|
Maps
What
to Bring
WARNING
Places
to Stay & Eat
Getting
To/From the Walk
|
Duration
4
days
Distance
45.75 or 50.75km
Standard
Medium-Hard
Start
Toria
Finish
Sallent de Gállego
Public
Transport Yes
|
|
THE
WALK (see
map
1,
map
2)
Day 20: Torla to Bujaruelo
2 hours, 6.5km
Though
not a full day's walk, we include this walk as a separate day
because it allows for more flexibility in planning the final stage
of the Pyrenean Traverse. You can either tag this walk onto the
end of a descent from the Pradera de Ordesa (see the side trip
from Pradera de Ordesa to Torla at the end of Day 19B) or else
take time to visit Torla and leave for Bujaruelo in the afternoon.
It's also possible to begin the day from the Puente de los Navarros
and continue on to either Panticosa (see Day 21A) or Balnearios
de Panticosa (see Day 21B). This makes for a very long day's walk,
however.
From Torla,
take the shuttle bus as far as Puente de los Navarros (for bus
times, see Getting to/from the Walk in the introduction to this
walk). From the bridge just west of the barrier marking the park
entrance, it's a pleasant walk northwards up the Valle de Bujaruelo,
the attractiveness marred only by a series of giant electricity
pylons.
Follow the 4WD
track which runs parallel to the Río Ara. After 2.5km,
where the track crosses the small Puente de Santa Elena (or Puente
Nuevo), stay on the river's true left bank to take a charming
footpath which leads through woodland all the way to Bujaruelo.
A kilometre
from the Puente de Santa Elena, the Puente de los Abetos leads
to the excellent, walker-friendly Camping Valle de Bujaruelo
(Tel: 974 48 63 48), open from Easter to mid-October. Camping
costs 445 ptas for a small tent, plus the same amount per person.
Alternatively, you can sleep in the refugio where rooms cost 2500/3600/
4500 ptas for two, three and four people, respectively. It has
a bar, a restaurant with a good menü del día for 1400
ptas and a small shop (a good place to stock up if you're heading
west and wish to bypass Torla). The owner and his friends have
blazed a number of nearby trails and he's a fount of useful information
on day walks in the area.
Alternatively,
you can push on for a further 3km to Bujaruelo itself,
a splendid spot where the valley broadens out. The more spartan
but equally friendly Camping San Nicolas de Bujaruelo
(Tel: 974 48 64 28) charges much the same as its neighbour down
the valley. If there's no one around, just pitch your tent and
someone may turn up next morning to collect the fee. Beside the
camping ground is Mesón San Nicolas de Bujaruelo
(Tel: 974 48 60 60) on the site of what was once a hospital
catering to pilgrims and travellers crossing into France by the
Puerto de Bujaruelo. (Take time out to look at the ruins of the
Romanesque chapel just behind it.) Open from Easter to mid-October,
rooms sleeping four to six cost 1000 ptas per person. Though it's
prudent to reserve ahead in July and August, the friendly manager
will always squeeze you in (his personal record is 130 – in a
place with a capacity of around 50 – one night when a Pyrenean
storm raged and the adjacent camping ground was awash). Both the
Mesón and the valley's camping grounds offer free hot showers.
Day
21A: Bujaruelo to Panticosa via Collado de Tendenera
7½ to 8 hours, 23km
After
the hard graft and upland barrenness of the eastern approaches
to Ordesa, today's walk is almost entirely one of well marked
paths with scarcely a stone to clamber over. You'll work hard
as you ascend from the Valle de Otal but the route's clear and
once over the Collado de Tendenera it's downhill all the way to
Panticosa.
Cross Bujaruelo's fine single-arched stone bridge to follow the
Río Ara's true left bank upstream – if, that is, you can
resist taking a dip in the limpid blue pools. At the intersection
with a 4WD track, after 20 to 25 minutes, turn left to cross the
river by the Puente Oncins.
Just over the bridge, head westwards across a meadow for no more
than 200m to pick up a vague trail marked by equally faint GR11
trail markers (the ‘official’ GR route now goes much further north
– see Day 21B). As it enters a wood and climbs south-westwards,
navigation isn't easy. Once in open meadow again, you'll probably
lose the authentic trail overrun by new grass and competing cattle
paths. However, if you keep rigorously on a south-west bearing
and aim for the Collado de Otal, you shouldn't go wrong. If you
do, extricate yourself by heading for the 4WD track to the south
which describes a series of hairpin bends up the hillside.
Once over the col, drop gently to the broad, grassy valley, through
which the Río Otal snakes. The Collado de Tendenera is
obvious at the far, western end, flanked by its outriders, the
Pico de Tendenera (2853m) to the south and Mallaruego (2692m)
to the north. From here it's easy, level striding on a good-quality
cart track all the way to the Cabaña de Otal
– more cowshed than refugio but fine as an emergency shelter –
reached after 1¼ to 1½ hours.
Continue due west, passing to the right of a small waterfall.
