Around the lost mountain - day 3
WITH complaining feet and legs, most walkers would want a day off in Bielsa to recover. So, in reality, this should be day 4, even though it’s day 3 of walking. Confused? You will be.
Bielsa is one of my favourite town/villages in the Pyrenees. But not everyone is as enthused as I am about the place. The Lonely Planet guide refers to it as a ‘cheapo mecca for bargain-hungry shoppers’. However, having spent a total of several weeks in this place over the last 12 years, it is a description which I really do not recognise of my beloved Bielsa. Other people I know have also failed to be seduced by its charms. But all I can say is that readers should go themselves and make up their own minds.
The Bielsa I know is an unspoiled village which has kept its ancient streets intact and is a joy to stroll round. You wouldn’t want to do it during peak season – but that could be said for many places in Spain.
Also, it has none of the new development that has afflicted the outskirts of nearby Benasque, which the Lonely Planet is much kinder about. Don’t get me wrong, I love Benasque too – but it has certainly grown more than some would have hoped.
The central point of Bielsa is the square that is home to the historic town hall, which is also a museum that tells the story of the ‘Bolsa de Bielsa’ (more on that shortly). Here there are a couple of shops which could be accused of selling ‘tourist tat’ – but as that is done from lovely old stone buildings I think we can forgive them the ‘crime’.
Just around the corner, on the street heading down to the river, is the newspaper shop where visitors can pick up detailed maps of the surrounding valleys. I went there in search of maps for France, having decided that I would not be returning to the Pineta valley to climb up to the Collado de Añisclo on the ‘dodgy’ path.
The owner of the store shared my enthusiasm for the route into the neighbouring country which would allow me to complete a circuit of Monte Perdido (the lost mountain). However, he explained that he had sold out of the dedicated map covering the route. He had two others which would show part of it, but not all.
I came away with two (for the price of two), knowing that there were sections of the route which would not be covered. This was far from ideal – but I had the remainder of the day for internet research on what lay ahead.
The walk
The path to the French border is one that I’d walked during a previous visit. This was the route taken by Republicans
at the end of the Spanish Civil War as they fled from Franco’s forces and sought refuge in France.
The people of the area had witnessed the heroic defence of the central Pyrenees, now known as the ‘Bolsa de Bielsa’, when the 43rd Division of the Republican Army tried to keep the advancing fascist troops at bay.
But in April, 1938 the time had come to evacuate – on foot. The refugees, carrying what belongings they could, walked up the long road towards the mountain pass which would take them to comparative safety in France.
The first section nowadays is along the A-138 road which leads to the road tunnel into France. This could be avoided by taking a taxi to the mouth of the tunnel – a sensible option on a long day’s walking, saving more than 10km of road.
For the less sensible option (which I did), walk out of the back of Bielsa on the road heading for Javierre village. At the first dog-leg bend notice a sign which points for Parzán on the PR-189. Stay on this path until it reaches the A-138.
From here it is main road all the way to the tunnel. The traffic is not too heavy – and comes it fits and starts because the tunnel into France is single carriage and operates with traffic lights.
At the entrance to the tunnel, see the ‘tunnel HQ’ on the right. The path to the pass starts round the back of the building, where there are walk boards and signs telling the story of the refugees’ escape.
The path starts at 1,660 metres on the PR-182 and heads up to the ‘Puerto Viejo’ at 2,378 metres. Ascend on a switch-back path to the top of a waterfall.
The route then heads straight up the grassy valley, first following the stream and then keeping to the right. It is a well-used path.
Keep straight on up to the old border post where there is a plaque to remember the ‘Bolsa de Bielsa’ and a disused sentry post.
From the border there are stunning views into France and back down the valley to Spain.
Continues next week.