The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : update-log
Print this page

(Wish to receive a message with every update? Send me this email )

12 february 2024
- added the 8 days of walking in april 2023, including a 3-days trekking in the Eastern Pyrenees. Start on this page, the day I searched with Corinne Gourgeonnet for the Croix de Malafrenor with on the next day a search together for the Bidaubus-crosses B and C.
- added the 9 daytrips in september 2023, including a few trips with Carlos and Conchita Roca. Start on this page

28 march 2023
- added the 9 daytrips of august/september 2022 along the entire Pyrenees-ridge with the goal of having done every esfr-bordermarkers at least twice with a minimum of 1 year interval. Start on this page
- ultimate highlight: swimming to bm602 which fulfilled that goal.

4 july 2022
- added the 10 daytrips of april 2022 in the Basque country, mainly redoing bm085 to 197. Start on this page
- I changed the first stage of my GRPdesBF-trail (from the coast to Col d'Ibardin) to let the main route pass along bm001. See this page

9 february 2022
- added the 11 daytrips of september 2021 scattered over the western half of the Pyrenees. Start on this page
- special mention 1: I don't keep a list of 'longest daytrips' but my trip on 6-9-2021 was probably my longest ever  in terms of time (13h).  In terms of distance there is another longest day: on 23-8-2011 (40km).
- special mention 2: Corinne Gourgeonnet completing her quest to visit every esfr-bordermarker on 11-9-2021.
- I added an extra page about an Excel-sheet - inspired by Sébastien Marc - in which you can keep track of how many and which bordermarkers you have visited so far.

2 september 2021
- added the 8 daytrips in june 2021 near Bagnères-de-Luchon and near Col de Somport. Start on this page
- the page on the  'bornes de pacage' south of Bagnères de Luchon has been updated with additional documentation by Charles Darrieu and the results of two searches in june 2021
- Carlos & Conchita discovered recently near bm383 the remnants of the original masonry marker, very visible but missed by me and others so far. See: esfr-html-markers-375-390.html
- They also found (2020) the number 121 on a rock besides bm121, also unnoticed by me and others. See: esfr-html-markers-117-130.html

1 march 2021

- added the 6 daytrips in june 2020 and 9 daytrips of september 2020 near Bagnères-de-Luchon and in the Pyrenees Atlantiques. Start on this page
- a special mentioning here of this trip on which the third plate on Col de Lizarrieta was found and bm044L was put back on its original place
- the findings of the trips in the bm272-279 region prompted me to change the 3 GRPdesBF-stages from bm262 to 280. See this page and the following two stages to see the changes.
- added a link to Barry Arnold's website, see the links-page
- addition on the 'sources-in-person'-page of Carlos and Conchita Roca
- a new counting of how many bordermarkers there are on this page

5 may 2020
- added the 5 daytrips from may 2019 (Basque country) and the 11 daytrips from august/september 2019 (Andorra, Pyrénées Orientales and Hautes-Pyrénées). Start on this page
- added a separate page on the new bordermarkers between Andorra and France
- these new trips led to new insights about my GRPdesBF-trail. A number of stages have to be redesigned or adjusted. It concerns the following stages:

   - stages 21-25: Gavernie to Valle de Añes Cruces (bm320-329): new main route & variants, reducing the stages to 4 -> a map and a kml-file of the new situation are presented on these webpages
   - stage 28: Pas de l'Escalette - Col du Portillon (bm333-366): main route no longer along the ridge between bm339 and bm356 -> yet to be worked out but it follows the main trail from Pas de l'Escalette to Col de Barèges
   - stage 30: Plan de Cigalèra - Pont du Roi (bm403-410): the waymarked descent from the main route from bm406 downhill has got a new itinerary -> yet to be worked out but the red-white waymarks make this new descent obvious
   - stage 40: Vall d'Incles - Portella Blanca (bm427): including the new ADFR-bordermarkers as a variant -> yet to be worked out but with the maps on this page this new variant is obvious
   - stage 48: Coll de les Maçanes - Coustouges (bm524-542): the variants along bm536-539 and bm541-542 will become back and forth trips from bm540 -> a map and a kml-file of the new situation are presented on that webpage
   - stage 50: Refuge de Salinas - Col de Perthus (bm554-575): access to bm558 will be from the Spanish side, bm573 will become a back and forth variant from Fort de Bellegarde and the main route will include bm570-572 -> a map and a kml-file of the new situation are presented on that webpage

