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Places
to stay & eat on this walk
Getting
to & from this walk
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Duration
4
days
Distance
49.25km
Standard
Medium-Hard
Start
Refugi
de Vall Ferrera
Finish
Espot
Public
Transport 3rd
day only
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De-Trashing
the Planell de Boavi
By
midsummer the meadows of the Planell de Boavi would be strewn
with the rubbish of day visitors and campers taking advantage
of this free, accessible space. The place was also a health
hazard, without toilets or other amenities.
The
solution was simple; the area was declared a protected zone
for hunting and fishing, and a barrier was slung across
the vehicular access track, a 30 minute walk downstream.
Those
30 minutes are crucial. There’s still open access for those
who make the effort, and the Planell de Boavi these days
is almost as pure as the more lightly trodden meadows above.
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The
Walk (see
map
9,
map
10, map
11)
Day
3: Refugi de Vall Ferrera to
Refugi de Baborte
4½ to 5 hours, 6.5km
As
far as the Estany de Sotllo (pronounced so-yo), on the much trodden
main route to the Pica d'Estats, you won't be short of company.
Further west, you're unlikely to see anyone for the rest of the
day.
About
15 minutes from the Refugi de Vall Ferrera, turn left at a fork
where a sign points east to the Estany de Areste and west to the
Pica d'Estats. After an agreeable and deceptively level stretch,
the track drops to meet the Barranc de Sotllo after 45 to 55 minutes
from the starting point. Cross over a wooden bridge onto the true
right bank of the torrent.
Before
reaching the Estany de Sotllo, the path climbs over three lateral
moraines straddling the valley. Tackle the first two on the west
side and the last one more towards the middle. The route, in places
more stream than path, is well cairned – grooved, even – by the
thousands of walkers who have passed on their way to bag the Pica
d'Estats.
As
you cross the third ridge, two to 2¼ hours from the refugio, the
Estany
de Sotllo lies ahead of you, probably with
a tent or two adding colour to its north shore. This is a popular
base camp for a morning attack on the Pica d'Estats (see the side
trip at the end of this day's walk description).
At
the northern end of the tarn, leave the main track to head west-north-west
for 40 to 50 minutes, following the lake's feeder stream. It makes
a great trail marker, drawn like a length of string between the
Estany de Sotllo and your intermediate goal, an unnamed pool.
From
the pool, head steeply upward, aiming for the Coll de Baborte
(2618m) to the south-west, just south of the Pic de Barbote.
At the pass, reached after 45 minutes to an hour of scarcely discernible
trail, a metal sign directs you towards the Refugi de Baborte
(a further 45 minutes away). As you descend into the valley, look
for cairns rather than traces of the path which loses itself among
the boulders.
Keeping
a couple of small tarns well to your right, aim for a small gap
south-west and dead ahead. After passing a pair of more substantial
tarns, also on your right, the Refugi de Baborte
(2438m) becomes visible. Resembling nothing more than a metal
haulage container or giant meat locker from the exterior, the
refugio can accommodate eight and is surprisingly cosy inside,
with well insulated, wood-panelled walls. Campers will find plenty
of camp sites on the springy grass near the lake.
Day
4: Refugi de Baborte to Tavascan
5
to 5½ hours,15km
From
the refugio, head west and up towards a bank of distinctly red
rock and scree. If you're lucky you might hit one of the vague
trails – there are at least three of them – which zigzag their
way through the boulder field and up to the Coll de Sellente
(2485m). If not, it doesn't matter too much since no path
is better than another. After working your way across the boulders,
you should reach the pass in a little more than 30 minutes.
Once
over the col, keep heading rigorously north-west. The navigation
is easy, but if in doubt look for the stones topping a giant erratic
(a solitary rock different from the rocks surrounding it). There's
a good chance of seeing chamois here.
Shortly
after the Coll de Bessero, a hump straddling the valley, the route
turns right (north) and descends to the Planell de Sant Pau (2240m)
with a striped pole planted at its heart and the ruins of the
long-closed Sellente refugio. Continue over the brow of another
minor col and drop down into the lush valley of the Ribera
de Sellente. The path crosses several rivulets to end up on
the true right bank of the stream.
Less
than 2km downstream, cross back to the true left bank. The path
stays level as the stream falls away below. Where the two join
again, about 30 minutes later, cross once more to the true right
bank over giant stepping stones of metamorphic rock.
Some
15 minutes later turn right at a T-junction and follow the path,
against all your instincts, as it turns back on itself and heads
north-east, away from the col. The path very soon swings north-west
to cross a swift torrent by a pair of rickety logs and becomes
a fine, well maintained track. This drops gently down in switchbacks
through fir and pine trees to a log bridge over the Riu de Broate
and into the fertile meadows of the Planell de Boavi. There
are several gorgeous camp sites here.
It's
a 30 minute walk from the meadow to the barrier which marks the
limit for vehicles and a further 6km to the village of Tavascan
(1167m). Some 15 minutes beyond the barrier is the dam and small
hydroelectric plant of Montalto, driven by the Noguera de Lladorre
as well as water from the Vall Ferrera transported via a subterranean
pipe.
In
Tavascan, the cheapest option is Pensió Casa
Feliu (Tel: 973 62 31 63) where prices range from 1500
ptas to 4400 ptas, followed by Hotel Llacs de Cardós
(Tel: 973 62 31 778, Fax: 973 62 31 26) which has singles/ doubles
for 4200/6000 ptas (outside the peak August holiday season). The
village camping ground, Camping Bordes de Graus
(Tel: 973 62 32 06), is an inconvenient 5km from the village.
