The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- monday 20 august 2018 -
Redoing bm336-356 + a 'borne de paçage'

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Summary: one of a 8-days trip in the Pyrenees, in the area of Haute-Garonne near Bagnères-de-Luchon, in order to redo the bordermarker-range no. 331 to 417.

Today: second day of a 4-days trekking, covering bm331-358

Weather: fine

track-20180820.kml
(click to open this trip in Google Earth or copy link to Google Maps; click right on this link to download gpx-version). The gps-track has not been manually  corrected which explains the inaccuracy and misalignment at some points. For cartographic backgrounds: see the cartography-page

Gps-waypoints of all bordermarkers (most recent version):
kml:  esfr-bordermarkers-all-waypoints.kml
gpx:  esfr-bordermarkers-all-waypoints.gpx
According to Garmin Basecamp:

Distance: 14,3 km
Max-height: 2211m
Min-height: 1658m
Elevation: +1195m -1327m
Total elevation: 2522

Start 09:26  Finish 19:05
Total time: 9:40


From my bivouac-spot, I will make first a loop - clockwise - to the south to do bm337 to 340.

This picture: climbing to the east rim of the valley (which is the watershed), looking back to my bivouac-spot in the distance (drinking tub for the cattle visible)


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Having proceeded and looking back to where I came from.


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I want to explore the paths east of the borderridge between bm336 and 340.

That was intended to be the main route of the GRPdesBF but not yet surveyed.

This picture: this is the path going south, to the right: the borderridge


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A view back to the east rim of the valley (= the watershed) where I camped.


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Approximately the same view but now with a local marker along the trail.


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No waymarks along the path. I'm heading to a kind of pass on the borderridge


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and getting closer now. Bm337 is on the top of the hill ahead.


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But I continue along the hillside towards bm336.

This picture: looking back to that pass between bm337 and 338


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Approaching the pass where bm336 is.


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Zoom-in


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Almost at bm336


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I'm at the most southern point of my loop. I was here yesterday. Bm336 in front and looking north to the hilltop to climb to get to bm337.

You can spot a bifurcation at this picture: straight ahead is climbing the borderridge, to the right is the trail along the hillside where I came from.


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Getting uphill, it's a tough climb uphill.


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Bm337, looking north




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Bm337


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Bm337


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Bm337, looking south


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I'm descending north, towards the 'pass' between bm337 and 338


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Beyond that 'pass' climbing to bm338


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Bm338


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Further on, looking north: to the east rim of the valley where I camped the night.


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Bm339 is further on.


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Bm339 with an unknown marker besides it.


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In front: the valley where I came from.


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Zoom-in to my bivouac-spot (spot the drinking tub for the cattle)


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Bm340 is down below


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and visible on this zoom-in.

But descending is not obvious because a direct route gets too steep. The best way is to descend on the west-side of the ridge.


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Having arrived at bm340


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Bm340


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Bm340

The borderline descends further, crosses the dirtroad (with the unnumbered bordercross, found yesterday) and climbs to bm341.

Bm341 is already visible in the far distance.



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but only visible by zooming-in


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Looking back to the borderridge south: you can see that the right side (=western side) is suitable for a decent and save descent.


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From bm340 I descend towards my camping spot of last night


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to have a break.

From this spot, bm341


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is visible on this zoom-in


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There are several ways to get to bm341, I choose this scenic route


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along this pond.

Another way might be by descending along the dirtroad west, visit the unnumbered bordercross CI340 and then climb the hillside to the north.


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Bm341


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Bm341, looking forward to the hillridge to climb.


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From bm341 looking back south.

The hilltop to the right is the borderridge with bm339 and 338. The valley to the left is still within the watershed watering to France but has been left to Spain.


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Let's show that watershed-story again.

Between bm338 and 343 the borderline leaves the watershed, ceding the valley of Roumingou to Spain. Between bm340 and 341 the borderline crosses the dirtroad and that's where an extra marker was engraved. 

The international bordercommission that reinstalled the since long vanished bordermarkers in this region in the 1950-ies, decided to engrave that extra marker.

CI340 means "croix intermédiaire 340".
Bm341


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Then it's a tough climb uphill


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with this view back to the valley where I slept last night and the distinctive borderridge going south.


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Zoom-in towards bm340


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and another zoom-in to bm341.


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Bm342 is halfway uphill.


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Bm342


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Bm342


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Almost at the summit


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with bm343


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I meet a Spanisch hiker with his dog.


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Bm343


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Bm343, looking ahead. Another descent awaits.


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At the foot of bm343 a local marker.


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Descending to bm344


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which is surprisingly no stone pillar but a bordercross.


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Bm344


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Bm344


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Bm344, looking back to where I came from.


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Then it's just following the ridge to bm345


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Bm345


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Bm345


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Proceeding to bm346


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Bm346


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Further on: bm347


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Bm347


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To bm348


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Bm348


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Arriving at bm349


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Bm349, looking ahead to the rest of the borderridge


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Bm349


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Continuing along the ridge


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to bm350


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Bm350


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Continuing to bm351


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Bm351


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Bm351


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In the distance the hilltop of Tuc deth Plan dera SèrraTuc deth Plan dera SèrraTuc deth Plan dera Sèrra with bm357 a bit downhill.


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When zooming in, I spot


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a cabin. Too far away from 'my' routes to be useful.


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Continuing


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to bm352


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Bm352


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Further on bm353


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Continuing to bm353


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Continuing to bm354


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Bm354


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And to bm355


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Bm355


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Bm355


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Now I have to descend to Col de Barèges


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with this shepherd's cabin and a water source.


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About 150m sw is bm356


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Bm356


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Bm356. The rock in front has two ancient weapons engraved.


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Bm356


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The rock


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with on this side the  the "Fleur de Lys", the lily-flower (white chalked by me)


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and on the other side


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the "barres d'Aragon", the circles of Aragon.

That's how in the 1950-ies the original spot of bm356 was identified. The original bordermarkers in this region were since long disappeared and had to be reinstalled.


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From the Col de Barèges a view south with

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the trail which links further on with a dirtroad which continues to the south.

That is the route of the main trail of the GRPdesBF.


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The last goal of today: a 'borne de paçage' and well marker V, about 350m sw from bm356.

They were placed in the 19th century to delimitate the borders of Spanish-owned land on the French side of the border.

Although no international demarcation, they were included in the treaties to regulate the grazing territory of the Spanish communities who owned land on French soil.

They were also reinstalled in the 1950-ies, having vanished before.

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Charles Darrieu provided me with the gps-waypoints to find them. As far as I know, he has been the first (and only one) to try to find them back.

More information on this special page.


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This is the rock which is about 10 meters uphill from marker V and is as such described in the treaty.


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Close-up


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Bornes de paçage V


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It has been enough, it feels like a long day.

I return to Col de Barèges to pitch my tent.


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