Puigmal = Bad peak? Surely not

03-08-2013 

 As I was already in France, I decided to tackle Puigmal d’Err (if I am not mistaken, this translates as the ‘mistaken bad peak’ – hardly an inspiring name), which is usually known as Puigmal, from the French side. Puigmal is one of those peaks on the French/Spanish border and quite clearly a popular goal from both sides. 2909m, P1331 a lofty number 7 in the JMH Iberian prominence list – N42.38326 E2.11681 (see how I am gradually getting further east?)

It has a summit trigpoint and  both a French and Spanish cross – and I could tell the nationality of the people on the summit by which cross they chose to have their pictures taken.

There is a paved road up to the ski carpark at Station d’Err-Puigmal (1978m) N42.39099 E2.08380. The paved road continues past here, however not for unauthorised users as there is a locked barrier. At the first bend in the road past the barrier there is a piste that carries on by La Ribera d’Err that takes one into a large cwm with an eventual scree finish in a col (2714m) N42.39474 E2.11296. From the col it is a matter of following the international border over the summit of Petit Puigmal de Segre to Puigmal itself. Finding shelter from the breeze I ate my, by now, customary piece of bread and a large tomato, followed by an orange and a banana.

Puigmal alien

There were various acts of camera swapping and exchanges of Hola/Bonjour before heading off by an alternative descent route that involves following the border northwards for a while and then dropping quite steeply to meet the ascent route (2236m) at N42.38438 E2.09593. If you wish to ascend by this route backtrack slightly west when the path besides La Ribera d’Err meets the piste, that forms the continuation of the road from the ski-station.




However, I think that I went round the best way – the descent route I used would have been a bit of a chore as an ascent route.

One of the things that is amusing me is the numerous times I am asked about the right way – my tanned skin and dark glasses hiding my blue eyes must be fooling people into thinking I am local. I delight in explaining I am Anglais/Inglesi and then, if I do know the answer, surprise them with my slightly superior knowledge.

Eliza Doolittle

9.71km, 1821m total ascent

Overnight at La Molina (1655m)

Carlit up

Stone Roses just wanna be adored

02/08/2013

Not only Scots want independence

Puig Carlit/Pic Carlitte N42.56988 E1.93212 is a French Major – although some Catalans wish otherwise. It is 2921m high and a P1001 making it a JMH Iberian prominence number 31. The key to its ascent is from the resort of Porte Puymorens there is a road into the ... which ends at a carpark (1738m) N42.55194 E.88038 for Font Vivat. You can park earlier and gain less steep access to the Tour du Carlit (TDC) path – or you can do what I did and go up a steep path through trees and then a meadow to meet the TDC path (2025) at N42.56027 E1.88038 (note I ended up due north as that is exactly the same longitude as the start).

La Lanoux

The TDC is very well engineered and obviously well used. It rises very gently as it traverses the side of the Serra de Font Viva until it approaches a bridge near the barrage of Estany de Lanos (2150m) N42.57531 E1.89473. The path continues to a junction (2222m) at N42.57808 E1.90279.






Most people carry straight on here, I decided to turn left and then head for a col between Puig Castell Isard and the summit peak. And, ended up in a desolate area of piled rocks that would not look out of place near Blaenau Ffestiniog (2574m) N42.57553 E1.92980.

Blaenau Ffestiniog?

After some desperate scrabbling through the stones and scree there was a more pleasurable scramble on the ridge rocks before meeting the more usual path from the west side.The summit is marked by crosses festooned with flags, bits of cloth and padlocks and there is the base of a trigpoint. The view was extensive, despite the fact that, by sod's law, it got cloudy for the time I was on the summit.

Estany dels Forats - note, the clouds now gone

For the descent, I used the scree path, more commonly used, which comes up from Estany dels Forats (2552m) N42.57177 E1.92523. The path back to the junction mentioned earlier is fairly well cairned.


From the bridge near the barrage, I decided to use an alternative and slightly longer path that goes past the Maison des Ingenieurs and through Coma Joan. As I had been a bit late setting off I ended up walking in the dark in the forest, however, most of the time the path was obvious enough to not need to ruin my night vision by switching on my headtorch. The advantage of coming back this way – I didn’t fancy the steep final path down in the dark.

22.42km, 1903m total ascent

Overnight at Font Vivat carpark (1738m)

Escaping Andorra's shopping shame

01/08/2013

Pica d'Estats from Pic de Comapedrosa

Pic de Comapedrosa,  a mere Minor with a P430 and consequently not in the JMH book. So, why bother with it when there are so many Majors around? Well, it is 2939m high, so not a tiddler. It does involve 15.6km of walking and 1565m total ascent on some rather rough ground and through snow – so it is not a walk in the park. However, the main reason I went for it is because Andorra is a separate country and hence provides a chance to add to my total of European country highest points.

Andorra is a pretty place, like the rest of the Pyrenees. However, the low VAT rates have encouraged a lot of retail development in the main valley and it is horrible to look at. Imagine, say, Glen Garry or Glen Affric filled with a continuous and ugly shopping mall for many kilometres.

