Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Pyrenees GR11 2003 - Day 36: September 14th
Sunday 14th September
It was clear when I was woken in the early morning by the sound of church bells!
They were not being rung (No rope!), but several Spaniards were throwing pebbles at the
bell. They were surprisingly accurate!
There were navigation problems early on, due to poor waymarking, and I wasted about
15 minutes. Eventually I found the steep wooded path through the limestone cliffs up to
the Collado Roig. The path was in need of maintenance with brambles and fallen trees
causing obstructions. It had now clouded over and rain looked likely as I took a break
below the Coll de Principi. It was easier going now on a rough path and then on pista.
Fortunately the cloud had dissipated giving a lovely afternoon. The Collado de Bassegoda,
at 1105m, was the last col on the GR11 over 100m. There followed the long drop gentle
drop down to the village of Albanya at only 237m. After stopping for water I set off up the
new route of the GR11. This oversteep path was overgrown and involved scrambling up
slippery rocks. It would have been dangerous to descend in the wet. It would have been
more sensible to follow the pista up which the GR11 used to go.
I found a spot just big enough to put up my tent on rough ground at the top of the hill.
I was surprised when 2 Catalan girls from Barcelona, who had also spent last night at Sant
Aniol d’Aguja, came through. They had said they intended to spend the night at Albanya.
They were going well despite overheavy rucksacks; looking like Christmas trees with
everything they had hanging outside. They were walking the last 8 stages of the GR11.
It was clear when I was woken in the early morning by the sound of church bells!
They were not being rung (No rope!), but several Spaniards were throwing pebbles at the
bell. They were surprisingly accurate!
There were navigation problems early on, due to poor waymarking, and I wasted about
15 minutes. Eventually I found the steep wooded path through the limestone cliffs up to
the Collado Roig. The path was in need of maintenance with brambles and fallen trees
causing obstructions. It had now clouded over and rain looked likely as I took a break
below the Coll de Principi. It was easier going now on a rough path and then on pista.
Fortunately the cloud had dissipated giving a lovely afternoon. The Collado de Bassegoda,
at 1105m, was the last col on the GR11 over 100m. There followed the long drop gentle
drop down to the village of Albanya at only 237m. After stopping for water I set off up the
new route of the GR11. This oversteep path was overgrown and involved scrambling up
slippery rocks. It would have been dangerous to descend in the wet. It would have been
more sensible to follow the pista up which the GR11 used to go.
I found a spot just big enough to put up my tent on rough ground at the top of the hill.
I was surprised when 2 Catalan girls from Barcelona, who had also spent last night at Sant
Aniol d’Aguja, came through. They had said they intended to spend the night at Albanya.
They were going well despite overheavy rucksacks; looking like Christmas trees with
everything they had hanging outside. They were walking the last 8 stages of the GR11.
Can Nou and Puid
de Bassegoda
de Bassegoda
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