El Cinquè Llac brochure: the Fifth Lake--an exceptional and well-cared for hiking route (Pyrenees)

el cinquè llac lla

A five-day hike through a truly singular part of the Pyrenees Responsible and sustainable tourism run by local people

Immerse yourself in the silence of the Lleida Pyrenees “ The main attraction of this circuit is the simple pleasure of just walking and enjoying your natural surroundings without the need to reach the summit or crown a peak.

This walk will enamour even the most dedicated collectors of tasks that have no real purpose: for example, those who know how to appreciate the colours of the fallen leaves and the red of the clayey soils these paths traverse; those who love to imagine the lives people once lived in the abandoned farms; those who can grasp that the work of the shepherds is part of their culture too; and even those who yearn to taste a plate of girella or a tasty coca de recapte.

All this concentrated in a series of landscapes unknown to most mortals, where you can walk in the sure knowledge that you are the only soul on the path with just a sturdy hazel stick to keep you company. That is still possible in Catalonia today. ” Joan Portell, journalist, Vèrtex nº. 259 el cinquè llac

A challenging walk A hiking circuit in the Pyrenees that will take you through the most evocative and least familiar part of these mountains.

100 Km 5 stages Walk from one delightful rural accommodation to the next Luggage transfer included Just one aim: to get to l’Estany de Montcortés This is a self-guided route through the highest Pyrenean foothills of the counties of Pallars Jussà, Pallars Sobirà and Alta Ribagorça that, although designed with true walkers in mind, demands no great technical skills.

It begins and ends in the town of La Pobla de Segur, less than 200 km from Barcelona, and travels through landscapes replete with stunning scenery and welcoming human warmth. “ The best thing about travelling is the people you meet along the way. You can get to know the essence of a place though its people. It’s not a question of just passing the time but, rather, ensuring that your time is cherished and becomes the source of highly treasured memories. Both the local people you will meet en route as well as the hosts of the hostelries you stay in exude the authenticity of the Pyrenees, its customs, culture and cuisine. ” Mireia Font, host on El Cinquè Llac

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Why El Cinquè Llac?

This route takes you to sites of great beauty in one of the least known parts of the Pyrenees, where you can discover both abandoned villages and villages still full of life, and enjoy the stories and the legends that talk of how people survive in the heart of these mountains.

The walk will allow you to meet local craftspeople and discover a cuisine that evokes traditions that go back many generations. You will also enjoy a well-deserved rest in the charming local hostelries whose owners profess as two of their guiding principles good hospitality and a respect for the local way of life.

“ It is a true unexpected joy to walk these mountains that we all too often have ignored and discover the cultural and visual riches of their landscapes. Likewise, it is a delight to be able to enjoy their welcoming solitude as you search for the origins of a culture you have only previously seen in books, and to walk trails whose paved stones can tell a thousand stories. This is one of those hikes that, when it’s over, makes you wonder how it could be so near yet so far at the same time. ” Joan Portell el cinquè llac

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Walk the magic of the Pyrenees The route takes you by sleeping giants and haunted houses, to witch’s covens and across bridges built by the Devil himself. It passes through places of legend, full of mystical connotations, whose origins go back into the mists of all-embracing time; to when people spent the winters huddled around their fires as the wind-driven snow and wolves howled outside in the dark of night.

The circuit takes you to numerous viewpoints and over passes that provide a glimpse of an extraordinary place, a special lake, far from the glacial corries to the north and the large reservoirs to the south, that sparkles like a bead of dew. You will come to this lake, up amongst the mountains and deep valleys, on the last stage of the walk when you finally reach L’Estany de Montcortès, a place like few others.

“ El Cinquè Llac is a return to the authentic pleasure of walking, a throwback to the walks that Verdaguer and Agustí Jolis once described in which man and nature form an indivisible whole .”

Joan Portell el cinquè llac

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Mountains where humans have left their mark When you walk through an area such as this you can tell that it has been inhabited from prehistoric times right up to the present day.

This route takes you to dolmens, small isolated churches, walled villages, monasteries, Romanesque bridges and small mountain farms and huts.

You will also walk past more humble evidence of the human past of these mountains, which is becoming increasingly better preserved and respected: the dry-stone walls and shepherds’ huts built by hand with the mortar of centuries of accumulated wisdom.

