Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Pyrenees GR11 2003 - Day 29: September 6th
Saturday 6th September
It was clear by the morning. The trail to Coll Jovell and up the Riu Madriu was well
engineered and maintained. Although the clouds were building up again when I took a
break at 11am, I did manage to get all the damp clothing and equipment dried out.
This was the only major valley in Andorra without a pista or a road. There have been plans
for some years to build a road up the valley, but at last environmental groups are having
some influence and the plans may be stopped. Andorra is the most commercialised of the
Pyrenean countries. The main road through the country is jammed with traffic coming in
from Spain or France for the duty-free supermarkets and there are far too many ski
resorts detracting from the mountain wilderness.
The path was now climbing out of the forest into semi-wooded pastureland, rocky in
places. 2 Trial bikers were descending the valley. Motorbikes are illegal in the National
Park because of the damage they did to the paths and fragile terrain, as well as the
disturbance to other users. The path passed several unmanned Refuges. At the Refugio de
l’Illa at 2485m there were 6 more trail riders and the route they had taken over the Coll
de Vall Civera, 2550m, from Spain was obvious from the damage to the path. The paths
and waymarking were deteriorating as I was leaving Andorra for Spain for the descent
down the Vall Civera.
The guidebook showed the GR11 end of stage as the Cabana dels Esparvers. This wasn’
t much more than a small rock shelter, big enough for a couple of people in extreme
discomfort. I met a 55 year-old Swiss man who had started from Hendaye on 6th August.
He had been intending to use the Refuge, but decided to camp nearby. There was a steep
climb ahead to the 2,680m Portella de Calm Colomer and I decided to go part-way up and
camp. Unfortunately the only suitable sites were badly contaminated by cows. At 2,500m I
tried to drive cows away from a grassy corrie, but they kept coming back, so I ended up
going over the col. There was still snow or hail on the crags from yesterdays storms. The
weather was deteriorating again as I dropped down a very steep slope to camp by the small
lakes at 2555m. It was 8pm by the time I stopped.
It was clear by the morning. The trail to Coll Jovell and up the Riu Madriu was well
engineered and maintained. Although the clouds were building up again when I took a
break at 11am, I did manage to get all the damp clothing and equipment dried out.
This was the only major valley in Andorra without a pista or a road. There have been plans
for some years to build a road up the valley, but at last environmental groups are having
some influence and the plans may be stopped. Andorra is the most commercialised of the
Pyrenean countries. The main road through the country is jammed with traffic coming in
from Spain or France for the duty-free supermarkets and there are far too many ski
resorts detracting from the mountain wilderness.
The path was now climbing out of the forest into semi-wooded pastureland, rocky in
places. 2 Trial bikers were descending the valley. Motorbikes are illegal in the National
Park because of the damage they did to the paths and fragile terrain, as well as the
disturbance to other users. The path passed several unmanned Refuges. At the Refugio de
l’Illa at 2485m there were 6 more trail riders and the route they had taken over the Coll
de Vall Civera, 2550m, from Spain was obvious from the damage to the path. The paths
and waymarking were deteriorating as I was leaving Andorra for Spain for the descent
down the Vall Civera.
The guidebook showed the GR11 end of stage as the Cabana dels Esparvers. This wasn’
t much more than a small rock shelter, big enough for a couple of people in extreme
discomfort. I met a 55 year-old Swiss man who had started from Hendaye on 6th August.
He had been intending to use the Refuge, but decided to camp nearby. There was a steep
climb ahead to the 2,680m Portella de Calm Colomer and I decided to go part-way up and
camp. Unfortunately the only suitable sites were badly contaminated by cows. At 2,500m I
tried to drive cows away from a grassy corrie, but they kept coming back, so I ended up
going over the col. There was still snow or hail on the crags from yesterdays storms. The
weather was deteriorating again as I dropped down a very steep slope to camp by the small
lakes at 2555m. It was 8pm by the time I stopped.
Riu Madriu Valley
Portella de
Calm Colomer
Calm Colomer
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