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Lo Coscollet o Torre d'Aubenç


Description of the itinerary

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Points of Interest
The Roques de Sant Honorat i de la Mola del Corb are interesting.
There are good panoramical views from the summit of Coscollet, both towards the Pyrenees and to the plane and mountains by the Segre river. There are as well a number of peculiar views over the reservoir of Oliana.
How to get there
We must go to the road C-13, between Oliana and Coll de Nargó. Driving from Oliana, once passed the bridge over the Segre river, we take the road LV-5118 direction Peramola. Some 3 km later we take a deviation at right towards the Hostal del Boix. We get there after 1,5 Km. and start the walk.
Technical data
Time: 7:45 hours.
Slope: +1130 meter; -1130 m.
Distance: 24 km.
Difficulty: F-3; T-2. The technical difficulty is considered because paths are often not easy to find.
Recomendations
We must take enough water because there is no fountain through the whole journey. It maybe pretty hot in the middle of the summer. Eventhough is rare, we suffered a heavy snowfall the last time we were there.
It's mandatory to take good boots and strong pants, which are especially useful for the descent..
It's necessary to provide transportation for coming back.
Description of the route
 
Hostal del Boix - Coll de Mur - Cortiuda - Coll de Creus - Collada d'Aubenç -Lo Coscollet - Corral de Remolins - La Maçana - Sant Miquel de les Masies - Coll de Bura
 
Hostal del Boix. 0:00 h; 580 m. We start alt the Hostal del Boix. We go to the right, at the back side of the house, at the beginning of the Canal del Boix. We inmediately leave at right a path indicating "to Fontviva" and we take left by a path marked as GR. After 2 min we leave a deviation at left and continue going up, more steeply, in order to pass the Grau de Porta. After 13 min we find a trail which we follow at right. There is a signpost indicating "Ruta del Corb". Nine minutes later, after crossing a small torrent, we find another signpost. We continue by the trail and after 3 min we arrive to the Carena of Nerola.

Quatre Camins. 0:27 h. It's the place called Quatre Camins. A trail comes up from the left. We follow it at right and leave another one which inmediately flattens going left. The trail goes up initially over the ridge and afterwards moves to the east hillside. After 8 min, if we are watchful, will see the casm "Forat de Nerola" at our left. Also at left, over us, we see the Mola del Corb and the Serra de Sant Honorat is in front of us. The trail turns suddenly at right and after 3 min there is a path at left going to the Casa del Corb. The GR signals continue by this path. We don't take it. We continue by the trail which goes around the Mola del Corb. After 3 additional min there is at left a path going up to Sant Salvador del Corb, which is considered the smallest romanesque shrine in Catalunya. Continue by the trail and arrive to a pass in 8 min.

Coll de Mur. 0:40 h; 900 m. The pass appears at the right side of the trail. We could go through it to the Serra de Sant Honorat. Continue on the trail and after 4 min we arrive to the western side of the Roca del Corb. At left there is a path which would also take us to the Casa del Corb. Our trail turns right, going down on rocky ground, and then goes flat.After 2 min we leave a deviation at right. The trail has a clear western direction. Ten minutes later and some 50 meter prior to a sudden left turn of the trail there is a small path at our right, which we take. It goes down smoothly towards the Coll de Maimorta, from where it continues mostly by the ridge direction NW. After 13 min it becomes a rudimentary trail which takes us to the Casa de Teixant in 4 min. Slightly elevated in front of us we can see Can Bernadí. We continue, leaving a trail which we find at right. We follow the one at left, around the fields, which in 5 min joins the trail which comes from the village and that we take to the right, direction Can Bernadí.

Can Bernadí. 1:40 h; 1000 m. This is the only lived in house of the village of Cortiuda. At the back of the house there are a few notable holm oaks and two ponds. Now we begin the ascent to the Coll de Creus by the old path from Peramola to Gavarra. The path starts at the side of the holm oaks and the ponds., direction N, towards an electric line which climbs up till the pass. The path is initially blurred, then finds a trail which inmediately leaves to take a path at left, which goes up with a wise zigzaging.

Coll de Creus. 2:35 h. 1290 m. Ample and desolated depression in the ridge. The path we were following crosses the edge and descends at the other side towards Gavarra. We leave it and continue over the ridge, to the right (NE) towards the Tossal del Coll de Prat, going up without path on a clean ground. Once at the peak of the tossal, the panorama broadens, especially over the Oliana reservoir. Then we walk flat till Coll de Prat (1470 m), which is a small grassy depression. We ascend a bit more by an abandoned trail and 50 meter forward we take a small path at left (N). It besects beetwen the trail we were following and another one, very vague, which goes left. Our path, which is now pretty blurred, used to be a well built old trail. It goes around the west side of the hill in smooth ascent and gets to a trail in 13 min (1530 m) which comes from the peak of the hill. We follow it down, at left, and in 7 min we arrive to the Collada d'Aubenç. These trails are the remains of an oil searching intent.

