TRAIL RUNNING CERDANYA
CERDANYA, THE GREAT VALLEY OF PYRENEES
The comarca (local district) of La Cerdanya (Spain) contains the upper part of the Segre river valley, and lies in the centre of the Catalan Pyrenes (Spain), between France, Andorra and the comarques of El Ripollès, El Berguedà and L’Alt Urgell (Spain). It has a total surface area of 546 m2 and a population of 12,500 spread amongst a total of 126 municipal areas. Administratively speaking, it belongs to Catalonia, Spain, France, Girona, Lleida and the Western Pyrenees. Although it is possible to divide this region in various different ways, such as into L’Alta Cerdanya (the French part of the territory) and La Baixa Cerdanya (the Spanish part), the present administrative divisions separate the French and Spanish parts of the territory. Within the latter, there is a further subdivision between the provinces of Girona and Lleida. This comarca has important tourism resources: ski resorts, fishing, an excellent gastronomy, tremendously beautiful natural scenery, Romanesque monuments and high mountain villages with their own popular folk festivals and traditional sweet dishes. Some of the most popular attractions for visitors include the hiking and cycling routes that pass through its magnificent natural scenery, which is dominated by the Serra del Cadí (Cadi Ridge), and run across the mountain range itself.
CERDANYA TRAIL CENTER Nº5
Total distance: 16 km
Elevation gain: 700 m.
Start point: Prullans
Finish point: Prullans
Min. height: 1100 m.
Max. height: 1660 m.
Description of the route
PRULLANS – TRAIL CENTER (CIRCUIT N ° 5)
This is a hassle-free and varied route that will take us to know two small high mountain villages, Talltendre and Ordèn. It will be very easy to follow it because it belongs to the Trail Center, promoted by Prullans City Council and the activity company Discover Pyrenees, which has marked the entire route intensely.. In this case we will follow route nº 5 and it will be practically not necessary to use GPS.
We will take into account that the route passes mainly through the solarium and that during hot days we will have to take into account the temperatures. In winter we will take into account the snow level. We will find several cattle fences that we will be careful to leave closed once we have passed.
The route begins and ends in the free car park at the entrance to the village. We will leave the parking lot in the direction of the center, continuing along the road we arrived on. We will pass the entrance of the Hotel Muntanya, continue climbing and take the Camino de Ardòvol to km 1 of the route, where we will take the path that turns up to the right and is clearly indicated with the signs for the Trail Center. We will go for a long time on a wide track and in a clear and prolonged ascent through the Sierra de San Quintín, where we will cross a forest and continue climbing until we reach a farm that we will leave on the left to take the wide track on the right. This undulating track will give us beautiful views of both crop fields and the Sierra del Cadí (which we have practically not lost sight of all the time). We will have passed by the highest point of the route and already downhill it will lead us, first to Talltendre and then to Ordèn, small mountain towns where it is worth passing slowly and imagining what it can be like to live there. We will continue in a clear descent following the path of the Torrent de Prat de Codines and then along an entertaining path that will open on reaching the plain where the farm of Casa de Anes and the Hermitage of San Mamet are. We will pass with caution and respect if there is cattle. From here we return to the track and open path that without any complications will lead us back to Prullans where we will obviously go down to the initial parking lot.
During the route we will cross different torrents with water that can be used to cool off, but to drink there will have been enough.