- don't forget to check my blog for news-items possibly not yet incorporated in the website

14 june 2019
- added the 8 daytrips from august 2018, well spent between bm332 and 417 near Bagnères-de-Luchon. Start on this page
- added a separate page on the so-called 'bornes de paçages' south of Bagnères-de-Luchon with history, maps, pictures and waypoint of the still missing markers.
- the addition by Corinne Gourgeonnet of photos of the unnumbered bm136-submarkers + a cross near bm381
- thanks to Matthias Leube I could add the treaty about bm579bis (1906) on the treaty-page
- an updated review of Alain Gillodes' website on the links-page
- don't forget to check my blog for news-items possibly not yet incorporated in the website

14 august 2018
- added the 6 daytrips from may/june 2018. Start on this page
- special: final discovery with Michel Molia and son & grandson and Jan-Willem Doomen of the 408-submarkers 408 III and IV
- complete rewrite of the webpage on the history and questions about the bm408-submarkers
- added a variant to the GRPdesBF-stage 366-404
- the addition by Corinne Gourgeonnet of photos of the unnumbered bm136-submarkers.
- don't forget to check my blog for news-items possibly not yet incorporated in the website
- added to my blog -> a translation-button to translate the page with one click in French, Spanish, Basque, Catalan or Dutch

26 april 2018
- added the 15 daytrips from july/december 2017. Start on this page
- special 1: final (?) search with Charles Darrieu, Michel Molia and Henny Claassen for the 408-submarkers 408 III and IV
- special 2: visiting Marco Noris' exibition in La Jonquera
- special 3: the addition by Corinne Gourgeonnet of several unnumbered intermediate markers not yet reported in the 001-059 range: start at this page and browse them.
- made entries on the 'sources-in-person'-page for Corinne Gourgeonnet and Michel Molia

- with the information gathered on these daytrips, I corrected the relevant GRPdesBF-stages when needed.
- the Google Earth kml-file with all the bordermarker-waypoints got my own icons:
for border-pillars
for border-crosses (or plates or plaques)
for a combined pillar+ cross
- don't forget to check my blog for news-items possibly not yet incorporated in the website

13 may 2017
- added the 9 daytrips performed in september 2016. Start on this page
- with the information gathered on these daytrips, I corrected the relevant GRPdesBF-stages when needed.
- don't forget to check my blog for news-items possibly not yet incorporated in the website

7 may 2016
- added the 9 daytrips performed in september 2015. Start on this page
- added at the links-page the website of Alain Gillodes
- added at the links-page a referral to a very interesting page of the Conseil national de l'information géographique with an online map of the borderline and 2 documents of the 40ème Réunion de la commission internationale des Pyrénées - Paris, 03 décembre 2014.
- added the discovery by Serge Poncet of part of the number 508 on bm508: see this page

24 august 2015
- added the five daytrips around Bossòst, done in july. Start on this page

10 june 2015
- added four daytrips around Puigcerda, done in april. Start on this page
- with the information gathered on these daytrips, I corrected the GRPdesBF-stage 444-495 and worked out the details of the next stage 496-506
- the cartography-page got an update since I found a way to download and use the more precise SRTM1 elevation data.
- I have a new theory about the original location of bordercross 359: not in the middle of the steep hillside between bm358 and 360 but at its beginning.
- and again I worked out in full detail three other grpdesf-stages (212-229, 230-237bis and 237-262), providing the maps and directions you need to walk the GRPdesBF. The Basques can now easily fulfill their dream: 'doing' the esfr-bordermarkers on their territory: bm001-272.
- I stumbled upon the interesting website of Michel Molia: see the review on this page

18 april 2015
- again several more grpdesbf-stages (now from bm091 to 212) have been worked out in full detail, providing the maps and directions you need to walk the GRPdesBF.

