{"id":18607,"date":"2021-01-25T19:30:59","date_gmt":"2021-01-25T17:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pedratour.com\/2021\/01\/25\/cami-dels-bons-homes-en-grup-i-amb-guia-a-labril\/"},"modified":"2021-03-09T12:18:15","modified_gmt":"2021-03-09T10:18:15","slug":"cathars-trail-group-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pedratour.com\/en\/2021\/01\/25\/cathars-trail-group-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"April of Cathars and mountains: the Cathars’ Trail in a group and with a guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Such a yearning for a getaway! We\u2019re all craving for the chance to go a little trip, aren\u2019t we? Personally, all these \u201cmobility restrictions\u201d are atrophying my muscles; I just can\u2019t wait to put my boots on and go walking through some mountains! Don\u2019t you? But don\u2019t you suffer too much; it all comes sooner or later! If you like hiking, on this Lent we invite you discover with us the Catalan part of the Cathars\u2019 Trail<\/strong><\/a>! We have the dates to go trekking the last stages of the\u00a0Cathars\u2019 Trail in a group and with a guide<\/strong>, season opens on March 31! Bring yourself to come along in this\u00a06-day<\/strong> adventure, you won\u2019t regret it!<\/p>\n

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”18529″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Cathars\u2019 Trail” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C500%2C500italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

GR-107 \u2013aka the Cathars\u2019 Trail\u2013 is a trans-Pyrenean trail which follows the steps of the Cathars as they fled from the Catholic Church. Catharism was a Christian movement which started spreading and taking root in the 10th<\/sup>\u00a0century, particularly in Occitania, and it was brutally persecuted by the Catholic Church, to the point of the Pope declaring a crusade against its followers \u2013the first crusade in Christian territory and against fellow Christians. After the dramatic fall of Monts\u00e9gur (Ari\u00e8ge, France, 1244), the remaining Cathars \u2013who called themselves \u201cgood men\u201d and \u201cgood women\u201d\u2013 escaped genocide heading for Catalan lands. Some of the places that received an important flow of Cathar refugees were the lands of the Bret\u00f3s from Berga, of the Pin\u00f3s from Bag\u00e0 and G\u00f3sol, or of the Lords of Castellb\u00f2. Thus, the Cathars\u2019 Trail runs on the footsteps of the Cathars, from Foix (Ari\u00e8ge, France) to the Queralt Sanctuary in Berga, crossing lands soaked in history, in an over 200 km long route.<\/p>\n

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For the\u00a0guided trek<\/a>, we are making a more moderated proposal: half that distance in\u00a05 stages<\/strong>\u00a0(plus a first day to meet) through Catalan territory. Our adventure starts in\u00a0Porta<\/strong>\u00a0(in French Cerdanya), where we\u2019ll meet and stay the first night in order to start early and with plenty of energy the next day.<\/p>\n

From\u00a0Porta<\/strong>\u00a0we\u2019ll head for\u00a0Bellver de Cerdanya<\/strong>. We will pass through\u00a0Coll de la Portella Blanca\u00a0<\/strong>(2.515 m), which separates France, Catalunya and Andorra; we\u2019ll find a granite boundary post marking the French-Spanish frontier there, and we\u2019ll enjoy spectacular views. After, the way is all downhill. The stage is extremely long, but don\u2019t worry, in the country house of\u00a0Cal Jan de la Llosa<\/strong>\u00a0we\u2019ll be picked up by a car that will take us to Bellver. Thus, we\u2019ll skip almost 15 km of paved and dirt roads that could be a little boring to walk.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”18532″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Coll de la Portella Blanca” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C500%2C500italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”18535″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Santa Maria de Tall\u00f3” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C500%2C500italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The\u00a0second stage takes us from\u00a0Bellver<\/strong>\u00a0to\u00a0Bag\u00e0<\/strong>. It is a lovely stage that passes next to two Romanesque buildings (the Santa Maria de Tall\u00f3 church and the Sant Serni de Coborriu chapel) and by the bucolic mountain hut of\u00a0Cortals de l\u2019Ingla<\/strong>, in its Ceretan part. After crossing the\u00a0Coll de Pend\u00eds<\/strong>\u00a0mountain pass, we\u2019ll leave Cerdanya behind us to enter Bergued\u00e0, an awesome region that we\u2019ll discover during the rest of the journey. On the Southern side of Cad\u00ed-Moixer\u00f3, the trail takes us to the\u00a0Sant Jordi<\/strong>\u00a0mountain refuge, placed in a lovely spot. It also crosses the magnificent\u00a0beech forest of Gr\u00e9ixer<\/strong>, a very well preserved natural monument which will be in full explosion of life and greenness in April. When we arrive in Bag\u00e0, we\u2019ll take you visit the\u00a0Medieval and Cathars\u2019 Centre<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013it seems quite appropriate, since we\u2019re hiking the Cathars\u2019 Trail\u2013, which lays in the old dungeons of the Palace of the Barons of Pin\u00f3s, one of those noble families who showed mercy to the \u201cheretic\u201d refugees. I strongly recommend you also take a walk through the lovely\u00a0Old Town of Bag\u00e0<\/strong>, which keeps the 13th<\/sup>\u00a0century urban layout. It\u2019s worth discovering!<\/p>\n

