• Gabor Graehn
  • Gabor Graehn

Pyrenees 2022

Sentier des Bonhommes + Sentier Cathare Read more
  • Trip start
    September 13, 2022

    First stop on the way to the Pyrenees

    September 13, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    First stop Frankfurt am Main. Got on the ICE in Berlin juuuust in time after some delayed Tram and S-Bahn. 😁

  • Lyon and Avignon

    September 14, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    A short stay in busy Lyon for the night, then on towards Spain. An hour in touristy Avignon before taking the next train.
    We even saw flamingoes near Agde 🙂

  • Berga: our starting point in Spain

    September 14, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    After a rather chaotic change in Perpignan (train cancelled die to strike) we got to Barcelona (where we got a short view of a Gaudi-house) for another chaotic change to an ALSA-bus to Berga.
    Missed the first, the second didn't show up but the third brought ud safely to Berga where we had a very cold Estrella.Read more

  • Peguera

    September 15, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    First day hiking. Only about 15km but mostly uphill. We stayed in an abandoned village, Peguera, where among the ruins one house was still standing. Just the right place for a rainy night. Some others had used the place for some parties judging from all The empty wine bottles.. 😁
    In the way we met quite a few locals collecting mushrooms: rubellones, in English "saffron milk cap", in German "Edelreizker". So we collected some, too. A nice addition to our noodles.
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  • Peguera to Gosol

    September 16, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Another day, perfect hiking weather. Quite a few height meters, both up and down.
    Again many mushrooms on the way. Yummie!
    The countryside was great with some high cliffs, we saw both griffon vultures, choughs and some great insects.
    Finished the day with a beer in the campsite... 😋🍺
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  • Gosol to Bagà

    September 17, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    A long day with just over 30 km. We just had to take a detour to the waterfalls of Emedrats and Bullidor de la Llet.
    On the way to Bagà we went past some interesting geological formations. Any ideas, how those came by?
    In town we decided to "eat out". We only found a simle but pleasant bar where we got Veggie-burgers and fries with loads of calorie-rich mayonnaise, just what we needed.
    Unfortunately we then had to hike another 3 km uphill to our "campsite", a recreational area near the river where we arrived after sunset and quickly crashed into our sleeping-bags.
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  • Bagá to Bellver de Cerdanya

    September 18, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    A long hike in warm weather. Blue sky only.
    Many butterflies, lizards and a brown mantis.
    Old villages with equally old churches in the plain of Cerdanya. "Our" campsite was already closed which meant another 2 km hiking when we were quite tired but luckily there was even a small supermarket with cold beers...Read more

  • Bellver to Cabana de l'Espavers

    September 19, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The 4. day of our hike, another short day. We we went to a Kind of plateau at just over 2000 m and slept in a tiny stone hut surrounded by cows and horses.
    In the way we had a welcome break at and bath in a small brook.
    After sunset we lit a small campfire and enjoyed the stars. Great!
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  • Andorra and into France

    September 20, 2022 in Andorra ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Today we passed the Portella Blanca @ 2515m, where Spain, Andorra and France meet. It was almost magical, when the sun came up over the mountains. In the way we saw both marmot and chamois, griffon vultures and lammergeiers.
    A short part of the track passes through Andorra and we had enough time to make a detour to the even higher Col des Isards, from where we could look down upon Paz de la Casa, a tax-free shopping town. What a contrast!
    In the French side everything was greener in the valley of Campcardos.
    We stayed at the small communal campsite @ Porté Puymorens, where it got really cold @ night.
    The village didn't have a bar but a baguette - dispenser (enter a few coins and out comes a baguette) 😊
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  • To Refuge des Besines