There's a small grocery store in town.
Alternative
Camp Sites
There
are quite a few great camp sites at the top of the Ribera de Sellente
valley and around the Planell de Boavi.
Day
5: Tavascan to Estaon
4
to 4½ hours, 11km
This
relatively short and easy stage, involving roughly 700m of ascent,
is a respite before the longer and more demanding walk to Espot
the next day.
Cross
Tavascan's fine, steeply arched stone bridge and turn almost immediaTel:y
right by the village water trough. Pass under an arch to join
the ancient and occasionally overgrown path connecting Tavascan
and Lleret. It's still paved in places with large, rectangular
slabs of rock.
About
20 minutes into the day, the trail reaches the partly ruined,
partly inhabited village of Aineto. (In the valleys on both sides
of the Collada de Jou, notice the frequent, abandoned bordas in
varying stages of collapse.) Bear right at a sign reading `Lleret'
and some five minutes later turn sharp left up a path which climbs
the hillside next to a rocky stream bed and enters a wood of hazel,
ash and oak trees. The route then turns south to maintain a fairly
constant level, high on the flanks of the Vall de Cardós.
It passes just above the village of Lleret (1380m) after about
1½ hours.
You're
now on a wide, grassy cart track which passes through a fire-damaged
area. It swings north-west to climb more steeply towards the Collada
de Jou (1830m). Just before the col is a drinking trough for animals.
The pass, which you reach after 2¾ to three hours of walking,
has impressive views in all directions and makes a great lunch
stop.
The
path down to the valley of the Ribera d'Estaon isn't easy
to distinguish amid the thick broom. No matter; just head for
the ruined Borda de Vidal less than 1km away in a north-westerly
direction. Once you reach the small river, turn left and continue
downstream along an ancient track hacked from the hillside and
cobbled in places to give access to the summer dwellings upstream.
On your right are the Bordas de Nibros, yet another uninhabited
cluster of farm buildings. Beside a rocky outcrop, about 30 minutes
after joining the valley bottom, there's an abrupt change from
tangled path to a wide, though long abandoned, cart track. About
1¼ hours after reaching the Ribera d'Estaon you come to a sealed
road heading west and away from the river. Continue along it to
Estaon, barely 10 minutes away.
In
the tiny hamlet of Estaon, la señora at Casa Calatxo
has the key to the old school house, where travellers
are welcome to spend the night. For greater comfort, it's a 6km
walk southwards to the fleshpots of Ribera de Cardós, which
has a couple of hotels and places to eat.
If you're camping wild, either choose one of the
grassy spots beside the Ribera d'Estaon, or continue beyond the
village for at least another hour and pitch your tent in one of
the meadows beside the disused Borda Palau.
Day
6: Estaon to Espot
6½
to 7½ hours, 17.25km
Leave
Estaon by the slate steps next to the fuente (spring).
Ensure your water bottles are full since there's no other reliable
source of water until Dorve on the other side of the Coll de Calvo.
Take
a vague switchback path which climbs northwards up a rocky crag.
The path soon improves and veers west to climb high above the
Ribera d'Estaon. About 20 minutes out it turns left into a small
copse and passes the Borda Palau. As you emerge from the trees,
aim for a long defunct Tel:egraph pole (clearly visible) on which
is attached a hand-painted sign, ‘Dorve’. The trail at this point
becomes indistinct as you push your way thorugh thigh-high broom
and dog rose bushes.
One
to 1¼ hours out, the path veers north-west beside the just discernible
ruins of an old borda. Thirty minutes later it enters a sparse
pine wood which continues until the Coll de Calvo (also
called the Coll de Montcaubo; 2207m), 2¼ to 2½ hours from Estaon.
From here are the first views of the higher peaks within the Parc
Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici. In the
middle ground is rolling forest descending to the Vall d'Aneu
and the Riu Noguera Palleresa.
The
slope on the western side of the pass is less steep, the track
is easier to distinguish and you can maintain a steady pace. As
you emerge from the wood, a little less than an hour from the
col, you can see the abandoned hamlet of Dorve and the slender,
emerald Embalse de la Torrassa dam.
The
GR11 at this point is badly maintained; the path, where it can
be discerned, is overgrown and tangled with broom, briars and
nettles. Aim for the valley's western flank where a clear track
of much greater antiquity than the upstart GR11 will lead you
down to Dorve, a forlorn, crumbling cluster of buildings.
Nearby is a flowing fuente which offers the first reliable water
since Estaon. From here, a clear track leads you in about 45 minutes
to the lake and La Guingeta (945m).
If
you want to postpone the ascent to Espot (still 2¼ to 2½ hours
away) until the next day, the friendly Hostal Cases
(Tel: 973 62 60 83) in La Guingeta has singles/doubles for 1700/3300
ptas (2250/4500 ptas with bathroom). It serves meals and runs
Camping Vall d'Aneu on the other side of the highway.
You can also eat at Hotel Poldo.
Leave
La Guingeta along the lane beside Hotel Poldo and after 200m turn
right to take an old cart track. This soon narrows to become a
cobbled, stepped path which leads to Jou (1305m) after 45 minutes
to an hour of steady uphill climbing. From here it's 5km – an
hour's walk – along a sealed, virtually traffic-free minor road
to the highway linking Espot and the Vall d'Aneu. At the junction
you can head straight up the main road to Espot (1320m) or, for
an altogether more pleasant alternative, cross the Riu Escrita
by the array of flags beside Camping La Mola to
take a wooded track above the river's true right bank.
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Days 3 – 6
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