Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019

Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019
On the Archduke's Path in Mallorca

Friday 18 October 2019

Pyrenees HRP - 2004 - Day 38

 
Sue and Martin's Big Adventure
 
Day 38 - Wednesday 1 September 2004 - Stage 31

Postcard Summary
Bilberry camp to (nobody seen for 24 hours) Masia-Noarre campsite
Long leisurely day in varied scenery with frogs – 8.25 hours, 14 km, 650m ascent
After yesterday’s huge boulders and very slow going, today was a delight.  Only 400 metres of ascent to the first col, then an undulating route to have lunch at an unmanned refuge – Rif Pujol – it houses nine people and is very smart and clean.  Looks like a large metal trunk from the outside.  Then a nice gentle descent during which we had to make a route decision.  We came to Camping Masia because it sounded nice in the guide book, and the clouds were building up….and as I write, from the comfort of the bar at Camping Masia, it is raining.  Correct decision.  The alternative would have been another high wild camp, probably with lots of frogs, which have dominated the day.  Now looking forward to a nice meal at the restaurant here.

 
 
Diary Entry (by Sue)
Tonight I write from the comfort of a chair with a beer in front of me. We have dropped to a highly recommended campsite, Bordes de Graus, at 1360 metres, where the 'excellent sanitary facilities' have proved just that - showers had and washing done.
 
Our quiet campsite last night had cloud below it this morning. When cleaning teeth last night we heard barking -  fox? wolf? deer? The muesli was nice with added bilberries, and we got off at 8.30, wearing gaiters due to wet grass. The climb was steep on the narrow, cairned path, crossing rocks in parts and passing two false cols.
 
 
The last section was steep scree, but the Col de la Cornella (2485 metres) was a superb notch in the sunshine and a just reward for the climbing. Mountain mix went down well. Descent over steep ground to two lakes and a contouring path to the next col.
 
Another short climb to the Estany de Calberante. In this lake were hundreds of tadpoles and on the grass surrounding it, lots of tiny frogs. The tadpoles were concentrated around the silty edges, until disturbed, when the water heaves as a tidal wave of tadpoles heads for deeper water.
 
 
 
This nicely put off the climb (steeply) to the next col at 2610 metres, where there was a good view of Mont Roig, and of the three Gallina lakes and refuge.
 

The view from Col de Calberante

 
The descent past these lakes was lovely -  large polished rocks, waterfalls and streams - the sheep were surprised to see us! The obstacle of the water filled gully before the refuge, mentioned in Joosten's guide book, was easily passed and refuge proved an excellent place for lunch.
 
It is unstaffed and has beds for nine. Martin brewed inside whilst I made a pâté baguette outside, despite the lack of sunshine. The refugi was opened in 1984 and is named after Enric Pujol, a mountaineer killed on Broad Peak in 1981 aged only 28. It would be a cosy place to stay, with its candle chandelier.
 
 
 
The path down from here was also a good one - steep in parts and over smooth rocks in other parts. It followed a stream, meaning that frogs were ever present - both adults and tiny ones.
 
 
At least this afternoon was cooler than yesterday - some cloud cover and a cool breeze. Saw our second snake of the trip, about 9 inches long and bronze coloured. Despite being provoked, it wasn't in a hurry to escape.

Through silver birch trees before reaching and crossing a stream. Another brief but pleasant section of path brought us to a dirt road. This zigzagged down and joined a tarmac road, that passed by the nearby uninhabited hamlet of Quanca. After passing the reservoir and dam, the hamlet of Graus was reached, where our campsite is located.

There had been an option of going higher and traversing across to tomorrow's route, but this option wasn't mentioned in either guide book, and in view of the black clouds above, the descent to this site was chosen. No storm, but plenty of rumbles of thunder, and some black clouds. Of note, we hadn't seen anyone for over 24 hours when we met two Spaniards on their way to the refugi - an indication of the remoteness of this section.

Arriving at 4.45 pm, a beer was welcome before the tent went up. After showers etc, we retreat to the bar, for diary writing and postcards. The restaurant here conserves one of our evening meals in case Refugi de Certascan cannot oblige tomorrow. We eat green beans for starters, chops, ratatouille and salad for main, and yoghurt / creme caramel for pudding. The 'english speaking lady' misinterprets a couple of orders to achieve this! The rain patters on the skylights above.

Addendum:
The Enric Pujol refuge provided a couple of peach drinks that somebody had left behind there - very welcome on our way down to Graus. Also there was a plaque:

"ENRIC PUJOL 10/2/53 - BROAD PEAK (KARAKORUM) 5/8/81" and a quotation from Frederich Nietzsche.*

Stats and route (Viewranger):
14 km, 650 metres ascent, 8.25 hours 


 
* “Let us face ourselves. We are Hyperboreans; we know very well how far off we live. 'Neither by land nor by sea will you find the way to the Hyperboreans'—Pindar already knew this about us. Beyond the north, ice, and death—our life, our happiness. We have discovered happiness, we know the way, we have found the exit out of the labyrinth of thousands of years. Who else has found it? Modern man perhaps? 'I have got lost; I am everything that has got lost,' sighs modern man. This modernity was our sickness: lazy peace, cowardly compromise, the whole virtuous uncleanliness of the modern Yes and No. … Rather live in the ice than among modern virtues and other south winds! We were intrepid enough, we spared neither ourselves nor others; but for a long time we did not know where to turn with our intrepidity. We became gloomy, we were called fatalists. Our fatum—abundance, tension, the damming of strength. We thirsted for lightning and deeds and were most remote from the happiness of the weakling, 'resignation.' In our atmosphere was a thunderstorm; the nature we are became dark—for we saw no way. Formula for our happiness: a Yes, a No, a straight line, a goal.”
 
 

2 comments:

Sir Hugh said...

Another breakfast livener for me this morning. Your route stayed higher for longer and was tougher than mine. I'm a bit surprised at you carrying boots and trainers and gaiters and one or two other things I think you have mentioned., and on top of quite a bit of food I guess, your packs must have been fairly heavy.

Phreerunner said...

Conrad, our route was the HRP, yours was GR10, I think. Whilst the ascent/descent figures are similar, the HRP stays higher.
True, we were heavily laden at times, especially with all the tins from Salardu, but we managed fine. Our loads were in the order of 20 kilos at times (but we soon ate through some of that!).

I took new boots - KSB 300 GTX, so trainers were vital whilst I broke them in, and there were certain sections (and every evening) when the trainers were very useful. Those boots lasted some more big walks, and were eventually binned (literally) at the end of my first TGO Challenge in 2007.

I'll try to add a link to our kit list in the next posting.