Sierra del Cadí – Pedraforca (4)
LAST week I’d reached the summit of Pedraforca (2,506 metres) in the Sierra del Cadí – the range that lies just short of the Pyrenees in Cataluña.
The descent back to base sees the walker continue from the peak marker along the last short section of the summit ridge.
Great care must be taken before reaching the path which goes down. The initial descent is quite steep in parts, with the white/yellow waymarks of the PR-C 123 footpath to help with direction. Walkers will see that they are heading for the ‘Enforcadura’, which is the wide saddle area that lies between the two main peaks of the mountain. This is the spot which looks like a missing tooth when the mountain is viewed from a distance.
Slow going at first, the descent becomes easier as the saddle gets closer. The ‘Enforcadura’ is another dramatic spot,
between the two looming masses of rock. It is a very well-trodden path down from here, with the walker turning
left to start the descent.
The section down runs parallel to the ‘tartera de Pedraforca’, a protected scree slope,
where a sign warns people to ‘keep off’. It informs walkers that the ‘continuous passage of hikers has degraded and damaged the scree, making it dangerous to descend’. The sign advises people to follow the marked path to allow for a restoration of the scree habitat.
Even so, the marked trail also contains a lot of scree and has become worn in places so care has to be taken. Steps have been created in some areas to help with the descent. It is 1.3km down from the saddle to a sign below in the pine trees which points back to the Lluís Estasen refuge. From the sign it’s 1.2km to return to the refuge, which is a pleasant walk through the shady pines. Then, from the Lluís Estasen, it’s 800m back to the car park.
The round walk to the summit from the car park is approximately 9km, with around 1,100 metres of ascent. It takes between five and seven hours.
The route is only recommended for experienced mountain walkers.
Final part on the Sierra del Cadí next week