Comapedrosa is, thankfully, away from the worst of this development – you can get to it from across the Spanish border. However, I chose to get there from the Andorran resort of Arinsal.

At the top of the town the road ends by going through two tunnels. The start point (1548m) at N42.57946 E1.47827 is between these two tunnels – turn right immediately after leaving the first tunnel and there is space at the end of the road for a dozen vehicles and quiet enough to sleep in a motorhome.

The trail is the GR11 and is, therefore, well marked and obvious. After a while of easy gentle walking there is a wood bridge and then a rope bridge (1777m) at N42.58316 E.1.46453 where the path becomes rougher and steeper through the trees. Unusually, the Refugi de Comapedrosa, is not on the trail – you have to leave it if you want to visit. Below the refugi there is a junction (2198m) N42.58007 E1.44859 – I have read several trip reports that indicate the authors have clearly missed this junction and carried straight on, instead of turning right and slightly down into the grassy cwm of Comapedrosa and joining a stream.

The coma of Comapedrosa

Basses d’Estany Negre - that's the couple who slipped when they got to the steeper section

The path then makes a sharp right (2499m) N42.58199 E1.43248 and continues to rise to an estany (I assume that this has a common origin with the English Lake District ‘tarn’) the Basses d’Estany Negre (2574m) N42.58367 E1.43562 where there was still a lot of late snow. Thankfully, crampons were not necessary – although there was a couple descending the snow who both slipped over and slid at the same place. I crossed the snow to the larger Estany Negre (2611m) N42.58683 E1.43676, which was blue and half ice covered.

Estany's chilled

I followed the GR11 for a bit further and then turned right to cross a difficult steep slope of boulders, stones and scree to the summit.



















The summit is marked by a metal post and I had it to myself – with grand views all round.

Shopping mall below

For the descent I walked along the ridge for a while and then dropped down equally difficult ground to the head of a snow covered slope above Estany Negre which was, just about, glissadable. I then used the ascent route as my descent route, in the twilight.

Overnight at Arinsal (1548m)

Pica d'Estats

30-07-2013 

 

Pica d’Estats N42.66700 E1.39788  is one of those summits where you can have one foot in one country, the other abroad – i.e. it is shared by France and Spain. It is 3143m high with a prominence of P1281 and comes tenth in JMH's Iberian prominence list.

Pica d'Estats summit

The pista from Areu to the carpark and barrier at La Molinassa is quite rough. I am glad I did it the night before because it takes about an hour each way, driving. On the way back down I was stuck behind another car and we were overtaken by a jogger.

There was no advantage in staying at the Refugio de Valliferrara as it is very near the start and the path is actually better than the aforementioned pista. After the refugio the path deteriorates rapidly – and it is quite convoluted with more twists and turns than a Swedish TV crime drama.

Morning

Afternoon

Pica daisy

For a long while, despite the occasional signposts I was doubting that I was going the right way as the path traverses around the Serrat d’Areste and into the Barranco de Sotllo.

Barranco de Sotllo

Estany de Sotllo

Outlet of Estany d'Estats and crossing point

Eventually the path reaches the first lake, Estany de Sotllo (2349m) N42.64879 E1.38258 and then there is the difficult task of crossing the river twice without the aid of the collapsed bridge at 2433m N42.65506 E1.38602.

The second lake, Estany d'Estats (2457m) N42.65624 E1.38822 is a good place to camp and gives a good view of the summit which looks tantalisingly near – however, there is still a long way to go using the voie normale.

Coma d'Estats

The Coma d'Estats was snow filled and it was time to put on crampons. The snow slope is long and gets quite steep at times.

Port de Sotllo

The snow runs out before the Port de Sotllo which is a collado and where you step into France (2853m) N42.66888 E1.39788.

France

The map shows a path that goes along the ridge over Pic Verdaguer to the summit – I didn't like the look of it. So, I followed the usual route which goes round the back into France and involves some decent and re-ascent and crossing a lot more snow. I tried to reduce the number of crampons on and off by crossing one patch without them – and regretted it halfway across when the drop looked steep, long and the footprints I was stood in were still icy out of the sun.

The path rises to Coll de Riufred (2967m) N42.67083 E1.40224. Crampons off and it is an easy ridge walk with the occasional bit of scrambling to the summit and with hardly a cloud in the sky tremendous views of the Pyrenees east and west.

Peek-a-boo

I was having a peaceful few minutes to myself when suddenly a host of Grande Randoneurs turned up with several dogs. I left soon after.













My descent route was very much the same as the ascent – I even found myself taking pictures of the same things because the lighting was so different between the morning and afternoon.

23.34km, 2483m total ascent

Overnight in a picnic area on the N260 overlooking the resort of Sort. Quite often on this sort of journey certain roads keep turning up. The N260 is one of those roads, as it runs to the south of the higher Pyrenees all the way from Biescas to the Mediterranean Cote de Vermeille. I look forward to meeting it again, as I continue east.

Then overnight at Xixerella Park campsite, Andorra. (1397m)