The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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- 7 september 2009 -
Approaching the Pic du Midi d'Ossau

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 esfr-trip-track-20090907.kml
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Part of a 5-days trip from Col de Somport to Cauterets, exploring bm305 to bm314.

Day 1: from Col de Somport to the foot of Pic du Midi d'Ossau.

Weather: sunny, nice
For explanation of the gps-coordinates and other cartographic backgrounds:
see my cartography page

According to my watch:
Duration: 10.20-16.25,  in total 6.07 hours, no breaks
Up: 846 m
Down: 823 m
Total elevation 1669 m
Highest point: 2154 m
Lowest point: 1636 m

According to visugpx
- distance : 11.7 km
- cum. elevation gain : 813 m
- cum. elevation loss : 784 m
- total elevation: 1597 m

- altitude maxi : 2175 m
- altitude mini : 1624 m
- altitude average : 1911 m
With the night-train Paris-Pau and the train/bus Pau - Col de Somport, I arrive ± 9.30 at the col.

This picture: view of the Col from the Spanish side.
Bm305
You can't miss bm305bis in the middle of the road.
Bmp305bis
Bm305bis
Bm305
Backside of bm305bis with in the shadow bm305
The search for bm306 and bm307 is a lot easier with the pictures of Robert Darrieumerlou.

There's an easy access from the NW-corner of a parking behind a large French building, just NW of the bordercrossing.
That's where a trail starts which passes E of this electricity-building.

Move the cursor over the picture to see where the bordermarker is.
East of the building, at approx. 15m:

Bm306
Bm306
Bm306
Bm307 is ± 325m to the NNE

Move the cursor over the picture to see where the bordermarker is.
Bm307
Bm307
Bm307
From bm307 I go E and return to the trail.

I continue on the trail, then take a branch which climbs through the bed of  a (dry) stream uphill.

This picture: I'm climbing through the bed and look back.

Higher on, the bed makes a large bend to the left (towards Col Mayou).
But I take a smaller bed which goes - as it were - straight ahead - and brings me NEE on the borderridge. From the ridge a Spanish ski station visible.
Then to the N, traversing with a curve underneath a rocky outcrop and climbing to

bm308
Bm308.

Interesting: the Procès-Verbal locates bordercross 308 on Col Mayou but that Col is on French territory. Bm308 isn't at a col but on the end of ridge.

as you can see here:

bm308, clearly at the end of a ridge.
Then along the hillside to the lake of Ibon del Escalar.

There's no real trail but often cattle tracks ease your way.

Close to the lake, there's a clear track. I circle around the lake and climb to



Col de Moines with this view of the Pic du Midi d'Ossau and
with bm309
bm309

I descend on a distinct trail and further on I continue in the direction of Lac Cousteau on a trail with an abundance of cairns.
A view to the SE, into the valley which I will enter the next morning.

The Col d'Anéou - giving access to Cirque d'Anéou and Col de Pourtalet - already visible.



I descend towards a stream. A nice place for a bivouac.

There has been less progress today than expected but well, that's often the case.

Bivouac: N42 50 20.2 W0 28 26.4 H1646m
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