Collada d'Aubenç. 3:25 h. 1470 m. This pass is a crossroad. At left (SW) we would go to Cal Frare and La Gavarra. Right ahead (N) to the Pla de Tolustre. But we follow at right (E) and get to the Casa de l'Aubenç (1430 m) in 4 min. It's surrounded by cultivated fields. We continue by the trail which goes up smoothly (NE). We cross a chain and 9 min later at the point where the trail starts descending we take another one at right which inmediately becomes a path. We leave an old woodway. The path goes up and in 15 min arrives to a trail (1570 m) coming from Masies de Nargó. In front of us we may see the impressive Coscollet, where we arrive in 20 min following the trail.

Torre d'Aubenç or Coscollet. 4:13 h; 1611 m. Highest point of the journey and of the ridge. A vast panorama appears in all directions. After enjoying it for a while, we go back till the deviation we took to go up. When the trails starts descending and separes from the cliff we leave it and continue by the ridge, close to the cliff, with little clear path, on clean soil. We pass a small hill (Tossal de Remolins, 1583 m) and the path separes from the cliff and goes towards the Tossal del Faig. We find a trail, leave the path and take another one at right, difficult to see, which goes down to the head of the barranc de Remolins. Initially the path is confusing but it follows approximately the center of the barranc. Once we are at the center of the barranc we must leave a nice path which leaves at our right and continue by the right side of the torrent, till the path gets clearer and deviates a little from the torrent, but never too far. We arrive to the remains of a fountain in 20 min, from where we may see the Corral de Remolins. We cross the torrent and 5 min later arrive to the ruins of the Corral. (Note: From Tossal de Remolins one could go direct to the pass under Tossal del Faig -item 8- but I have not done it. Moreover one would then loose the magnificent view of the Oliana reservoir from the Corral).

Corral de Remolins. 5:23h. 1430 m. It's interesting to get close to the edge of the cliff (very carefully) to contemplate the reservoir some 1000 meter under us. We leave the corral by the other side, crossing some fields, not going down, till the grassy Pla de Gramenet, which we cross diagonally. We find again the path at the other side. After 7 min we leave a path at right which goes to the Casa del Coll. We keep going flat by the pretty weard away head of the Barranc del Boter. We have the Tossal del Faig right over us. Ten min later we arrive to a small pass.

Small pass under Tossal del Faig. 5:43h; 1400 m. A blurred trail joins us coming from the left. It appears in the later edition of the ICC maps but it's difficult to find it in the country. The path now enters a woodzone and gets pretty losing. Goes down slowly, not tending left, in order to leave at right a small hill over the Casa del Coll and get back to the cliffside.
We may find signals in the trees which could help orient ourselves. Few minutes after arriving to the cliffside we leave a path at right (goes to Casa del Coll). From this point we must walk always by the ridge, looking for the easiest way. After 3 min we find another path at right (1200 m) which most likely goes down to La selva d'Aubenç. We continue going down, and from time to time we may enjoy marvelous views of the cliffs and crags of la Selva. But we must walk very carefully since the ground is very scrubby and the path is practically non existant. After 40 min we arrive to a pass (900 m) with some cultivated fields under the barrack of La Maçana.

La Maçana. 6:55 h; 920 m. The path continues up by the side of the barrack, which we leave at our left. It takes us close to the edge to a small pass. We follow by the sunny slope of a hill (922 m) which we leave at our left, till we get to the ruins of a barrack and a couple fields, in another small pass. We continue ridging, in descent, till we arrive to the base of the Tossal de Sant Miquel (827 m) which we turn around leaving it at our right without any clear path. We walk then towards a shrine and a house which we see under us (NE).
Note: In the last edition of the ICC map there is an old trail which goes round the hill by the other side. I have not had the opportunity to check it, so would thank any information on this respect.

Sant Miquel de les Masies. 7:25 h. 720 m. We arrive to the shrine of Sant Miquel de les Masies, nice romanesque construction. There is also a house. Once passed the shrine we leave a trail at left (NE) and take another one at right (SE) which in 20 min leads us to Coll de Bura, in the main road from Oliana to Coll de Nargó (point 154,2 km)

Coll de Bura. 7:45; 580 m. End of the journey.
Date of the hike It was done on May 24th, 2001 with the help of my friends RR and XL. It was repeated later with people of the CMSC but on that occasion we had to go all the way down from the Coscollet following the main trail, because of the snow.
 
Useful maps
There is no detailed map of the area. As an orientation I have used the 1/50.000 map of the ICC.
 
 
Page created by PR. Translations into English by Xavier Losantos. The use and copy of these pages is allowed if for non-commercial objectives. You are requested to mention the page of origin. Any suggestion will be welcome at e-mail correu