The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- sunday 4 september 2022 -
Revisiting bm602 by swimming

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Summary: part of a series of 9 daytrips in august & september 2022 across the Pyrenees. The main goal was to finish my plan to have visited all bordermarkers at least twice. It was also a kind of sentimental farewell journey, visiting old friends and cherished places.
This is daytrip 9.

Today: after a summer of training in outdoor-swimming and a failed trial a few days earlier, I succeeded today in swimming to the cave of bm602.

By doing that, I have visited every esfr-bm at least twice with at least one year difference. Mission accomplished!


Weather: sunny, warm

Basecamp: camping Verte Rive in St-Laurent-de-Cerdans


track-20220904.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 (with elevation added by gpsvisualizer.com)
According to Garmin Basecamp (uncorrected track with elevation added by Gpsvisualizer.com):

Distance: 6,4 km
Max-height: 58m
Min-height: 0m
Elevation: +575m -576m
Total elevation: 1161m

Start 8:41  Finish 12:47
Total time: 4:05

NB:
- swim to 602: 725m in 0:27
- swimming back: 750m in 0:28
Parking in Port Bou


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Beautiful weather


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and a calm sea.

It is a sunday morning and everything is quiet.


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I walk along the coast with


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its winding trail and with some tricky parts,


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Thus proceeding along the shore,


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I approach my starting point to swim. With thanks to Corinne Gourgeonnet who showed and explained this point of departure.

The Punta del Falcó is a rocky point which is a fine point of direction while you are swimming.

Once past this Punta, the cave is only 200m away.


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Descending to the point of disembarkation and


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that is here.

Sliding into the water is easy here.


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I have changed my clothes for my wetsuit and I am ready to start swimming, leaving my backpack behind.

From the parking to this place (including changing clothes) took me ± 1 hour.

Of course no pictures while swimming, my phone kept securely dry in my swimming buoy.


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An this is the swimming part.

The outer route is my way to the cave, the one closer to the coast how I swum back.

As said, the Punta del Falcó is fine point of direction and once you curve along this Punta, the cave already becomes visible.

And the rest is piece of cake, only 200m.
I have now reached the cave.

The swimming was easier than I thought and lasted less than half an hour.

I am thrilled that I did it!



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Then exploring the cave: to the left the plaque with the number.


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Bm602


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Bm602


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Selfie 1


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Selfie 2


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Selfie 3


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Then a view of the other end of the cave, the French side.

The cave has two open ends and is in fact a natural tunnel.

I check the walls for a possible old cross but of course to no result.


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That side is too steep for entering of leaving the cave.


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The steep coast at the French side.


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It seems not impossible to get down to the coastline for a shorter swimming route.


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Then a look to the other (Spanish) side of the cave.


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This picture: to the left the remains of a painted bordermarker.


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This is how the painted marker looked on 21-5-2011, the first time I visited the cave.

And now a 360° view of the cave.

It's a movie converted to an animated gif.
From the entrance I see to my surprise a supboard coming nearby. The proof that the sea is calm.


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A last view before I pack my things again in the buoy and start swimming back.


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The return-swim is closer to the coast and takes also half an hour.

I have some trouble recognizing from the sea where I left the shore but then I spot my orange backpack on the shore.

Climbing out of the water is easy, then changing into my clothes and a relaxed walk back to


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Port Bou and treating myself with a lunch.

I am very content and proud I succeeded. Taking my time to whatsapp to the world that I did it.


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Then a quiet and relaxed drive back to the camping in St-Laurent-de-Cerdans.

I am in a nostalgic mood and visit some places I remember from years ago.

This is a sideroad between Tapis and Maçanet de Cabrenys


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where I camped with Jan-Willem Doomen on 23-4-2007.
Further on, there is a viewpoint and I can distinguish


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the spots where bm541 and 542 are.


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Zoom-in.

I love this landscape: wild, rough, mysterious.


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And then a last stop to visit the bridge over


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the Riu Major, the border between bm542 and 543.


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We read that the bridge was opened in 1995.


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Kind of bordermarker on the bridge itself. This is the south-side of the bridge


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And this is


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the north-side of the bridge.


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There is another monument at the Spanish side,


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remembering the same event: the inauguration of the bridge on 7 july 1995.

Enough for today, returning to the camping. It's the last day of my Pyrenees-trip.


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Tomorrow I will drive home in 2 days with in between

a day of rest at a camping near Taizé. including a visit to the monastic community of Taizé with its own special services and mantra-like hymns I like so much.
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