2 march 2015
- several more grpdesbf-stages (from bm001 to 091 and bm444-495 & the Llivia-circuit) have been worked out in full detail, providing the maps and directions you need to walk the GRPdesBF.
- added a newspaper-article of Pierre Challier in the literature-list  (see this pdf-article) on maintenance work on Pont du Roi
- also a link in the literature-list to the documentary "Mon pays, c'est la frontière" broadcasted in France in febr. 2015
- on the special page on the mysterious bm359, I added a little bit on the translation of the phrase "une sorte d'éperon en dièdre marqué"

31 december 2014
- added my last trips from september 2014, mainly covering high-altitude targets over the entire Pyrenean mountainrange. Start here for the full stories day by day
- the findings of these trips changed the lay-out and description/illustration of some GRPdesBF-stages: 237-262, 262-272, 310-311, 312-314, 326-329, 331-333, 418-420, 423-425, 444-495 and 524-542
- the mysterious bm359-cross keeps puzzling me as it does others like Jean-Paul Laborie and Charles Darrieu. I dedicated a special page to bm359 listing all available sources and trying to answer questions
- the special page on the bm408-submarkers got some additions and corrections, thanks to comments by Charles Darrieu
- on the cartography-page, I added information about the use of smartphones/tablet for our job.
- Jacques Koleck revisited the bordermarker-cemetary of Gorospil and found a sixth marker: see this page
- Serge Poncet found an unmarked submarker between bm019 and bm020: see this page
- Angel Serrano helped me with additional information on the plaque at the Añelarra-ridge between bm271 and 271bis
- I added the (probable) members of the Commission Mixte d'Abornement on this page

27 august 2014
- the 18 stages from bm262 to 410 - previously only available as a "preview" - have been worked out in full detail, starting at this page. It's how I want to describe all the other stages
- added to the literature-page: an article of Joan Capdevila i Subirana
- added: an interesting old postcard of bm410 on this page
- added: pictures of the recently excavated bm196 on this page
- added an entry on the 'Sources-in-person'-page (about Cayetano)
- and have a look on the to-do page and my targets for the next trip.

30 june 2014
- added my last trips from may 2014 in the eastern Pyrenees around Coustouges. Start here for the full stories day by day
- the special page on the bm408-submarkers was rewritten entirely, combining all the information that I had and trying to find out where bm408 III and IV have been placed in 1964
- on the links-page I added the slideshows of Serge Poncet
- and there's additional information on
  • bm014-036: added a link to Robert Darrieumerlou's survey of the crosses on the ridge between bm021 and La Rhune.
  • bm056-058: about the submarkers between 56 and 57 and the unnumbered crosses on the top of the Atxuria: information from Jacques Koleck, Serge Poncet and Robert Darrieumerlou
  • bm060-072: information about the unnumbered marker between bm061 and 062: a discovery of Robert Darrieumerlou.
  • bm073-085: Anne Marie Bats and Bernadette Chasseur visited the 'cemetary' beneath bm075, reveiling new information. I also added an excerpt of Paul Badiola's article on the misadventures of bm075 and bm076.
  • bm409-410: information from Robert Darrieumerlou and the Darrieu's about a peculiar round base next to bm409,
19 may 2014
- added my last trips from april 2014 in the eastern Pyrenees around Coustouges. Start here for the full stories day by day
- these trips led to an important update of the three GRPdesBF-stages from bm519 to 553: see this page and the 2 next stages
- the history-page was updated with additional information on treaties before 1856, based on an article of Paul Badiola (received from Jean Hirschinger), see the literature-page
- I added a new catagory: the 'other bordermarkers': unnumbered bordermarkers on bridges, in tunnels etcetera with thanks to Jacques Koleck and Javier Martínez Ruiz. But remember: not meant to be exhaustive, just for fun.  Start at this page.
- and a modest new category about bordermarkers on old postcards. In recent months I have received nice copies from Cayetano and Javier Martínez Ruiz. To be expanded.
- concerning old pictures: Mikel Belasko sent me a nice old picture of bm225: see this page
- the "In the press"-page got an addition with the article on Serge Poncet and his guests.
- Serge Poncet came up with a treaty concerning bm481 between Puigcerda en Bourg-Madame which was replaced by a bronze plate in the tarmac (like bm482)

