ESFR-TRIP 24 august 2025

The bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
- sunday 24 august 2025 - Bm322 with Carlos & Conchita previous trip next trip
	Summary: one of 7 daytrips from which 6 were done with Carlos & Conchita Roca to assist them in their quest to finish doing all esfr-bordermarkers. Today: climbing to bm322 via Pic du Port Vieux, descending via Refugio de Barrosa Weather: splendid Same trip to be seen at Carlos & Conchita's website.
track-20250824.gpx This gpx-track has not been manually corrected which explains the inaccuracy and misalignment at some points. The original elevation recording has been replaced by more accurate DEM-data with Gpsvisualizer.com. For cartographic backgrounds: see the cartography-page Gps-waypoints of all bordermarkers (most recent version): kml: esfr-bordermarkers-all-waypoints.kml gpx: esfr-bordermarkers-all-waypoints.gpx (with reliable elevation data added by gpsvisualizer.com)
	According to Garmin Basecamp (uncorrected track with elevation added by Gpsvisualizer.com): Distance: 18,0 km Max-height: 2718m Min-height: 1383m Elevation: +1138m -1421m Total elevation: 2559m Start 7:35 Finish 17:01 Total time: 9:26
	Driving in 3 days to Bielsa. With one night in Sézanne, one night on camping de Montreal and a stop in Simorre for the grave of Jean Sermet. I will return here at the end of holiday, see this page.
	My basecamp in Bielsa for 2 nights. (click photo to enlarge)
	Early start at the south entrance of the Bielsa-tunnel. (click photo to enlarge)
	First a rocky and wooded path climbing (click photo to enlarge)
	to open terrain. Note the waysigns: to the right is to Puerto de la Forqueta (bm323) but we go straight on to (click photo to enlarge)
	Port Vieux, you see the last lacelet. (click photo to enlarge)
	Once Port Vieux was a very frequently crossed borderpass. We see still a litte shed for the customs officers. I always wondered why no bordermarker was installend or engraved here. (click photo to enlarge)
	A memorial plate, remembering the refugees of the Spanish civil war. (click photo to enlarge)
	But we have to go on: via Port Vieux to Port de Barroude. (click photo to enlarge)
	The trail is well, still. (click photo to enlarge)
	Looking back. (click photo to enlarge)
	I am ahead of Carlos & Conchita and look back (click photo to enlarge)
	to them. The last part of the climb to Pic de Port Vieux is steep and vertiginous. (click photo to enlarge)
	At the Pic de Port Vieux (2723m). . (click photo to enlarge)
	Perfect spot for a picture (click photo to enlarge)
	and a view ahead. Port de Barroude is in my opinion the most beautiful Port of the Pyrenees. (click photo to enlarge)
	Carlos is taking a mini-nap. (click photo to enlarge)
	The descent from Pic de Port Vieux (in the background) to Port de Barroude is easy going. (click photo to enlarge)
	You can see the winding trail to the Port. Near the lake, there used to be a garded refuge, I slept there at 30-8-2010. It burnt down in 2014 but a new one is planned to open in 2027. (click photo to enlarge)
	Now we are at the broad shouldered Port de Barroude. Bm322 is at a rocky outcrop at the west-side of the Port. (click photo to enlarge)
	Waysign, we have descended 200m from Pic de Port Vieux. (click photo to enlarge)
	Towards the rocky outcrop (click photo to enlarge)
	which consists of two sub-pics. This is the first one with a metal stake on it. (click photo to enlarge)
	But bm322 is at the second pic. (click photo to enlarge)
	Zooming-in and bm322 becomes visible. (click photo to enlarge)
	Bm322 (click photo to enlarge)
	Bm322 (click photo to enlarge)
	Bm322 (click photo to enlarge)
	Bm322 Now Carlos & Conchita have only 7 bordermarkers to go. (click photo to enlarge)
	Looking back at Pic de Port Vieux. (click photo to enlarge)
	Looking down into the Spanish valley. (click photo to enlarge)
	We accessed bm322 by climbing over the first pic. In fact there is an easier ascent on the south side climbing to the mini-col between the two pics. That is how we descend. (click photo to enlarge)
	If I zoom-in, bm322 is well visible. (click photo to enlarge)
	Now a bit lower and looking up to that mini-col. (click photo to enlarge)
	The plan was to return the same way but that would mean climbing back to Pic de Port Vieux and then a steep descent. And we are tired. I propose to change plans and return via Refugio de Barrosa. That is only descending but will involve a walk along the ascending road, back to the parking. This picture: already descended and looking back (click photo to enlarge)
	and zooming-in to the rocky outcrop with its 2 pics. (click photo to enlarge)
	And so we descend but I must admit that it is a long descentm longer than I remembered. (click photo to enlarge)
	Looking back to Port de Barrroude. (click photo to enlarge)
	Almost at the bottom of the valley, you can the cabane of Refugio de Barrosa. (click photo to enlarge)
	Along the dry riverbed (click photo to enlarge)
	into the forest and then to the road. Carlos manages to arrange a hitchhike to the car. (click photo to enlarge)
	The traditional beer to celebrate the bm of this day. We are so thirsty that our glasses are already empty. For Carlos & Conchita only 7 bordermarkers to go. (click photo to enlarge)
	At night we have dinner in Bielsa. Carlos & Conchita will return home tomorrow and I will drive to Arette for doing bm272bis. We will meet again a few days later at Pont d'Espagne. (click photo to enlarge)
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