    September 21, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Up and down again. All the way to Hospitalet where there was supposed to be a small shop. It was more of a bar with some few packs of cookies etc but no porridge oats (we had used up our last ones this morning).
    We decided to stay at a refuge (des Bésines) at about 2000m. Our first bed since Berga.
    A good decision, as we met some interesting hikers, got served good food and beer and even got given porridge oats by some fellow hikers.
    And there were blueberries...
    The GR 10 crossed our path here. Maybe a project for another year?
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  • Foix, end of GR 107/ Chemin des Bonhomme

    September 23, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    After about 10 days "out in the sticks" we are now back in civilisation. It"s a bit overwhelming but also great to be able to go to a real supermarket... We are staying in Auberge Leo, an unusual combination of cultural center and youth hostel. We can even see the castle from our window.
    Went here from Prades hitchhiking to Ax-les-Thermes and on by train, because the læst bit og the GR is the same as the Sentier Cathare, which we will start sunday.
    So far we were really lucky with the weather, the rain startet as we were waiting for the train. 😁
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  • Chateau de Foix

    September 24, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Towering above town this medieval castle is really impressive. So is the museum.
    Well worth the visit and the hefty entrance fee.

  • Vernet d'Arriege

    September 24, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    Site of a french concentration camp for refugees from Spain after the civil war. Both spaniards and 50 other nationalities. Bad times. ☹️

  • Pic de l'Aspre

    September 25, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Lunch-stop on the way from Foix. It"s getting cooler @ around 14 degrees but still pleasant.
    Around US the hunting season for mainly wild boar has startet and dogs with GPS-collars and orange vests are running through the woulds.
    Nice insects still around.
    In the way down we passend some impressive karst-scape.
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  • Montségur

    September 26, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Another castle, the last Cathare stronghold.
    Situated on a rock (pog in occitane) it is visible from far away.
    We heard and read some fascinating stores about their faith, which took some inspiration from the east: Ying and Yang, Good and Bad..
    The Pope couldn't stand this heresy. Therefore He arranged the only crusade (!) against Christians in Europe.

    Today Was definitely colder, autumn is there.
    Still, we saw some lizards... 😊
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  • Gorge de la Frau

    September 27, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    The rain is back. We have been really lucky so far but this morning we woke up to some steady drizzle.
    After our usual porridge on the campsite we went off in our ponchos, looking a bit like Quasimodo. 😁
    Todays highlight Was the Gorge de la Frau, that looked great even in bad weather.
    We met again with 2 american men in their seventies and 2 younger english en from London.
    In Comus, where the Sentier Cathare turns off from the Chemin des Bonhommes there was a police Checkpoint because of a Rave party in the nearby valley.
    Tonight we will stay in a little Hut in the forest. Unfortunately we couldn't get the fireplace working ☹️
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  • Another rainy day

    September 28, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Another day that startet off with some steady drizzle.
    Still, the views were good and we managed to hike more than 25 km to Puivert, where we had been recommend a Bed and breakfast run by a Dane: Ingo.
    Le moulin d'entre les roches is what we needed: good food and a bit of luxury.
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  • Almost no rain and lots of vultures. 😊

    September 29, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    A longish day across a varied landscape. At one place there were about 50 griffon vultures circliing, some of them just taking off from their resting tree. 😊
    Despite a rainy forecast it only started to rain about 2 min before our late arrival at a gîte in a tiny hamlet above Marsa run by an elderly gentleman, the last inhabitant. Great experience, one of the highlights of our trip. 😁Read more

  • Puilaurens and april-weather

    September 30, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    A cold and rainy day interspersed with some sun.
    We had a good start, hiked past an autumn landscape and found a goat-cheese farm where we could stock up on lunch.
    In Axat there was a small SUPERMARKED. The first for a week. New supplies of Snickers among other things.
    At the end of the town we met a "local" danish couple who invited US for coffee. Funny, how you meet people while travelling.
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  • Forest fire

    October 1, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Because of some recent fires the Sentier Cathare had been diverted. We didn't know that and had to pass through some areas "passage interdit". The air was still smelling of smoke but there were already green leaves sticking out of the charred earth.Read more