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On the third day, we leave\u00a0Bag\u00e0\u00a0<\/strong>heading for\u00a0G\u00f3sol<\/strong>, one of the most charming villages in the\u00a0Pedraforca Massif<\/strong>. We\u2019ll start on a paved \u2013yet very nice and flanked by trees\u2013 road, although we\u2019ll leave it soon enough to start ascending towards\u00a0Coll de la Bena<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Coll de Bauma<\/strong>\u00a0after that, following the Bastareny valley. From Coll de Bauma we\u2019ll enjoy a magnificent view of the above-mentioned valley and of the landscape we crossed on our way up. Then, we\u2019ll still have some climb ahead of us to reach\u00a0El Collell<\/strong>, but we\u2019ll enjoy it thanks to the spectacular view of the northern slope of the Pedraforca \u2013which we might still find a bit snowy\u2013 and of the Gresolet Valley. At El Collell, we\u2019ll leave the Cad\u00ed mountain chain for the territory of the Pedraforca, whose imposing sight will escort us to G\u00f3sol.<\/p>\n

The stage from G\u00f3sol to Berga is one of the longest and hardest of the Cathars\u2019 Trail; therefore, we\u2019ll split it in two much more feasible stages by spending the night near the abandoned town of Peguera. We\u2019ll leave G\u00f3sol and, skirting round the Pedraforca, we\u2019ll head for the\u00a0Serra d\u2019Ensija<\/strong>\u00a0mountain chain, which offers such unbelievable landscapes as the stone walls of\u00a0Ferr\u00fas<\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0Gallina Pelada<\/strong>\u00a0slopes. We\u2019ll get on for 2.000 m at\u00a0Collet de l\u2019Estret<\/strong>\u00a0and therefrom descend to\u00a0Peguera<\/strong>, an old abandoned mining town laying in a splendid place. This one is a technical stage and \u2013despite being quite short after splitting the original stage\u2013 it will surely make us puff. However, it will be worth the effort, since the landscape is impressive.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”18538″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Bag\u00e0” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C500%2C500italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”18541″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Peguera” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C500%2C500italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

We will undertake the last stage to\u00a0Berga<\/strong>\u00a0with quite a gentle descent. It\u2019s a short and mainly downhill stretch, yet quite intense and not boring at all since we\u2019ll enjoy great views upon the Baix Bergued\u00e0 plain.\u00a0We will pass through the magnificent\u00a0Queralt Sanctuary<\/strong>, and we\u2019ll end our journey with a pronounced descent towards Berga city.<\/p>\n

Guided trails, and especially\u00a0thematic guided trails<\/strong>, are a great opportunity to go hiking while learning and meeting new people. It\u2019s an adventure in the nature, along with a group of people to share it with, and with a highly trained mountain guide who will unveil for you every secret of the places you pass through. Whether you come alone or with friends or family, it\u2019s a memorable and enriching experience. Join us! From March 31 to April 5, Pedratour offers you a qualified mountain guide and a fully organised hiking trip; the only thing you have to worry about is walking and discovering the Cathars\u2019 fascinating history!\u00a0Come on, load your backpack!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Such a yearning for a getaway! We\u2019re all craving for the chance to go a little trip, aren\u2019t we? Personally, all these \u201cmobility restrictions\u201d are atrophying my muscles; I just can\u2019t wait to put my boots on and go walking through some mountains! Don\u2019t you? But don\u2019t you suffer too much; it all comes sooner […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":18541,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[233],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senderisme-per-catalunya-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pedratour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pedratour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pedratour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pedratour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pedratour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pedratour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pedratour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18541"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pedratour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pedratour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pedratour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}