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ITINERÀNNIA, NETWORK OF TRAILS
ENG
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“Itinerànnia” is a network of trails, with over 2,500 kilometres between the neighbouring regions of “Ripollès”, “Garrotxa” and “Alt Empordà”. A network of hiking trails is like a road map, but with footpaths, allowing the hiker to get from any one point to another. It retrieves the old historic roads between the villages to reach many small places. The network offers many different hikes depending on the time or difficulty and your interests over nature, architecture or culture. Each route that we propose is just a little taste of an extensive network of trails that you can walk to discover the Ripollès, Garrotxa and Alt Emprdà counties.
RIPOLLÈS
THE SIGNS All the trails of the network are marked regularly over the paths with horizontal painted yellow signs.
PATH'S MARKS (3 x 10 cm)
TURN LEFT/RIGHT
WRONG PATH
The marks are placed approximately every 300 metres painted on tree's bark, stones or using and other medium already deployed in the area. In the cross roads you will find signposts indicating the nearest four villages in each direction with time information. (a maximum of 6 hours) If the same village or town appears more than once on different signs of the same signpost, you will need to read the description below the town. If there is no description below the place name then you are looking at the shortest route to the town or village. If the indication says “Per...” (I.e via) it means that this is a longer alternative route to get to the same place. Each signpost has a small plaque that shows the name of the place where it is located, the altitude and the UTM coordinates. You will find information boards with a map of the county's trails in every village or city integrating the network.
+INFO: www.itinerannia.net www.elripolles.com In the Ripollès county you will find 25 touch screens located in different towns containing tourist information. Aquesta actuació està subvencionada pel Servei d’Ocupació de Catalunya en el marc del Projecte “Treball a les 4 Comarques” i cofinançada pel Fons Social Europeu.
TREKKING TO THE DOUS SPRING THROUGH THE PLANES D'ESPINALBA AND ABELLA Easy
3h. 25min.
Medium /High (in case of snow in winter)
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TREKKING TO THE DOUS SPRING THROUGH THE PLANES D'ESPINALBA AND ABELLA
The route begins in Llanars, where a visit to its “Sant Esteve” church is recommended. Leave the town walking down the Cerdanya street and crossing the “Pont del Molí” bridge, R-92. Head towards Espinalba walking up on a steep old trail leading you to a set of houses next to “La Canal” farm. From here you must follow the road uphill to the “Font del Vern” stream, passing by several farms that make up the neighbourhood of Espinalba. At this point you must leave the road to take a dirt track to the oratory of “Sant Isidre”. As you gain altitude the view widens offering a magnificent panoramic view of the valley of Camprodon, the Canigó massif and mountains of the upper Garrotxa. Walk by the little oratory of “Sant Isidre” to arrive at the Planes, a flat terrain with grasslands demarcated by dry stone walls and old stone huts used in the past to store tools and as a handy shelter in case of bad weather. Follow the main track parallel to the “Font del Vern” stream, a few meters below on your right. Two hundred meters further ahead after leaving a hut on your left the trail climbs up to an area of flat ground.
ITINERÀNNIA NETWORK ROUTE ROAD-TRAIL RIVER TOURIST SERVICES (see website) VERTICAL SIGNPOSTS OF THE NETWORK
Pay attention here as you must take a trail on your left just before going downhill. Cross the meadows to find another track to climb up to “Pla Rodó”, a large grassy area where you will see a trough. From here, follow a little path to a second trough to later descend to the Dous spring where you find a clearly marked track. This spring is actually a set of sources emerging from the southern slopes of “Serra Cavallera” mountain range. Continue on the track until you arrive at the R-98 sign (Les Dous) where you have to take a wider track towards Abella. The descent to Abella is quick and pleasant as it passes through shady forests. After crossing the stream of Abella, you will have to go up to the town itself while leaving behind several farms. From the R-97 sign (Abella-Veïnat de Baix) you have to head towards La Roca until you find the R-94 sign (Serrat de la Creu). Pay attention here, as you have to go downhill following the ridge to your right, ignoring the yellow marks on the left that would lead you to Vilallonga de Ter. You will arrive at the road where you will see the R-93 sign (La Roca).
SPECIFIC INFORMATION
1450 1350 1250
Distance (m)
12.000
11.000
10.000
9.000
8.000
7.000
6.000
5.000
4.000
3.000
1050 950 0
2.000
1150
1.000
altitude (m)
Time: 3h. 25 min. Total distance: 12,250 Km. Highest altitude: 1.453m above sea level (Pla Rodó) Lowest altitude: 983m above sea level (Església de Llanars) Accumulative slope ascent: 545 m Accumulative slope descent: 545 m Difficulty: Easy / Medium-High (in case of snow in winter as the marks on the route might not be visible)
JUST TO PERSUADE YOU: A route through old farmlands, shepherd huts and dry stone walls, remnants of an intense agricultural activity, in the shade of “Serra Cavallera” mountain range. A rewarding itinerary offering stunning views of the Camprodon valley and the neighbouring mountains of the upper Garrotxa. It will also take you to the small villages of Espinalba, Abella and La Roca and to the Dous spring.
Cross the old town of La Roca, located as its name indicates, on a big rock above the river Ter and where a castle stood in the past. Leave the village through an old gate of the wall that once enclosed the settlement. Walk downhill on a little path until you find a track which you have to follow towards Llanars passing by the chapel of “Maré de Déu del Raïm”, and shortly later by an hydroelectric plant. You arrive at Llanars through the “Pont del Molí” bridge, where you find the way back to the starting point of the route. Contents, illustrations and photographs are property of CEA Alt Ter (www.alt-ter.org)