Falgons. 0:00 h; 380 m.
We start at the village of Falgons,
right by the roadsign indicating the
village. We had left the castle some
100 meters before. We continue by the
road, which gets narrower and is rather
a pavimented track. The asphalt ends
some 500 meters after. We continue some
100 m more till a crossroad. The trail
at right goes to the Coll de Bastarra
through Collferrer. We take the one
at left in slight descent. After 300
meter we find Can Baldirot, which we
leave at our left, and continue going
down. Pretty soon we cross the rill
of Can Cargol and 3 min later we find
a new crossroad, in front of a rudimentary
fence. We take the trail at right,,
turn around a field and go to cross
the Riera de Falgons, which starts at
the Collet de Trentinyà.
Riera de Falgons. 0:10 h; 380 m.
Two min after crossing the riera we
leave a trail at left and continue
flat at right (ESE). After 7 min we
get to a small field by the rill of
Font del Corral, where we find the
fountain. We walk by the right side
of the field (S) in smooth ascent,
and seeing the torrent at our left.
The path finds a trail which turns
right and gets pretty dirty. We don't
take it and continue by the path at
left, following the torrent. This
path was pretty clear the day we followed
it because somebody had cleaned it.
One minute later we see the confluence
of two small rills at our left (Torremirona
i Font de l'Arç). We follow
initially the rill at right but pretty
soon we cross it and take the left
one (E) till we arrive to its bed
(475 m) which we follow by the leftbank.
We ascend a few meters and cross again
the rill , going righrt (W). Then
the path continues flat to find again
the right rill, the rill of Torremirona
which also crosses (some 8 minutes
after the confluence of the two paths;
510 m). Then the path goes up, main
direction W, to arrive to a pass in
10 minutes.
Collet de les Mentides.0:46 h. 600
m.
It's a pass in the middle of the mountain
edge but in fact does not change to
any important valley so may be that's
the reason for its name. Some 5 meters
before getting there we take a path
at left. It's difficult to distinguish
the path that we followed to arrive
here. If we get up to the pass we
find a small grassy plain. From there
we find another path at right leading
to another small plain which looks
like a coal production place. At the
other side, amidst a few rocks there
is a path which goes down to Collferrer.
In the same plain there is a blurred
path at W which leads in 30 meters
to a track going to the Coll de Bastarra.
As said before we take the path going
S and find a small deviation at right
some 30 meter afterwards. We don't
take it but continue by the path that
goes left and soon enters into the
shady area under the Roques del Montner,
which are at our right. It's pretty
slow walk because we often find fallen
trees and bushes. The path goes up
smoothly, leaving behind the Mola
del Montner and in 25 mins there is
a deviation at right which in 2 mins
takes us to the Collet de Portelles.
(The path we were following goes to
the Pla de Sant Nicolau. It's the
old merchant's way from Amer to Banyoles)
Collet de Portelles. 1:20 h; 686 m.
This pass is an important crossroad.
The aforementioned merchant's route
was one of the crossing ways. We may
also ascend to the Golany or the Montner.
Some 20 meters at the side of the
pass there is a track which at right
goes to Coll de Bastarra, Finestres
and Olot and at left also to Golany
and Rocacorba. Both at the pass and
at the side of the track we find signposts
indicating these alternatives.
Option
of the Montner.
Some books-erroneously- still consider
it to be the highest peak of Pla de
l'Estany. If we want to go to it (830
m) we must follow the path at right
(W) from the arrival position. The
path goes always up by the mountain
edge. After 10 mins we arrive to a
track which we leave at left and continue
by the edge, close to the cliff, and
arrive to the peak in 12 mins. The
peak is flat with no view, and covered
with holm oaks. We saw the good panorama
on our ascent. The walk up and down
requires 45 mins.
If
we don't want to go to the Montner,
from the pass must take the path at
left (E) from the arrival position
which goes up by the edge. It's somewhat
bushy but can be easily followed.
After 5 mins we leave a small path
at left and 5 mins later we see a
track at our right (750 m) which comes
from the pass and a signpost indicating
"Olot-Rocacorba". We follow
towards the direction of the signpost.
Pretty soon the track becomes a path
and takes us to the Roca Plana de
Golany.
Roca Plana de Golany. 1:50 h; 870
m.