“ We were delighted by this walk that took us through a land with a great variety of landscapes, dotted with abandoned and living villages, areas of great solitude and vast open spaces, all far from the crowds of avid tourists. We will never forget the delicious food and welcoming people we met on the walk. ” Jacques Lacroux, Espalion, France el cinquè llac

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Stunning scenery in the beating heart of nature Along its highest sections, up around 2,000 m, the route runs near the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park and offers great views of the high Pyrenees and the peaks of Monteixo, El Montsent de Pallars, El Turbón and even Aneto, the highest point in the Pyrenees.

The landscapes you see today have been moulded for generations by shepherds and their flocks, in the past by sheep but today, above all, by cows.

In the sky you will be marvel at the raptors such as the griffon vulture, the impressive lammergeier, red kite and short-toed eagle, above all near cliffs such as those of La Geganta Adormida; nearer earth you’ll see and hear goldfinches, nightingales, tits and a host of other small birds.

On the very earth you tread you will find the traces of the mammals such as the wild boar, roe deer, red deer, beech martin, fox, wildcat, red squirrel and other rodents that use the same trails as you. In autumn it’s not too difficult to track down edible mushrooms and toadstools in the forest. And all the way you’ll be accompanied by water as it gushes from springs, down mountain streams and to the fifth lake, El Cinquè Llac.

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Up and down hill The circuit takes you along one of those veritable treasures that these mountains possess: the old rights-of-way. They are often mule trails, built for four-legged forms of transport and often still retaining their former paved surfaces. You will also follow old drover’s trails, broad and green, along which cattle in search of greener pastures have walked for centuries.

You will find that the paths follow a network of local trails, painted with yellow waymarking. At junctions, signposts marked with El Cinquè Llac symbol will keep you on the right track.

“ We have nothing but words of praise for El Cinquè Llac. All the small details were cared for, which shows that behind the whole route there is a group of well-organized, imaginative and enthusiastic people who are keen to do things well and promote their area and its beloved paths and trails. ” Marga and Elisabet, Barcelona and L’Hospitalet de l'Infant, Catalonia el cinquè llac

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Walk, observe and understand El Cinquè Llac includes a guidebook that has been expressly designed to help you follow the route and, above all, interpret and understand the landscapes you will be walking through and the stories that lie behind them.

Writers, biologists, botanists, historians and the local shepherds have all provided the wisdom and knowledge that this guide contains.

You will also be given a 1:25,000 scale map published by Alpina, mapmakers that specialise in maps for walkers. “ The idea of the shepherd’s crook, the marks made after each stage, and the hook as a prize; the idea of the picnic in a cloth, with pannikin and cutlery, two courses and a dessert; and the idea of a roadbook with not only an accurate route description but also useful information about local culture, history and nature … All of this makes El Cinquè Llac a route in which the effort you put in when walking is constantly repaid, which makes it so worthwhile. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if we came back another year! ” Marga and Elisabet, Barcelona and L’Hospitalet de l'Infant, Catalonia el cinquè llac

Let us look after you Good food is without a doubt one of the main features of El Cinquè Llac. The rural accommodation you will find along the route is the best place to try the local charcuterie and hand-made cheeses made in situ. Especially well known, are the xolís and secallona sausages, and the cheeses as original as the tupí and brossat, which can all be washed down with wines from the Costers del Segre DO. In the local cuisine, tried and tested over thousands of years, you will taste delicacies such as girella, palpís, fresh trout, quince mayonnaise, organic meat from local races of cow and sheep, mostillo and candied almonds.

“ A friendly, warm and open welcome, complemented by the local cuisine of this rugged terrain that over the centuries has discovered how to extract the best from the land in the form of the girella, the xisqueta race of sheep and a myriad of different cheeses.”

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Joan Portell

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A day walking El Cinquè Llac trail Wake up rested to a hearty homemade breakfast that will be waiting for you in the dining room. Start walking between 8 and 9 o’clock through forests and fields, villages and valleys. At lunchtime, unfold the farcell, the classic chequered cloth Catalan shepherds once used to carry their food, and dig into the appetizing picnic – with pannikin – prepared for you by your hosts.