Keep to the north (true left) bank of the stream which feeds it,
passing a large metal rain gauge as you ascend to the head of
the valley. Here, the path veers due north and begins to climb
more steeply out of the bowl. About 50 minutes after the cabaña,
just beyond a metal sheepfold and before a multicoloured pole,
the path (somewhat alarmingly) turns back on itself and heads
north-east, away from the col.
Finally, after a good 25 minutes or more, the route turns sharply
leftwards beside a stream which crosses the main path. Overgrown
and marked only by slowly decaying wooden pegs striped with the
familiar red-and-white trail markers, it heads firmly north-west
to become once more an evident path.
The terrain becomes increasingly dramatic as you gain altitude.
There's not a sign of humanity apart from the red-roofed cabaña
below and the path at your feet. A little under an hour from the
turn, at about 2200m, the trail passes over a small spring seeping
from the rock just below the saddle. The grass here makes a cosy
lunch spot or camp site, if you've started the day
south of Bujaruelo.
The Collado de Tendenera (2325m) appears deceptively close,
but it takes another 20 minutes from the spring to reach the pass,
where karst and sandstone meet. Take a last look east to where
the border summit of Tallón (Taillon) at 3144m overlooks
the Puerto de Bujaruelo.
About 40 minutes below the col, pass a small refugio
capable of sleeping four. There's water nearby and camping
is possible if you beat down the long grass. Ten minutes later
the path crosses to the true left bank of the stream it's been
following and then veers away around a small bluff. Enjoy the
unexpectedness of a magnificent view over the Río Ripera
valley to the north and a glimpse of Balaitous mountain (3151m)
on the Franco-Spanish border.
After 15 minutes the path crosses the Río Ripera to meet
the well maintained 4WD track which follows the length of the
valley. Some 20 minutes from the junction you pass an ICONA
refugio (a possible overnight stop). From here on, the
challenges are over, the walking's simple and there remains only
a considerable horizontal rather than vertical distance.
Some 10 minutes beyond the refugio the path crosses to the river's
true right bank at a ford that may have you paddling when the
river's in spate. A couple of minutes later it passes the Refugio
de Ripera, a Spartan concrete block with capacity for
six. From here on the red-and-white trail markers which, fresh
or fading, have been around for most of the day, are supplemented
by blue-and-white, then orange-and-white markers as the path joins
other trails coming up from Panticosa. Once the path widens to
become a track and makes a sharp left turn as the Arroyo Laulot
stream comes in from the east, it's an hour of fairly unexceptional
walking to the merendero above Panticosa and a further 30 minutes
into the village itself.
Places to Stay & Eat Panticosa
has a couple of supermarkets, where you'll need to buy provisions
unless you plan to make the next day a long one, walking from
Balneario de Panticosa to Refugio de Respomuso (see Days 22 and
23). The most reasonable food and accommodation is at Hotel
Navarro (Tel: 974 48 72 20) in the Plaza de la Iglesia,
where a double costs 5300 ptas.
Alternatively,
once on the main road, hitch the 5.5km up the road to Balneario
de Panticosa so that you're poised for tomorrow's departure. Balneario
de Panticosa has restaurants and a bakery but no shops. There's
a good FAM-run refugio, the Casa de Piedra (Tel:
974 48 75 71), where despite having room for over 100, it's wise
to reserve ahead in high summer. At 1000 ptas per night and with
dinner for 1300 ptas, it's the bargain of the Balneario. The cheapest
of the hotels is the Continental (Tel: 974 48 71
37), where a double costs 5400 ptas.
For taxi and
bus options up the valley, see Getting to/from the Walk in the
introduction to this walk.
Day
21B Bujaruelo to Balneario de Panticosa via Cuello de Brazato
6½ to 7 hours, 18km
The
clearly marked GR11 route forms a sickle shape; straight up the
Río Ara valley, then curving left to mount the Barranco
de Batans (de los Batanes). It then crosses the watershed at the
Cuello de Brazato and curls down to the spa resort of Balneario
de Panticosa.
At the junction
where the Day 20A route turns left to Puente Oncins, go right
to follow the trail for a further 7.5km of gradual, effortless
ascent of the Río Ara valley as far as the mouth of the
Barranco de Batáns (2050m). The gorge becomes more attractive
as you gain height, set against the imposing, unscaleable south-west
face of Vignemale (3303m).
Allow about
two hours from here to the Cuello de Brazato (2578m). Immediately
west of the pass and 200m below is a level-bottomed cirque containing
the two Ibóns de Brazato; you may want to camp
here if you don't have sufficient daylight or stamina to reach
the Balneario de Panticosa, still 90 minutes further on. For information
on food and accommodation in Balneario de Panticosa, see Places
to Stay & Eat at the end of Day 21A.
Day
22: Balneario de Panticosa to Ibón de Llena Cantal
6 to 6½ hours, 9km
The
GR11: Senda Pirenaica handbook by PRAMES recommends a 21.5km
marathon with over 2500m of altitude change and quotes an overly
optimistic time of eight hours. We prefer to break the journey
into one longish and one shorter day with an overnight camp. If
you're without a tent, a further one to 1¼ hours beyond the Ibón
de Llena Cantal will bring you to the excellent Refugio de Respomuso.