It's a splendid viewpoint, placed
some ten meters before the peak. View
over the Valley of Sant Miquel de
Campmajor and to the Pyrennees. Good
place to rest. From SW to E we see
El Far, Montner, Puig Capell, Puigsacalm,
Puigsallança, shrine and castle
of Finestres, Sant Julià del
Mont, Mieres, the valleys of Torns
and Sant Miquel de Campmajor. At the
rear, Bestrecà, Comanegra,
Bassegoda and Mont. We may also see
at NE the shrine of Sant Patllari
and at E the shrine of Sant Nicolau
and, finally, the Gulf of Roses. Will
pass by the two shrines pretty soon.
To continue, we go up a little bit
more to the peak of Golany, which
has not much view. There is a small
viewpoint at the end end. From this
point the path goes down towards right.
After 4 min we see a dewooding trail
which comes from our left and another
one 3 mins later (860 m). Signpost
"Mirador" , from where we
come. We continue at left by this
track and arrive to another one in
2 mins, broader but in bad condition.
It goes from Coll Saposa to the Pedra
dels Tres Senyors and Sant Nicolau.
There are indications painted on the
ground and in a fallen signpost of
the Olot-Girona route.
Track to Sant Nicolau. 2:00; 850 m.
We leave the track that goes down
to Coll Saposa at our right and we
go left towards Sant Nicolau. We inmediately
leave a path at left. The track goes
flat but afterwards goes down steeply,
leaves a dewooding track at left and
continues descending till a pass.
Coll de la Pedra dels Tres Senyors.
2:10; 805 m. This place
is named upon a triangular rock which
indicates the boundaries of Granollers
de Rocacorba, Biert and Falgons. In
some books that place is also known
as "Coll de Faig". This
tree in fact does not exist, and there
is a little confussion. The place
is a crossroad. At right (S), a track
goes down along the torrent . When
it arrives to to Clot del Rigau we
must leave it at right and take a
nice path which joins with the one
coming from Coll Saposa and goes to
Can Vives de Rocacorba; if we would
continue flat, in the Coll de Faig
(E) , there is a bushy track which
laster on joins a path which goes
to Pla de Faig where one might have
access to Puig Sesarques; al left,
it continues the track going to Sant
Nicolau.
If we want to go directly to Sant
Nicolau not ascending to Puigsesarques,
we have to continue by the main track
and some 5 minutes later we will find
another track at left, in pretty bad
shape. Is the best option to get to
destination and the one we recommend
(we would also get there by continuing
the track we were following but it's
not so interesting. Once you get to
the good track Banyoles-Rocacorba
you must take left). We take, then,
the track going left and in 4 minutes,
when the track gets steeper down we
must take care not to loose a small
path at our right. There is a signpost
but covered by vegetation. We take
this path which goes to the deep of
a small torrent, we croos it and in
3 minutes we arrive to the Font de
Sant Nicolau.
To
go to Puigsearques we must take the
track, no longer used, eastwards,
like if we were going to a peak we
see in front of us, slightly at right.
It's the Puig de Comaestremer, which
is erroneously mentioned as Puigsesarques
in the ICC maps. After 60 meters we
leave the track which goes at right
and becomes dirty, by taking a path
at left. Some 20 meters later we leave
a path at right and take the one at
left, which is difficult to see. This
path follows all the shadowy, going
up smoothly, through beechtree wood.
Near the end we may see the rocks
of the peak pretty close. The best
point to ascend is from here eventhough
there is no interest at all because
there is no view.
Pla de Faig. 2:20; 842 m.
There is a majestic oaktree in the
center of the plain. At right (W)
there is a track which goes around
the Puig de Comaestremer and finally
arrives to its peak. It's pretty dirty.
At the other side of the plain (S)
it continues the dewooding track that
goes to the Pla de Sant Martí,
under Puigsou. Some 15 meters before
the abovementioned oaktree, starts
a dirty path at left (N) which goes
up to Puig Sesarques (Sometimes is
so dirty that can't be walked through).
We take this path, which is half-track,
in slow descent but we leave it after
10 meter, to go at right, to the shady
side, following marks in the trees.
In 6 minutes we are at the peak
Puig Sesarques. 2:26; 873 m.
There is a good view over the Pla
de l'Estany from the peak, especially
in wintertime. To descend we follow
the mountain edge direction NE till
the track of Sant Nicolau (there are
also marks in the trees).and just
before arriving to the track we follow
a path at left, almost parallel to
the track (stone pile marks) which
takes us to the Pla de Sant Nicolau,
right at the fountain, after crossing
a secondary track which goes to the
Coll dels Tres Senyors.
