The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- wednesday 28 august 2019 -
Redoing bm567 to 577

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Summary: part of a series of 11 trips in august-september 2019 in the Pyrénées-Orientales, Andorra and the Hautes-Pyrénées. This is trip 4.

Today: a survey in and around le Perthus. The main objective is to investigate the acesss to bm573. I got disturbing messages of Carlos and Conchita Roca that it has become inaccessible because of the dense bush.

My basecamp is the camping in St-Laurent-de-Cerdans.

Weather: sunny and very hot

track-20190828.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 (uncorrected track):

Distance: 9,0 km
Max-height: 393m
Min-height: 229m
Elevation: +414m -380m
Total elevation: 794m

Start 9:29  Finish 14:31
Total time: 5:03
My car parked at a huge parking lot at the south side of Le Perthuis.

High up the hill: Fort de Bellegarde.


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I first cover bm574 to 575.


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Bm574


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Bm574


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Bm574


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Bm574


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Bm574


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Bm574


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Bm574, geodetic point at his foot.


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Now I am at the spot of bm574bis. At the end of the dotted line is bm574.

Bm574 used to stand at this spot in the old days but was replaced to its actual position when the access to Le Perthus was enlarged.


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At this spot, there was a metal plate with "574" on it.

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But it has disappeared in recent years. Carlos and Conchita Roca notified me about it.

My last picture dates of 12-09-2012:



Bm573


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Bm573


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Bm573


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Bm573


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Bm573


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Bm573


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Then I return to the parking lot to see if I can climb from there to bm573.

On 12-9-2012 I could easily descend from bm573 to this parking lot (its most southern point). It was easy because a large fire had burnt the trees and undergrowth.

But 8 years later, the 'maquis' has returned. It seems even more because there are less trees than before the fire.


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I can spot bm573 from below


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Zoom-in of previous picture.


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Bm573

I try to climb the hillside but I soon give up. De bush is too pricky and too dense. I'll give it another try from above.

I think I have to change my GRPdesBF-route. The (variant-)route from bm573 downhill to the parking lot has become too difficult because of the maquis.


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So I walk through Le Perthus (very crowded today) past bm576 and


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take the road uphill to Fort de Bellegarde.

I discover a new trail,


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part of a multi-day hiking route,


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which brings me nicely as a shortcut to the entrance of Fort de Bellegarde.

At the other side of the entrance road I continue on the dirtroad/trail past this chain.


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The trail goes underneath the western ramparts of the Fort and offers


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a nice view of the archeological site of Panissar with


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bm567.


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The trail brings me to


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the ramparts which


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you can cross to get to the E-side.


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That is here. And this is where I descend in the direction of  bm573, using my gps.


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Through the bush, there is a vague trail.

Further on, there are some rocks and beyond that I arrive at a rocky outcrop.


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From that rocky outcrop I can spot


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the top of bm573.


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Zoom-in to bm573

But how to get there? From the rocky outcrop, it's too steep.

The secret is to descend ± 40m before that outcrop at the N-side of the ridge.

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That side of the ridge consists of several rockfalls. A sort of trail with cairns brings me left underneath the rocky outcrop downhill.

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But somewhere I loose the 'trail' and get too low. With my gps I get back on the track towards bm573.

This picture: the last part of the access to bm573.


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And then there is bm573.


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Bm573


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Returning is easier, the route/trail being more obvious. I make some extra cairns.


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And now back at the path from where I started.


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The bend of the trail: three ways to go.

I continue to bm572 in order to cover all bordermarkers around Le Perthus. Why not?


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Bm572


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Bm572


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Bm572


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Bm571 is close


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Bm571


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Bm571


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And the trail brings me to bm570


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Bm570


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A bit further a view of the tower near bm568.


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This is where the trail ends, at a dirtroad. I look back.


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The dirtroad brings me to Col de Panissar. Bm569 stands besides


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an old cemetery


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Bm569


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I spot a new cycling trail


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with a very interesting challenge: along the Mediterranean coast from Spain to Greece.

See this website:



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Bm568


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Bm568. In the background the tower.


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Bm567bis, an intermediate marker not mentioned in the treaty. Not known when and why it was placed.


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Bm567bis


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Bm567


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Bm567


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Bm567


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Bm567


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Bm567, in the background the Fort de Bellegarde.

Short break near the cemetery, it's already 30 degrees.


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I return to the entrance of Fort de Bellegarde using first a trail uphill from the cemetery.

I already decided to change my GRPdesBF-route. The main route will cover bm567 to 572 and continue to Le Perthus via Fort de Bellegarde. Doing bm573 back and forth will become a variant.


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At the other side of the entrace road a sort of parking where the shortcut-trail starts towards Le Perthus.


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Back on the tarmac, But that is intended for a variant covering bm536-539. The main GRPdesBF-route will continue on the dirtroad ("cami") and climb to bm540.But that is intended for a variant covering bm536-539. The main GRPdesBF-route will continue on the dirtroad ("cami") and climb to bm540.I try if there's another shortcut to downtown Le Perthus, down this fence. In vain.


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Back in Le Perthus, interesting bilingual school.


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Bm576 again.


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And finally bm577


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Bm577

It is even hotter. After a lunch on a terrace, I drive back to the camping.


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