The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- wednesday 19 april 2023 -
Revisiting bm600-601bis, 574-576 and 567-572

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Summary: part of a series of 5 daytrips and one 3-days backpacking trip in april 2023.
This is day 8.

Today: between Cerbčre and Port Bou a short trip to do bm600-601bis and then in Le Perthuis doing the bordermarkers I skipped in my 3-days trekking from bm559 to bm600.

Weather: sunny, warm

Basecamp: camping Maureillas


TRIP 1

track-20230419-trip1.gpx
This gpx-track has not been manually corrected which explains the inaccuracy and misalignment at some points. The original elevation recording has been replaced by more accurate DEM-data with Gpsvisualizer.com. 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 reliable elevation data added by gpsvisualizer.com)
According to Garmin Basecamp (uncorrected track with elevation added by Gpsvisualizer.com):

Distance: 4,5 km
Max-height: 204m
Min-height: 40m
Elevation: +279m -279m
Total elevation: 558m

Start 12:00  Finish 13:59
Total time: 1:59
Parking at Cap Cerbčre.


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My first target: along the coast to the top of the rocky cliff where bm601 is.


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Zoom-in from previous picture.

The Cova Foradada is a cave with two entrances, one at the French side (this side) and one at the Spanish side.

Inside there is a plaque with the number 602, the last esfr-bordermarker.

My last visit to bm602 (swimming!) was last year on 4-9-2022.


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There is a trail above the cliff


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with warnings for the dangers of descending the cliff.


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Another view towards


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Cova Foradada.


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Arriving at the top where


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bm601 is.


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Besides is a geodetic pillar


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of the Instituto Geográfica.


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Apparently this hilltop is called Puig de Cervera.


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Bm601


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A view to the E


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And a view of myself.


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Along this building towards


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bm601bis.


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Bm601bis


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Bm601bis


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Bm601bis


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Then E along the ridge towards Col de Balistres.


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Getting close to the Col.


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Having arrived at Col des Balistres with its monument on the refugees who entered France after the Civil War in 1939.


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Pictures of the crowds on the Col.


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Bm600 is nearby.


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Bm600


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Bm600


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Bm600


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This text says:

"No man is an island, complete in himself ... he is a part of the earth ... the death of any man weakens me because I am bound to humanity. So don't ask for whom the bells toll, they toll for you"

John Donne

Tribute to the International Brigades
2016


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Another information panel


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tells us about the


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'Francoist Monolith of Belitres Pass'


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and that monolith


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is still in good shape.


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I have a closer look at the actual bordercrossing on the road.


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Spanish tarmac is bumping with the French tarmac.


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I supposse that is also the true borderline.


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I return, now more closely following the hillridge and that trail


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is white waymarked


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and passes an old military canon-installation.


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Descendig a bit, in the far end the hilltop with bm601.


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I now descend directly - via this watercontainer - to


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the cemetary and my car.


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TRIP 2

track-20230419-trip2.gpx (NB: I did first a walk in Le Perthuis downtown, not recorded with gps)
This gpx-track has not been manually corrected which explains the inaccuracy and misalignment at some points. The original elevation recording has been replaced by more accurate DEM-data with Gpsvisualizer.com. 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 reliable elevation data added by gpsvisualizer.com)
According to Garmin Basecamp (uncorrected track with elevation added by Gpsvisualizer.com):

Distance: 2,1 km
Max-height: 388m
Min-height: 318m
Elevation: +112m -113m
Total elevation: 225m

Start 16:22  Finish 17:27
Total time: 1:04
In Le Perthus, I park just south of the bordercrossing on a huge parking.


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Bm574


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Bm574


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I cross the road to bm575.


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Bm575


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From bm575 the borderline is indicated in the tarmac and


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brings you to bm574bis.

This was once the spot of bm574 but after the widening of the road, bm575 was replaced ± 45m SSE.

And at this spot this metal plate was put at groundlevel.


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It carries the no. 574 but we call it 574bis.


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On an old postcard, we can see how the original position of bm574 was.
Bm574bis with the borderline towards bm574.


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Bm574


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I am suprised that this plate is back. It was damaged and disappeared or was taken away between 2012 and summer 2019.

Carlos and Conchita Roca reported that in 2019. See this post for more information.

This is my own picture of the missing bm574bis on 28-8-2019.
Then to bm576.


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Bm576


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Bm576


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Bm576


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Then I drive to the roman ruins of Panissars, E of Le Perthus.

Target: the bordermarkers I skipped on 14-4-2023 because lack of time.


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First bm567.


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Bm567


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Bm567


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Bm567


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Bm567 with Fort de Bellegarde in the background.


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Then bm567bis


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Bm567bis


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S of this old military building


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there is bm568.


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Bm568


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Bm568


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Bm568


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Besides an old military cemetary


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there is bm569


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Bm569


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Bm569


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Around Fort de Bellegarde are several bordermarkers, this is bm570.


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Bm570


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Bm570


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Further on bm571.


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Bm571


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Bm571


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Bm571


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A bit uphill: bm572.


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Bm572


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Bm572


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This is the spot where


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the descent to bm573 starts.


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But the marquis is dense


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and my legs are not protected.

I was here a few years ago with Carlos and Conchita on 31-8-2019 and then we reached bm573.

So only 4 years ago and I decide to skip this one.

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Through the Fort-premises back to my car and to the camping.

End of this bordermarker-trip, the next day I will start travelling back home in 3 days.


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Day 1: from Maurillas to the tranquil camping des Grottes d'Azé

Day 2: continuing to hotel De Brauhotel in Bascharage in Luxembourg

Day 3: together with Marc van der Steen joining a municipal bordermarker-inspection on the frlu-border including a bbq.



And then back to home-sweet-home.
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