After your post-prandial rest, continue walking until about 5 or 6 in the afternoon. At your destination, your hosts will be waiting for you with a welcome drink and you will have time to relax and take a hot shower before your evening meal at around 20h. Your meal will be generous and restorative, and will be followed by the indispensable after-dinner conservation about your day’s walk and the following day’s route. And then, early to bed! “ We just want to let you know how much we enjoyed the walk. Walking through these landscapes was a delight for our eyes — we discovered old trails, charming villages and friendly welcoming people everywhere. We were looked after so well in all the houses we stayed in and since we returned we haven’t stopped telling our friends about the experience! Thanks for everything and good luck with your wonderful project. ” Anna and Antón, Bellver de Cerdanya, Catalonia

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A rather different souvenir: a shepherd’s crook The shepherds that once roved these hills would carry a hazel stick, straight, light and very useful for walking as they worked. On top of the crook they would place a metal hook that enabled them to catch a sheep by its back leg.

On the first day, you will be given a hazel stick that will be marked each day when you arrive at your destination with each individual house’s shepherd’s mark. If you obtain all five, you will be awarded the shepherd’s crook as proof that you completed the circuit.

“ Wow! If you reach the end of the walk with your hazel stick and all the brands from all the houses you have stayed in, your stick will be crowned with a shepherd’s hook, which you will undoubtedly fully deserve. ” Joan Portell

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A proposal for a route with a soul El Cinquè Llac is a route set up and run by small-scale local hostelries that believe in honest work and reflect the human side to tourism.

They open their doors to visitors as a way of teaching people about the need to respect and enjoy the land, nature and the human heritage that our ancestors have left behind.

Local people are the true creators of El Cinquè Llac. They helped find the ancient trails and salvage the old names, legends and witnesses to the past that were being lost. Writers, biologists, botanists, historians and even the local shepherds all contributed to the wisdom contained in the guide to El Cinquè Llac.

“ Thanks to everyone in all the hostelries where we slept, rested and restored our energies, for having transmitted such love for the work they do. Many thanks to Laia, Jaume, Joan, Pepita, Mireia and Jesús, and Conxita and Albert, and to all those we never got around to meeting. Congratulations to whoever first thought up the idea of El Cinquè Llac! I hope people can continue to enjoy walking the route for many years to come! ” Ignasi and Adé, Terrassa, Catalonia

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A responsible and sustainable product that is committed to the local area El Cinquè Llac takes its inspiration from the principles of sustainable tourism: in other words, tourism should aim to improve the places people live in and, at the same time, make them better places to be visited. For example, 10% of the income from the circuit is devoted to the restoration and maintenance of the network of historical paths and trials.

The whole product is designed to cause as little environmental impact as possible. The initial trip on the train, El Tren dels Llacs, encourages people to use public transport, while the cloth bundle your picnics are wrapped up in and the pannikin, for example, all help reduce waste.

All the hostelries are directly involved in the conservation of the environment.

One of the fruits of this commitment to the local region is the presence of volunteers both from Spain and from abroad who come to restore the area’s dry-stone walls.

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El Cinquè Llac was awarded the 2015 Environment Prize by the Catalan government (in the section ‘Singular Initiatives for Protecting and Improving the Environment’) and was the winner of the first Sustainable Tourism Prize in Catalonia in 2013.

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Welcome home!

Those of us who run the hostelries and houses you’ll be staying in also love walking in our mountains. We delight in talking about our country, its villages and its paths, and help our guests discover the quintessential Pyrenees that only its inhabitants fully appreciate.

The hostelries along the El Cinquè Llac are the best place in which to find: · accurate up-to-date information about the route. · maps and GPS tracks for the area · information about other routes and activities in the area · reading material to improve your knowledge of the area · GPS Fonda Fasèrsia (La Pobla de Segur), Casa Parramon and L’Era de Parramon (Peramea), Casa Macianet (Beranui), Casa Batlle and Casa Mossèn Batista (Les Esglésies), Casa Leonardo (Senterada) and Casa Churchill (Claverol).

Laia

Miquel

www.canfasersia.com

Casa Parramon ¡ Peramea Jordina

Jaume

Montserrat Jaume

Neus

www.casaparramon.net

Casa Macianet ¡ Beranui Joan

www.casamacianet.com

Glòria

Pepita

www.casabatlle.com

Casa Leonardo · Senterada Maria

Jesús

Blanca Mireia

Martí

www.casaleonardo.net

Mª Àngels

Casa Churchill ¡ Claverol Andreu Tina

www.casachurchill.cat

We’ve thought of everything!