7 april 2014

- a new series of GRPdesBf-stages is available: from bm417 (Portella Blanca) to the mediterranean see. Start here.
- for the remaining set of stages - from bm262 to 410 - I have made PREVIEWS, starting at this page. A preview means: the routes of the stage have been established (either detailed or rough) and you can already see them on a map and check them on Google Earth with the .kml-files.
- Jacques Koleck sent me again pictures and information on a lot of subjects. Concerning non-numbered bm's on bridges and in tunnels: they will get in due time a special section on this website. For his discoveries on the 'regular' (intermediate) bordermarkers, see the relevant pages for bm001-002, bm024-025, bm028-029, bm029-030, bm032, bm034-035 and bm036.
- Jacques also surprised me with his own blog: see this page
- concerning the mysterious bm261 and the six submarkers between bm261 and 262, Charles Darrieu provided additional information and pictures: see this page

29 january 2014
- a new series of GRPdesBf-stage is available: from bm 410 (Garonne) to bm417 (Portella Blanca). Start here.
- in addition: the GRPdesBf-stage bm524-542, one of most challenging stages in my opinion, has got his first edition
- Jacques Koleck has summarized another year  of bordermarker-research in handwritten letters to me and delivered information on many, many subjects.  For example : bm40-41, 42, 66, 74, 222, 261-262, 271bis, 272-Col des Ourtets, 297-299, 359, 409-410, 364, 431-432, 597bis, 531, Llivia-16,
- Serge Poncet sent me a picture of an intermediate marker between bm011 and 012: see this page
- an addition to the links-page: "Mojones de los Pirineos"
- an addition to the literature-page: the book of Jean Hirschinger and Simone Hondelatte.

8 november 2013
- added my last trips undertaken in august/septembere 2013. Start here for the full stories day by day
- I used the "Murgoi-files" of Jesús Murueta Goikoetxea (an extensive account of his survey of bm001-272, undertaken in 2000-2003) for additional info for the following bordermarkers: bm012, 021, 025-028, 030-33, 043, 056, 059, 065-067, 070, 072, 074-076, 080, 085, 087, 098, 143, 145-146,  164, 169, 182, 196, 212, 218, 222, 236, 246, 250-251, 255 and 262
- added a picture of bm510, recently replaced: see this webpage

8-12 august 2013
- added my last trips undertaken in may/june 2013 to the Basque country and Llivia, the ultimate highlight being bm196. Start here for the full stories day by day
- added: Anne Marie Bats et Bernadette - who proved that bm196 is indeed bm196 - at the 'sources in person'-page. Also added on that page: Jesús Murueta Goikoetxea
- added as part of the GRPdesBF: a circular walk around Llivia, visiting all bordermarkers
- added: one other unnumbered cross at La Rhune, picture provided by Javier Martínez Ruiz -> see this page
- added: a few pictures from Jacques Koleck, Javier Martínez Ruiz and Jean Hirschinger of a 'cemetary' of former bordermarkers  75 and 76.  See this page.
- do you want to know my targets for august/september: see the to-do-page
- putting "the Murgoi-files" (Jesús Murueta Goikoetxea's marvellous account of his bm001-272-quest undertaken in 2000-2003) online: the Murgoi-files (note: it's a large file -280mb - and downloading takes time)
- bm028: added pictures of an engraved cross nearby, provided by Javier Martínez Ruiz.