If you want to break earlier, there are some particularly fine
camp sites beside every lake on the route to the
east of the Collado de Piedrafita. There's no shortage of water
on this stretch.
Leave Balneario
de Panticosa beside the Casa de Piedra and once beyond the last
of the spa buildings head north up a rocky, well established path,
popular with day-trippers on their way to the Embalse de Bachimaña
reservoirs.
Some 45 minutes
above a mirador, cross a meadow (1900m), the first spot above
the spa where camping is allowed. Once you've passed
the Cascada d'o Fraile waterfalls, a series of steep zigzags leads
after two hours to the head of the lower Embalse de Bachimaña
(2180m). On the eastern shore of the reservoir are a pair of simple
shelters and a potential camp site.
There's another
small but more substantial refugio with space for
camping beside the north-eastern shore of the higher
Embalse de Bachimaña. If you're thinking of staying here,
approach the refugio via the lake's northern end; the east-bank
trail depicted on the Editorial Alpina map follows a route that
is plain dangerous. On the reservoir's west shore, just after
passing a small island in the lake, there's a fork. Follow the
GR11 as it ascends and resist the temptation to stay on the enticingly
flat track which ends in nothingness at the lake's edge.
You're back
among chunky granite boulders and slabs – hard nonporous rock
where the water gurgles at surface level rather than percolating
underground. The first Ibón Azul, 1½ to 1¾ hours beyond
the lower Embalse de Bachimaña, is a scruffy spot with
an unpleasant, doorless metal shelter daubed with racist slogans
beside an ugly dam.
Turn your back
on it and attack the steep 20 to 30 minute boulder ascent to the
altogether different upper Ibón Azul tarn. In a
stunning setting below the Picos del Infierno and Piedrafita mountains
and unmarred by human construction, its lakeside meadows offer
the best camp site east of the pass.
It takes around
1¼ hours from Ibón Azul to reach the Cuello d'o Infierno
(2721m), ascending through chaotic, fragmented rock where
scarcely a blade or sprig of anything green grows. From the pass,
nowhere near as hellish as its name implies, there are great views
east over the Embalses de Bachimaña and Lagos de Bramatuero
and over the often semi-frozen Ibón de Tebarray to the
west.
Hell comes 20
minutes later as you ease yourself over the rim of the Collado
de Piedrafita (2782m) to descend steeply down a snow-covered scree
slope (the snow persists until late into summer). Negotiate this,
curl around a shoulder, and heaven stretches before you: the bijou
Ibón de Llena Cantal, the grassy, stepped meadows,
and below them the Embalse de Respomuso.
It takes 1¼
to 1½ hours to descend to the Ibón de Llena Cantal (2450m).
On the east shore next to a striped pole is an excellent camp
site (note that the trail follows the west bank, not the
route indicated on the Editorial Alpina map).
Day
23: Ibón de Llena Cantal to Sallent de Gállego via
Refugio de Respomuso
4 to 4½ hours, 12.25km
Continue
northwards and downhill over springy turf for 20 minutes until
you reach a wide meadow and another five star camp site.
A further 20 minutes along the path the GR11 splits to go both
right and left around the Embalse de Respomuso. For the
Refugio de Respomuso, take either of two clear paths heading to
the right of the lake and head north over a small ridge to a small
white storage hut, once a refugio. If you're planning on camping,
stay below this building in the water meadows or beside the small,
unnamed tarn< >to its north-east, since tents aren't allowed
in the immediate environs of the refugio.
The Refugio
de Respomuso (Tel/Fax: 974 49 02 03), open year-round,
with espresso machine, draught beer, hot showers and Rioja wines
is a palace among mountain huts. The staff are friendliness itself
and prices (1200 ptas per night, 1750 ptas for dinner) are refugio
average. It's essential to reserve in July and August and advisable
at other times since the place is often booked by school and college
groups.
The west end
of the dam 15 minutes beyond the refugio is full of industrial
detritus from the construction of the dam. What's billed as a
refugio is now dilapidated and rubble-strewn and the chapel is
locked – neither merit a detour. From a sign, `La Sarra', head
straight down the valley of the Río de Aguas Limpias on
a good-quality path. It's a popular trail and, with under three
hours to go on this, the very last leg of the Pyrenean Traverse,
you can have the satisfaction of acknowledging panting, overheated
uphill toilers with a cheery, even-breathed greeting.
An hour or so
from the dam, the green bowl of the Llano Cheto spreads
before you, watered by the cascades of the Río de Aguas
Limpias and the Barranco de Arriel. At the narrows of Paso del
Onso, around 1700m, the gorge bends sharply south. The path, now
to the west of the water, tunnels through a fine wood of beech
trees and past some attractive lunch spots.
Thirty to 40
minutes from Llano Cheto, the track rounds a shoulder to reveal
the wide meadows of Llano Tornadizas and the first distant, emerald
glint of the Embalse de la Sarra. Another 30 minutes brings you
to a car park, picnic area and fine multiheaded fuente at the
head of the dam.
Take the reservoir's
east bank, pass the growling turbines of the hydroelectric station
and follow the sealed road down to Sallent de Gállego for
a total walking time of a little more than four hours.
|
Days 20–23
Web Site