Instant gratification on finishing the day’s route comes every afternoon as you take your hot shower and then relax on the terrace or in the garden of your night’s accommodation. With the drink of you choice in hand, relive the day’s walk in your mind before the evening meal, when the aromas of the local traditional cuisine – the veritable essence of the landscapes you have got to know – will assail your senses.

The hostelries along El Cinquè Llac all have: · Flexible times for breakfast and evening meal · Nutritive and balanced diets apt for walkers · Diets for vegetarians, gluten-intolerant people, and those allergic to lactose or any other product · A place to dry and clean your boots · Weather information · First-aid kit

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The options and services El Cinquè Llac Original is the original hiking route.

El Cinquè Llac Slow, for those who prefer a shorter and gentler option.

El Cinquè Llac en BTT, for lovers of mountain biking.

All the options include the following: · Reservation of the return train ticket on El Tren dels Llacs (Lleida-La Pobla de Segur-Lleida) (complimentary with the reservation). · Six nights in rural accommodation en route. · All breakfasts and evening meals, as well as a welcome drink, in each establishment. · Picnic (with pannikin and napkin). · Luggage moved from one hostelry to the next. · Insurance. · A 1:25,000-scale map, as well as a route book with information about the environment, nature and local culture. · A telephone number you can ring 24 hours a day for any information or in case of emergency. · A gift for those who complete all the stages.

... and the best moment Additionally, you can reserve: · A professional guide to accompany you · A donkey for the second stage The most recommendable seasons are spring and autumn. In the former, the mountainsides are greening up and the good weather is just beginning, while in the latter, the forests are turning a myriad shades of red and yellow as winter approaches. In summer, the high temperatures are a problem, while winter – albeit not quite so rigorous as in the high Pyrenees – is a season for only the most experienced walkers. “ It was a marvellous route that we’ll always remember with fondness.

Nature in its purest sense — eagles, vultures and other creatures that we were able to see so easily. The route was perfectly planned and we loved the additional information on the places we visited, all the descriptions, the accommodation and the authentic local dishes. The picnics were generous and prepared with such care. The cost of everything is simply unbeatable!!

We’d love to come back to do some other walks like this! ” Ulrike Westerbarkey, Nottuln, Germany

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How to make a reservation with El Cinquè Llac A reservation with El Cinquè Llac can only be made via our central booking agency PIRINEU eMOCIÓ, which has been involved in the project right from the start and is in charge of coordinating and managing all the services that form part of the route. Our staff will answer all your questions in Catalan, Spanish, English, French, Italian or German, and help you make your reservation as swiftly and simply as possible.

For all enquiries, contact us on: + 34 973 681518 · info@pirineuemocio.com Come and see for yourself!

We’ll help you live and breathe our mountains!

More information www.elcinquellac.com

Carme

Montse Núria

Situation To Pont de Suert

La Torre de Capdella Les Esglesies

Xerallo

Beranui

Senterada

France

La Pobla de Segur Esterri d'Àneu

Vielha

Senterada

Tremp

Lleida

Andorra La Seu d'Urgell

Puigcerdà

Tremp Isona

La Pobla de Segur Isona Ponts Artesa de Segre

Balaguer Zaragoza Madrid

Claverol

Perpignan

Torre de Capdella Sort

Pont de Suert

Pont de Montanyana

Peramea to Sort

Tàrrega

Vic

Girona

Manresa

Cervera

Barcelona Reus Tarragona

Published by: Marques de Pastor Design: Ester Angelats Text: Rafael López-Monné and Mireia Font i Vidal Translation: Mike Lockwood Photographs: Jordi Peró, Mireia Font, Jordi Tutusaus, Rafael López-Monné, Ester Angelats, Joan Oriol, Tom Sólo, Guillem Carandell, Jacques Lacroux, Joan López and many others who collaborated with this project.

Cover photograph: Estany de Montcortès in autumn. Jordi Peró.

Back-cover photograph: Jaume from Casa Reguart d’Avellanos, Avellanos, 29 September 1939. Ramon Violant i Simorra, RVS-Valls d’Àneu Ecomuseum archive.

Printed by: Arts Gràfiques de la Diputació de Lleida DL L 928-2016

www.elcinquellac.com el cinquè llac

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