Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Pyrenees GR11 2003 - Day 32: September 10th
Wednesday 10th September
The pressure rose about 10mb overnight, so I was optimistic about an improvement
in the weather. (My wristwatch is also an altimeter, which I can use it as a barometer as
well) It was a “red sky in the morning”, not usually a good sign with some high cloud.
There was new snow, above 2,500m, on the peaks to the west from which I had descended
a couple of days ago. It was an easy climb up pista to the Collado de Mercè on the French
border. From here the route was confusing, as the border fence and ditch do not follow
the same line as the border stones. Further confusion is caused because the border does
not follow the natural line along the ridge, but contours along the southern slopes of the
mountain. The route wasn’t properly waymarked and I followed the border fence for a
bit, before dropping down to a path along the actual border to Collado de la Creu de
Maians. There were some recently cleared areas on the descent from this col, destroying
any waymarking, and I lost the route and had to fight my way down through thick woods
to a pista. I regained the route further along the pista and continued a generally
contouring descent on pista through woodland towards Dorria.
I continued past Dorria, another reviving hamlet, and followed the GR11 along a
rather overgrown path. The GR11 doesn’t get much maintenance. The GR11 drops down
to the small town of Planoles, but it seemed an unnecessary descent if you didn’t need
the facilities of the town, so I followed the Ruta de Regat, a circular walk/cycle path
around the valley. The route wasn’t waymarked and there were many paths/pista not
shown on my map, so I was depending on instinct and a little bit of luck to find my way.
By now the skies had cleared and it was warm enough to strip off in the sun for the first
time for a couple of weeks, when I took an afternoon break above Planoles.
I now headed up the hill and immediately found waymarking. These looked rather old
and definitely weren’t where the GR11 was shown on my map. I suspect they were an old
route for the GR11 that had now been rerouted. I followed these waymarks steeply up
the hill, eventually hitting newer markings that lead me to a deserted picnic site at
1810m. There was a fountain and I had a much-needed towel bath before continuing up a
road to the Collet de la Barraques. From here the GR11 contoured through semi-wooded
pastures to the Torrente de la Extrema where the guide said camping was possible. The
guidebook writer must have a much bigger tolerance than I do to grass badly
contaminated by cows. I continued on and it wasn’t until 8pm that I reached some old
farm buildings and a newly cut meadow at 1525m that I was able to camp. I had been
walking for 8½ hours.
The pressure rose about 10mb overnight, so I was optimistic about an improvement
in the weather. (My wristwatch is also an altimeter, which I can use it as a barometer as
well) It was a “red sky in the morning”, not usually a good sign with some high cloud.
There was new snow, above 2,500m, on the peaks to the west from which I had descended
a couple of days ago. It was an easy climb up pista to the Collado de Mercè on the French
border. From here the route was confusing, as the border fence and ditch do not follow
the same line as the border stones. Further confusion is caused because the border does
not follow the natural line along the ridge, but contours along the southern slopes of the
mountain. The route wasn’t properly waymarked and I followed the border fence for a
bit, before dropping down to a path along the actual border to Collado de la Creu de
Maians. There were some recently cleared areas on the descent from this col, destroying
any waymarking, and I lost the route and had to fight my way down through thick woods
to a pista. I regained the route further along the pista and continued a generally
contouring descent on pista through woodland towards Dorria.
I continued past Dorria, another reviving hamlet, and followed the GR11 along a
rather overgrown path. The GR11 doesn’t get much maintenance. The GR11 drops down
to the small town of Planoles, but it seemed an unnecessary descent if you didn’t need
the facilities of the town, so I followed the Ruta de Regat, a circular walk/cycle path
around the valley. The route wasn’t waymarked and there were many paths/pista not
shown on my map, so I was depending on instinct and a little bit of luck to find my way.
By now the skies had cleared and it was warm enough to strip off in the sun for the first
time for a couple of weeks, when I took an afternoon break above Planoles.
I now headed up the hill and immediately found waymarking. These looked rather old
and definitely weren’t where the GR11 was shown on my map. I suspect they were an old
route for the GR11 that had now been rerouted. I followed these waymarks steeply up
the hill, eventually hitting newer markings that lead me to a deserted picnic site at
1810m. There was a fountain and I had a much-needed towel bath before continuing up a
road to the Collet de la Barraques. From here the GR11 contoured through semi-wooded
pastures to the Torrente de la Extrema where the guide said camping was possible. The
guidebook writer must have a much bigger tolerance than I do to grass badly
contaminated by cows. I continued on and it wasn’t until 8pm that I reached some old
farm buildings and a newly cut meadow at 1525m that I was able to camp. I had been
walking for 8½ hours.
Col de la Creu de Meians
Towel bath at fountain
Puigmal
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