitude average : 577m

From Can d'Amunt, descending along the winding dirtroad.

At one of the lacelets (I have to be attentive to take the right one, I once took the wrong one on 14 april 2014).

This picture: I'm at the right lacelet where this trail enters the forest, bringing me
in ± 250m to this "waysign-post" pointing to hunter's posts 'Passant Pradeille' and 'Porteills Estaçades Font Gabat'.

In navigating to bm542 it's essential to follow hunter's trails along posts like these. If you use a gps with the waypoints of these hunter's posts, it's hard to get lost.

From here I proceed on a trail,  first ± 50m SW, then ± 300m S and

arrive at the next post: P8.

I must have missed a sign pointing to P9 and P10 about 50m before (or it has dissapeared).

I continue S on the trail.
There are painted waysigns (often faded) like these in between but not abundant or consistent.
After 300m (from P8) the trail  descends quite steeply in a curb for a short distance (100m)

At that point, this view ahead.
In between - while descending - P4
Then you arrive at this open stretch of about 150m long, descending S.

Since 2009, my first visit to bm542, I see this stretch becoming forested again, more and more.
At the beginning of this open stretch, there are these signs (at the left side) pointing to 'Postes Rivière'.
But I have to descend S along the open stretch, passing this hunter's watchtower
and arriving at the end of the stretch where - at the right side -  a rocky trail descends along the steep hillside, going SEE for about 200m.
Then wayfinding gets more difficult because the trail has been partly hidden by the vegetation.

This picture: having arrived at a small open spot, I made a cairn here and call it "open spot 1".

I'm close to the river and have to turn SSW and go ± 75m to reach it.
Further on, after 30m - there's another open spot. I call this one "open spot 2" and erect another cairn.

After this open spot, the vegetation becomes more dense and I use my garden-scissors to clear the trails.
In that way I manage to reach the river Riu Major.

This picture: from the river looking back to where I come from and
zooming-in to a cairn where I reached the river.

On my way back from bm542, I will learn that there is also another track from the riverside, to the open spots and the more explicit trail higher on.
Then I have to follows the river downstream for ± 350m, switching from one side to another and for some parts wrestling through the bush at its W-bank.

It's trial and error how to proceed and it helps if you don't mind getting wet feet.
A view of the lush river valley
and here you see the remnants of what probably used to be a watermill.
Now I'm getting close to bm542.

I recognize the steep rockface ahead and bm542 is just beyond it around a bend of the river.

I go through the bush at the left river-bank

and am surprised to suddenly arrive at bm542.
Curious: two crosses. No explanation for that.

I see that the crosses have been painted since my last visit two years ago.

What's new: the RF. The initials of the painter? Yesterday I saw the same RF at bm541.

It's a beautiful and quiet spot.

A picture taken with a selfie-stick.
I return along the river and arrive again at the spot where I have to leave the river to climb the hills.

In the red circle
once again the cairn where you can pick up a trail.
But that's not the only way up.
Via the open spots 1 and 2 I get on the trail climbing along the steep hillside.

There is one passage to be careful not to slip away into the deep.
The end of the trail, just before it reaches the open stretch.
Then returning as I came.

As said, there are painted waymarks but not consistent and fading in the last years.
Finally driving to camping Conca de Ter in Vilallonga de Ter.
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