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:. Alt berguedà
.:. trekking 1 day .:. From
Queralt to Corbera
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Introduction
Though perhaps not with such devotion
as the Queralt sanctuary, the Corbera sanctuary also had its Virgin
found by shepherds in a cave. The present church is from the 17th
century with later annexes. At the beginning of the 20th century,
it still provided a lodging service, with a room and kitchen for
families staying there, and also sold religious objects. Today,
it is closed most of the year and is only used occasionally as
a lodge.
This route shows two paths that connect
both sanctuaries, both of which go through the village of Espinalbet.
As it goes through ridges and high points, there are exceptional
views both to the south and the north.
Description
After visiting the church at Queralt,
which you must do, follow the GR 107 waymarks that begin at the
esplanade above the church. After about three minutes you pass
by the Bou spring, which gets its name from the genial oxhead
shape that the spring takes. Soon afterwards, the path turns to
the right and takes the old path to Espinalbet. If you look carefully,
you can see the walls built to hold the path and halt erosion.
Before crossing the ridge and losing sight of Queralt, you come
to a natural belvedere that provides an interesting view of the
sanctuary and its woods.
The path flanks the northern face and
suddenly begins to level out. It seems that at one time the original
path was lost because you later have to go uphill again to recover
the altitude lost. When you go down, just before turning left
and going up the trailing path, look between the trees on your
left. You will see half standing walls framing small semicircular
plains: these are coal bunker squares. If you look to the right,
you can see that these forms are repeated, though perhaps less
clearly. There are books describing how the coal was made and
what the colliers' lives were like. There are a couple listed
in the bibliography. Vegetable coal was a basic product in homes
before the use of mineral coal became generalised, and a trained
eye may still notice the squares in shady places, using streams
beds and folds in the terrain.
The path goes into the modern Espinalbet
housing estate, crosses the Rasos de Peguera road, and again takes
the old path towards the church. There is nothing remarkable about
the church but behind you can see an upper plain and some perimeter
walls where once stood the castle of Guillem de Berguedà, one
of the great Catalan troubadours who wrote beautiful verses on
love but also harsh satires of his contemporaries, which brought
him many enemies and was eventually the cause of his death.
If, instead of turning right to the church,
you walk a small distance down the road going left, you reach
a spring. The spring water is much appreciated and you often see
people filling their cars with pitchers. If you prefer not to
go up to Corbera, you can stay on this road, which later becomes
a dirt track, and follow the white waymarks for about 15 minutes
until you come to the Els Roures restaurant, where you can regain
your strength and continue along the route towards El Portet.
For those keeping on towards Corbera,
from the church at Espinalbet the path goes up northwards in search
of a trail among the rocks. In the initial section of the path
you can still see the stones driven in sideways to stop the passage
of animals and people from eroding the path. When you come out
onto the meadow below the sanctuary, the path follows the track
going east. Just before connecting with the Corbera track to the
Oreller pass, you will see the Corbera spring at the foot of the
path. After having a rest and enjoying the views from Corbera,
make the descent by following the yellow and white waymarks of
the PRC - 73.
From the meadow below Corbera, the route
goes down to the west along a narrow path that leads to a newly
built track. You have to keep an eye out here, because after a
little while the route leaves the track and goes down along a
track going left. From here the path descends along paths and
tracks, crossing fields and woods until reaching Els Roures. Your
next objective is now within view: the Gran pass, a broad crevice
opening out to the Queralt ranges.
After passing the Gran pass, you will
see the Portet house below, well protected from north winds. It's
well worth sitting in the fields of the house for a moment to
take in the view. There is a spring beside the house. Although
nobody lives in the house, it is in good order and has an owner:
be considerate.
The path turns left here and goes up to
the ridge. There are two belvederes especially prepared as such,
although along the route to Queralt there are countless opportunities
to take in panoramic views of both the north and the south. This
is truly a wonderful sight.
Technical data
Approximate distance: |
14 kilometres |
Approximate duration: |
5 hours. |
Signposting: |
Red and white waymarks (GR 107) from Queralt to Corbera;
yellow and white waymarks from Corbera to Queralt (PRC-73). |
Starting point: |
Pedraforca square of Saldes. |
finishing point: |
Pedraforca square of Saldes. |
Car park: |
Parking at the Queralt sanctuary |
Points of interest: |
Queralt
Santuari and Queralt
range, Espinalbet spring, Sant Miquel d'Espinalbet,
Corbera sanctuary and very nice views |
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Services:
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For services in this area, consult the section of tourist services |
Bibliography: |
Catalunya Romànica, volume XII, El Berguedà.
Oficis i feines que marquen una època. Agrupament Baixa Ribera Salada.
La vida rural a Catalunya. Llorenç Ferrer. |
Maps: |
El Berguedà 1:50.000. Institut
Cartogràfic de Catalunya.
Rasos de Peguera – Serra d’Ensija 1:25.000. Editorial Alpina. |
Comments: |
On the path from Queralt to Espinalbet and the path
from Portet to Queralt there are some spots that may
be awkward for those who suffer from vertigo.
Along the same sections there are also points with steep
slopes and loose stones, so be careful |
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