Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Pyrenees GR11 2003 - Day 22: August 30th
Saturday 30th August
I made a late start in the morning and didn’t get away until 9am. It was only a short
walk to the Lac de Rius. I was very disappointed with the lake, which I remembered as a
beautiful spot. Now the lake was half empty and the rocks from which I had dived into
the lake 2 years ago were now 20ft above the water. There was no dam, so I presume the
hydroelectric company must have a tunnel taking water from under the lake. Without a
dam, the natural level of the water must have been for the lake to be full. I then
descended the pleasant Ribera de Rius.
I had decided to follow the main GR11 route, rather than the alternative, following the
HRP, which went through rough and tough wilderness. I cut off a corner, bypassing the
Refuge de Restanca, and continued steeply down the Ribera de Rius to rejoin the GR11
at Pontet de Rius. By now woodland was taking over from pasture as I continued down a
pista to 1400m, before starting the 100m climb up to the Port de Ribereta. Cloud was
heading in from the west as I took my first break of the day after 4 hours of walking. I
climbed easily up a pista then steeply up an old tramway, presumably serving disused
mines, to the 2 lakes, Estanh de Montasau, where there was a closed down Refuge.
There was now the final steep ascent over rough pasture to the Port de Ribereta. I was
now in a region of complex granite crags and I had to drop down 200m in the wrong
direction before starting an upward contouring leg to an unnamed col above the Refugi
de Colomers. I dropped down to the Refuge on the big dam of the Lac Major de
Colomers. The GR11 now followed the route of the HRP that I had walked before. I
crossed the dam and followed the beautifully dramatic Lac Long and Lac Redon in
deteriorating weather to Lac Obago where I camped. I had intended to camp beside one
of the inlets to this lake, but I could hear cowbells in the distance and camped by the
outlet instead. By now I was in cloud.
I made a late start in the morning and didn’t get away until 9am. It was only a short
walk to the Lac de Rius. I was very disappointed with the lake, which I remembered as a
beautiful spot. Now the lake was half empty and the rocks from which I had dived into
the lake 2 years ago were now 20ft above the water. There was no dam, so I presume the
hydroelectric company must have a tunnel taking water from under the lake. Without a
dam, the natural level of the water must have been for the lake to be full. I then
descended the pleasant Ribera de Rius.
I had decided to follow the main GR11 route, rather than the alternative, following the
HRP, which went through rough and tough wilderness. I cut off a corner, bypassing the
Refuge de Restanca, and continued steeply down the Ribera de Rius to rejoin the GR11
at Pontet de Rius. By now woodland was taking over from pasture as I continued down a
pista to 1400m, before starting the 100m climb up to the Port de Ribereta. Cloud was
heading in from the west as I took my first break of the day after 4 hours of walking. I
climbed easily up a pista then steeply up an old tramway, presumably serving disused
mines, to the 2 lakes, Estanh de Montasau, where there was a closed down Refuge.
There was now the final steep ascent over rough pasture to the Port de Ribereta. I was
now in a region of complex granite crags and I had to drop down 200m in the wrong
direction before starting an upward contouring leg to an unnamed col above the Refugi
de Colomers. I dropped down to the Refuge on the big dam of the Lac Major de
Colomers. The GR11 now followed the route of the HRP that I had walked before. I
crossed the dam and followed the beautifully dramatic Lac Long and Lac Redon in
deteriorating weather to Lac Obago where I camped. I had intended to camp beside one
of the inlets to this lake, but I could hear cowbells in the distance and camped by the
outlet instead. By now I was in cloud.
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Riberto de Rius
Standing stone,
Rencules Valley
Rencules Valley
Estanh de Montasau