23 may 2013
- the second series of GRPdesBF-stages is ready: walk from Arnéguy to Col de la Pierre St-Martin (bm196-262) in 4 days: start here
- thanks to contributions from especially Jacques Koleck but also Robert Darrieumerlou, Javier Martínez Ruiz and Charles Darrieu I could add a lot of information among which:
- bm001-002: two extra unnumbered crosses: see this page
- bm021-026 (around La Rhune): several intermediate markers: see this page
- bm036-038: two intermediatie markers: see this page and the next page
- bm056-058: several intermediate markers: see this page
- bm061-066: several intermediate markers: see this page
- bm092: resurrected: see this page
- Pays quint: addional information: see this page
- bm145: discovery of the original bordercross: see this page
- bm146: a number 146 engraved in a rock nearby: see this page
- bm207: explanation of the ELAH-inscription: see this page
- bm251: there is still a bordercross 251: see this page
- bm261: information from the archives about its dislocation: see this page
- bm310bis: more photographic evidence: see this page
- bm330-330bis: extra pictures of the terrain/landscape: see this page and the next day
- bm358: a cross nearby: see this page
- bm364: additional information: see this page
- bm365-366: about the intermediate markers: see this page
- bm424-425: information and picture concerning the borderpasses: see this page
- bm579-579bis-580: proposal for an alternative route: see this page
- l'inventaire à la Prévert: some additions: see this page
- added Jacques Koleck to the 'sources-in-person'-page

11 february 2013
- finally the first series of GRPdesBF-stages is ready: walk from Hendaye to Arnéguy (bm001-196) -> start at this page
- added a separate page on 'Print your own maps':
- made additions to the cartograpy-page
- added a few pictures of unnumbered bordercrosses near bm040: see this page

5 december 2012
- added my trips undertaken in august/september 2012: start here for the full stories
- one highlight: discovering the exact location of the buried bm196 and trying to excavate it: see this page
- another highlight: visiting the recently re-installed bm087: see the same page
- third highlight: exploring a route from bm271 to 272: see this page
- Miguel Martin supplied pictures of the original bm481fr and 482fr: see esfr-html-markers-481-490.html
- and an amazing discovery by Jean-Paul Laborie: he found the original bm330 on the original Port de Clarabide! See esfr-html-markers-315-330bis.html
-and another discovery: there is a bm310bis bordercross, not yet documented by anyone: see esfr-html-markers-310-314.html
- I started a news-blog and set up an email-group: see this page

15 august 2012
- added my daytrips of may 20112, undertaken with Jan-Willem: start here for the full stories
- main achievement was the finding of bm157, see this page
- the bibliograpy-section was renamed to 'sources' and complemented with a "sources in person"-subpage: listing people who supplied valuable information in person on the esfr-bordermarkers.
- Miguel Martin, living in Err, supplied information on bm481fr, recently covered with tarmac: see this page
- and Javier Martínez Ruiz sent me pictures of the recently reinstalled bm087 - see this page - and
- supplied important information on the location of the buried bm196: see this page and
- sent me pictures of the bm098, before its demolition: see this page
- Cyril Dominguez helped me to correct my list of carthographic omissions on the curiosities-page and other misstakes on the website
- I added social media-buttons on the frontpage

23 december 2011
- added my daytrips of august/september 2011, 'doing' the remaining bordermarkers: start here for the full stories
- main achievement was the series of bm271-304: see this page and further
- other direct links to new and updated bm-pictures:
   - bm087-089-090
   - bm157 
   - bm191-196 
   - bm234-236 
   - bm265-270 
   - bm305-307 
   - bm359 
   - bm365 
   - bm366 
   - bm407-408  with a separate page on the story and localisation of the 408-submarkers
   - bm409-410 
   - bm415-417 
   - bm420bis, 422, 422bis 
- on the cartograpy-page: added some online cartographic services of Andorra and Spain
- on the Curiosities & Triva-page, I added items on 'Cartographic errors & omissions', "A to-do list for the CMA" and "A fake cross 316 at Col de Lourdes"
- in the Miscellania-section: added a page In the press
- made minor changes on a lot of other pages
- translated the remaining Dutch pages in English

22 july 2011
- added the trips 21-27 may (major feat -> sailing to bm602!) -> start here
- put a video of the sailing trip to bm602 on Youtube, visible here or directly on Youtube
- made a very humble start with the GRPdesBF-design: the first (which is the last) of the 52 stages is ready: see this page
- technical improvement: shifted from frames to tables -> printing becomes easy and each page is linkable
- added the special pages on the Andorra tripoints, formerly part of my dutch bordermarker-website
- added old pictures of bordermarkers - copied from documentaries from Luc Bazin- on these bordermarkers: 012, 036, 262, 330, 472513 & 577.

