Highlights
- Pedraforca is one of the most emblematic mountains, if not the most, in the Catalan territory, and one of the most beautiful.
- This itinerary is one of the classics and most beautiful in Catalonia due to the unique features of the terrain.
- Climbing, in some sections quite airy but easy, until reaching the North Summit.
- Ridge walking, with climbs and descents, until reaching the highest point, the Upper Pollegó.
Introduction:
The Pedraforca, with its unique terrain, has emerged as one of the most beautiful and representative mountains in the Catalan territory. Its profile, from the eastern slope, is the most well-known. The route through the so-called Coll del Verdet is the most beautiful and technical itinerary, especially in its final stretch, to reach the summit of Pedra.
Geology:
The predominant rocks are limestone, from various geological periods, which give us a good number of gorges, caves, grottos, and chasms, scattered throughout the territory of the Park.
The backbone of the Park is the ridge oriented from west to east that follows the mountain ranges of Cadí, Moixeró, Tosa, and Puigllançada, between the Bancs pass to the west and the Creueta mountain range to the east.
The Pendís pass, located in the middle of the ridge, separates the Eocene structures of Cadí from the Paleozoic (mainly Devonian) structures of the Moixeró-Tosa-Puigllançada group. However, the entire ensemble is part of the Cadí thrust sheet, which is the main structure of the eastern Pre-Pyrenees.
The other major structural relief of the Park is the Pedraforca massif, located to the south of the Cadí range and literally perched on it through another thrust sheet.
The Pedraforca thrust sheet, consisting mainly of Cretaceous limestone (secondary), lies above the Eocene (Tertiary) rocks of the Cadí thrust sheet. That is why we say that the Pedraforca thrust sheet (which also includes the Cadinell and Cloterons) is an upper sheet, and the Cadí is a lower sheet.
The compressive forces that caused the uplift of the Pyrenees also led to this accumulation of rocks, which are the thrust sheets. Firstly, the Pedraforca thrust sheet moved southward, and subsequently, the Cadí thrust sheet with the Pedraforca on top. Therefore, it has been the rocks of the Pedraforca thrust sheet that have moved furthest south, over a distance estimated between 25 and 50 km.
Wildlife:
In the Park and its surroundings, you can find about 60 species of mammals, but most of them are difficult to observe because they are nocturnal or have very discreet habits.
This difficulty is particularly high in the case of the wolf (Canis lupus), which began recolonizing this area from the year 2000, a century after being extinct.
Among the mammals that are easy to observe, ungulates stand out, especially the chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica), generally quite confident and visible in the high mountain meadows throughout the Park. The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is harder to spot as it mainly moves within the forests, but it is currently abundant in the sector between Bagà and Castellar de n’Hug. The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is found in many forests of the Park, where it is relatively easy to see, and it is often detected more by its call, which resembles a dog’s bark. It’s worth noting that both the red deer and the roe deer were extinct in the 18th and 19th centuries and were reintroduced a few decades ago. The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is common and present throughout the Park, but hard to see, mainly detected by their droppings and their habit of rooting or digging the soil to eat roots and invertebrates.
The marmot (Marmota marmota) can also be easily spotted. It was introduced to the Pyrenees from the Alps and has colonized the Park since the 1990s. Currently, it is very abundant and easy to observe around the Coll de Pal and Coll de la Creueta. The squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), related to the marmot, is also often seen in the forests, although it’s more common to find the pine cones it has nibbled on. Other medium-sized mammals are primarily nocturnal, and during the day, they are usually only detected by their footprints and droppings, such as the hare (Lepus europaeus) or common small carnivores like the beech marten (Martes foina), the badger (Meles meles), or the genet (Genetta genetta).
Our route:
- Difficulty: High
- Distance: 9,1 km
- Unevenness: 940 m
- Estimated time: 5 hores
Route:
Perfil:
- Transport Barcelona - Saldes (ask)
- Activities agreed in the program
- Amaroq Explorers guide
- Civil liability and accident insurance
- Taxes
- Services not mentioned in the list of included
- Personal clothing and equipment
- Personal expenses such as refreshments, etc.
- 08:00
Meeting point, to be arranged with the group in Barcelona. We’ll do a quick gear check to make sure we haven’t forgotten anything, then we’ll travel to Saldes (Mirador del Gressolet). Private transportation (Van). (2 h.)
- 10:30
Activity start.
We leave the vehicle at the parking lot of Mirador del Gresolet. We walk 50 meters from the road of Saldes, where we arrived, and we will see some stairs on a path indicated with arrows of the PR-123, first, and orange marks of Cavalls de Vent later, which will take us to the refuge Estasen, at Jaça dels Prats (1,668 m).
Outside the refuge, a sign indicates the direction that the path takes us to the Pedra. It is a path marked as PR-123, which goes west, gradually ascending, in general, until reaching a wide channel called canal de Riambau. After crossing another channel, we start a steep climb to the gruta de la Rua Gran.
This stretch of the route is interrupted up to four times, crossed by channels. It passes through a black pine forest. It involves flanking at the foot of the North wall. Then we continue along a rocky terrace until we reach a stream where there is a spring. We climb up to a pass, follow a wooded ridge, and overcome a right channel that leads us to the coll del Verdet (2,224 m).
At this point, we leave the PR-123, which heads northwest. Reaching here means having overcome the most physically challenging part of the ascent. But it also means that we are about to face the most technical part of the itinerary. This is the moment to assess the weather conditions because this is a dangerous mountain in cases of storms or strong winds. The terrain, from now on, is completely exposed, treeless, and rugged, where you need to use your hands to progress, on more than one occasion. From the base of the wall itself, we begin to climb, following some yellow markings. In some points, the climb is very airy and can be impressive for those who have never climbed before. The ascent is continuous until reaching the North Summit, but to reach the Upper Pollegó, we still have to crest for about 20 more minutes, with continuous climbing and descending.
Once we reach the highest point, we head south towards the Enforcadura. This is the pass that separates the Upper Pollegó and the Calderer from the Lower Pollegó, in the central scree. Following the scree on its right side, there is a restored path that makes the descent towards the refuge generally easier and more comfortable. Be careful not to overshoot and turn left, heading north, to flank the mountain back to the refuge. It’s a path that runs comfortably through the forest. From the refuge, we return to the path that takes us back to the viewpoint.
End of the Program