Was the abovementioned path not walkable
we could ascend to the peak from the
Pla de Sant Nicolau. You should then
take the track in direction to Rocacorba
and in some 500 meter, when the track
takes a sharp bend to the right and
just behind a big sign indicating
"Canet d'Adri", you take
the mountain edge direction SW till
the peak.
Pla de Sant Nicolau. 2:42; 720 m.
It's a pretty ample grassy plain,
with a romanesque shrine and a house.
At W, by the track there is a fountain
and towards SE a gigantic chestnuttree
(9,65 meter diameter). It's a good
place to rest for a while. The old
merchant's trail from Banyoles to
Amer arrives here, after passing through
the Baga de Golany (which we left
at the Collet de Portelles). It's
an option if one needs to go back
to Falgons in order to do a circular
journey. The route will be described
as an alternative at the end.
To continue our itinerary we follow
the track downwards, direction Banyoles.
We may follow it 3,1 Km. till the
Collet de Pujarnol. But if we want
to use the old way we may do it partially.
We begin also following the same track.
We arrive pretty soon to the Casa
del Roure Gros ( 680 m.) and just
in front of the main door at the other
side of the track there is a signpost
of the "Itineraris de Salamina".
Here it starts the old path which
joins again the track at a small pass
called "Bassiots".
We continue on the track for 30 meter
and at left find again the path which
will take us to the Collet de Cal
Negre or de la Creu.(560 m). This
path follows initially the mountain
edge to get later on into the woods,
without apparent path till we get
to a track which have to follow at
right, 20 meter before a tower for
electricity. ; 20 meter after the
tower we leave the track and take
a path at left. Five minutes later,and
when the path takes a sudden right
bend, we leave it inorder to take
another one at left (if we loose this
second path will arrive to the track
Banyoles-Rocacorba after 40 meter.
It would mean we have lost our route).
We follow that path which runs close
to the track and in 3 minutes arrive
to a track which we take at right
(if we follow the itinerary in the
reverse direction must be very careful
here) and in 30 meter we get back
to the track, by a small shrine, in
the Collet de Cal Negre, where several
routes join. A track at left goes
to Can Coll and Biert. From here we
have to follow our track downwards.
Collet de Pujarnol. 3:22; 430 m.
It's a crossroad. There is a good
track at left going to Falgons which
may also be an option to do a round
route, passing by the nice shrine
of Sant Nazari. Continuing by our
track, we arrive to Pujarnol after
some 800 meter. There is a romanesque
church and a fortified house, known
as "La Torre", converted
in a restaurant. Since we go towards
Sant Patllari, we don't arrive to
Pujarnol but after the road fork to
Falgons we take a second one at left.
We leave this track after 30 meter
and take a path at right, which starts
going up. During this section of the
itinerary we will follow in reverse
direction the round route which is
indicated with yellow arrows on white
background, which was prepared by
the Cityhall of Porqueres. We must
pay attention to the signals because
the path crosses several dewooding
tracks and fields and if we were to
loose it would be almost impossible
to continue. The path follows the
mountain edge, finds a looking-point
over the Matamors Valley, crosses
the Coll Tallat and goes up to Sant
Patllari.
Sant Patllari. 4:07; 647 m.
There is a S. XIV shrine in the peak
of Sant Patllari. It offers an ample
view eventhough the Lake of Banyoles
can not be seen, prevented by the
vegetation. We leave Sant Patllari
eastwards, taking the track by the
shrine, close to the end of the path
we used to come up here. There are
signals of several itineraries. Two
minutes later there is a small path
at right, with a sign indicating "Pedra
de la mà de Déu".
The rock is some 20 meter into the
forest.
Once back in the track we continue
descending smoothly, leaving two deviations
at right, and some 6 minutes later,
at a brisk curve, there is a sign
"Mirador". The view- point
is 3 minutes from where we are and
it's wortwhile to go there because
it offers the best possible panorama
over Banyoles and its Lake. So, we
take the small path and after 3 minutes
we turn left and get to the Mirador.
Mirador. 4:18; 585 m. We
go back to the track and follow it
down, always with general direction
NE, following white signs, and leaving
several deviations at both sides of
the track. Only once one might take
a shortcut at right, also signaled.
We pass by the house of Can Llotir
and in about one hour will arrive
to the road from Banyoles to Olot
through Mieres, close to the spot
called "Paratge de les Estunes".
If we want to visit it , we have to
follow the road at right some 500
meters.
Les Estunes. 5:30.
Delightful spot, legendful.
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