18 may 2011
- made a .kml (Google Earth-file) with the coordinates of every bordermarker of the esfr-border: see this page
- added the cartographic services of the Spanish border-provinces on the cartography-page
- added a special page on Llivia (see the curiosities-page)
- added a smal "l'Inventaire à la Prévert (see the curiosities-page)
- added a picture of bm408b, recently found by the Darrieu's (see this page)

27 april 2011
- added the trips 21-25 march to the eastern Pyrenees from the coast to Le Perthus, covering bm600 to 560.
- added on the literature-page a few publications of Jean Sermet, the erudite bordermarker-delegate of the 20th century and an article by B. Maurel on Sermet himself.
- made minor changes on other pages.

11 march 2011
I received more information of Charles & Josette Darrieu. Charles is too lazy - he wrote jokingly- to build his own website and is flattered when I use information and pictures of theirs for my website. I'm grateful for this generosity because this couple has collected a treasury of data on the esfr-bordermarkers.
In this update:
- information is added (see the corresponding "all markers"-pages) on bm001-002, bm007, bm036, bm044, bm076, bm089, bm122bis, bm157, bm235-236, bm330, bm359, bm408 I-IV, bm409 1-7, bm417, 420bis, bm421 and bm602
- I re-edited the "all markers" pages, limiting the bm-pictures to one for each trip-day and referring for additional pictures to the "all trips"-pages.
- added information on the history-page
- added information on the curiosities-page on bm420bis
- renamed the literature-page in bibliography and splitted it in a treaties- and literature-page.
- added a new page: about the maintenance of the bordermarkers
- added a new page: about myself.
- made minor changes on many other pages.

16 january 2011
Thanks to an elaborate email of Charles & Josette Darrieu - great searchers of the esfr-bordermarkers - I could add information on a lot of pages.  There are 11 bordermarkers more on the esfr-border than I thought
See
- the 'all marker'-pages concerning: bm044-submarkers, bm086, bm087, bm089, bm157, bm196,bm236, bm251, bm255, bm271bis, bm297, bm359, bm364, bm367, bm408-I to bm408-IV, bm409-1 to bm409-7, bm415, bm416, bm422bis, bm471, bm510, bm534, bm535, bm574bis
- the curiosities-page: how many bordermarkers are there?
- the literature-page: added a 'La Depeche'-article on Jean-Paul Laborie
- the literature-page: added two spanish books (of MARTÍNEZ RUIZ and VIGOR & SANZ)
- the to-do-page: added 11 bordermarkers still to do and other information

27 december 2010
- Added the trips of 25 august - 13 september covering bm250 - bm256, bm261 - 270, bm314 - bm366 and bm411 - bm416. See the corresponding 'all trips'- and 'all markers'-pages for more information.
- Added a french and spanish page with translation-tips. Also an explanation how to print the webpages.
- Added a map of the Pyrenees (on the "All markers - intro"-page and the To-do-page) with the remaining bordermarkers.
- Besides this: a lot of minor changes.

29 october 2010
Minor update to change the link to Martial Garcia's website, adjust the one to Alain Laridon's website and add one bordermarker (567bis) to the total amount of esfr-bordermarkers.

16 august 2010
Added the trips of 9-12 july 2010 to Nuria, Cerdagne and the Albères. A lot of remake-pictures but primarily meant to find bm435 to 437I, bm508-510 and the Llivia-markers 24, 26 & 27.  See the corresponding 'all markers'-pages for more information.

22 june 2010
Added a link to Paco Nudel's website on the links-page. His picture of bm408 is a surprise implying that 'my' own bm408 is a submarker (408 I).  Also very content to receive pictures of Alain Laridon of bm602. See the corresponding 'all markers'-pages for more information.
Besides this a lot of minor adjustments.

17 june 2010

Officially in the air!