|
The
bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
 |
|
| -
saturday 6 september
2025 - Bm330 with Carlos & Conchita  previous
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: a long and tiring climb to bm330 with Carlos & Conchita Roca. Weather: sunny Same trip to be seen at Carlos & Conchita's website. |
 track-20250906.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 The original elevation recording has been replaced by more accurate DEM-data with Gpsvisualizer.com.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: 16,7 km Max-height: 2688m Min-height: 1569m Elevation: +1252m -1253m Total elevation: 2505m Start 7:45 Finish 17:35 Total time: 9:50 |
 | Our basecamp is camping Los Vives between Salinas de Bielsa and Plan. From there we drive up the winding mountain road to the parking of Refugio de Viados. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Just beyond the Refugio passing this bridge (click photo to enlarge) |
 | and entering a beaufiful landscape on good trails. First to the east and then (click photo to enlarge) |
 | bending to north-east. Here we see already in the far end the ridge where Col d'Aygues Tortes is with bm330. Still a long way to go. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Trodding on along the mountainside between the sheep (click photo to enlarge) |
 | and descending a bit to a confluence of three streams. Time for a short break. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Then the climb to bm330 starts. There is a faint trail through the grass and then a rockfall to cross. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | We are approaching the upper end of the valley. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | That's where a steep climb starts going NW. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | We are at the end of that steep climb. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | The rest is easier and (click photo to enlarge) |
 | now the Col itself comes in sight. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | And there we are: at Col d'Aygues-Tortes. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Bm330 (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Bm330 Now Carlos & Conchita have only one bordermarker to go: 330bis. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Bm330, looking into Spain. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Bm330, looking into France. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Bm330 There is an interesting story about this bordercross. It was once believed to have disappeared and a new one was engraved at the next border-col to the East, the Port de Clarabide. But in the 19th century, the Col d'Aygus-Tortes was called .... Port de Clarabide. This was found back and the new bordercross 330 was renamed to 330bis. Read all about it in this blog-post. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Bm330 (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Bm330 (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Bm330 (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Information panels (click photo to enlarge) |
 | with an interesting one about the Ports of the Pyrenees. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | A bit down the Port itself, we take a break, Carlos in his typical mini-nap position. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Then returning, carefully descending the steep part. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Later crossing the rockfall again. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Back at the confluence of the three streams. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Time to cool our feet in the water, what a relief. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Then continuing, a long time SW, along the mountainside (click photo to enlarge) |
 | with a magnificent view of the Posets massif (I think). (click photo to enlarge) |
 | Then the trail bends to the west and Refugio de Viadós comes in sight. It's been a long, long day. Back to the camping. (click photo to enlarge) |
 | We
look happy with our so well deserved beer but there is also something
sad. There is only one marker left for Carlos & Conchita: 330bis.
We would do that together in the days ahead. But the 4x4-taxi for the first part has broken down. But they will do bm330bis later, together with their son David en his novia Noelia. See this blog-post and their own website. (click photo to enlarge) |
 |
The next day, I start my journey back home in 4 days. First I drive to the scenic village of Simorre to do some research on Jean Sermet. See hereunder. There is a small & nice municipal camping.  After two nights there, I continue via the camping in Gien to home-sweet-home.  |
  |
About the Simorre-cemetary: there is family grave with only "FAMILLE SERMET NARBONN" on it, no dates of death or likewise. I have been here before and started to wonder: is Jean Sermet really buried here? I now search the whole graveyard but cannot find another Sermet-grave. But the name of Narbonne was found back twice. I checked later at home with the village administration and they confirmed that Jean Sermet is indeed buried here with his wife. He was born in Toulouse but his wife (surname Narbonne) was a native of Simorre. Their only daughter - a Parisian doctor of medicine - still owns the parental house. |
 |
But who is Jean Sermet? He
(1907-2003) was a professor of geography in Toulouse but is known best
as a pioneer in the research of the bordermarkers in the Pyrenees. As a prominent member of the French-Spanish border commission, he has been crucial in restoring bordermarkers and settling disputes after WWII. Famous in this regard is his book La frontière des Pyrénées (1983). He was interviewed in 1995 in a documentary of Luc Bazin: L'homme de la frontière. I think that this man deserves a Wikipedia-entry. I might write that article one day. |
| previous
trip
|
|