Vallibierna - 3067m

Panoramic view from the dam of Escales

The last weekend of June, Xavi and me had planned to do some mountaineering in the Balaitús area, but unfortunately he suffered a minor injury, only two days before we had planned to go there. Since I already had made up my mind, I at least wanted to do a less demanding mountain tour and decided to climb two of the most easily accessible 3000m peaks of the Pyrenees - Tuca de Vallibierna and Tuca de les Culebres.

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Some 1000 ha in flames

Vertical Pan

I set off on Thursday afternoon, the same day a wildfire struck an area near the village of Calaf. I noted the columns of smoke when I passed Manresa, and I thought their origen to be much nearer, so I was surprised that it was not until Calaf that I encountered the affected area. The burnt vegetation was mostly of crop, fortunately, and only a minor part was of forest. Later on during my trip, I made a short photo stop at the dam of Escales, where the surrounding landscape offers some spectacular views over the artificial lake on one side of the dam, as well as over the deep canyon on its other side. I'm sure that the geology there also, tells a dramatic story of its past, although I sadly don't understand much of it's language. In Vilella, one of the last villages I crossed, I stopped to have a pizza, and finally I got to my destination. Luckily, the tunnel leading to the dam of Lausets was open for cars.


For the first time did I pass a night in the trunk of my car. Although lacking a sleeping pad, it wasn't uncomfortable at all. Even so I got up at a quarter to six, and started walking only 10 minutes later. My idea was to make a circular trip. 

After having passed the artificial lake of Estany de Llauset, I made a right turn, following the GR up to a col.

The biggest of the Estanyets de Coma Arnau

After having passed a first natural lake called Estany de Botornàs I soon was welcomed by the morning sun and a near rock offered me quite a good opportunity to have my breakfast, which consisted entirely of some most delicious pears. I soon left the well marked GR to the left, where I encountered three more lakes known as the Estanyets de Coma Arnau. The obvious path now followed the valley up to the col located north east from Vallibierna, but I decided to take a less obvious slope to my left hand side, which after some effort led me to the ridge, that seperates the valley of Llauset from its northern neighbour valley.

View from the ridge back to Estany de Llauset

At first glance, the ridge was a little intimidating, but it turned out, that whenever I approached a difficult seeming obstacle, an easy solution was available. Since I was alone, I could adapt my pace to my physical condition and only had to take the rests I needed. As a result, my advance was quite fast.

The ridge leading up to the summits

Tuca de Ballibierna, 3067m 

At 8.45 am I reached the summit of Ballibierna which is coroned by a somehow strange arrangement of sticks. My guessing is, that during their better days, these had formed sort of a summit cross, but that must be long ago. After a fast photo I proceeded. Next to come was the Pas de Caball. Since I'm a bad translater I'll translate it literally into The Horse Step, which, I'm well aware of, needs an explanation:

the two summits of Tuca de Ballibierna and Tuca de Culebres are connected by a rather short but very aerial ridge, one is supposed to cross by sitting on it with one leg hanging to either side - as if sitting on a horse. I've seen videos in the internet stating people just walking over the Pas de Caball and I thought, maybe that was an option for me, too, but once confronted with that exposed situation 3000m above sea level, I quickly changed my mind. Instead of traversing it in a sitting position, though, I managed to cross it by taking hold on its top with both hands and stepping onto and into the humps and bumps on the less inclined face. That way even felt safer, because I could stay well away from the nearly vertical drop to the south. Anyway, at 5 to nine I stood on top of Tuca de Culebres.

Pas de Caball

Indeed, once you have got to the first peak, you don't at all have the feeling of making another summit, for the second is so closely attached to Ballibierna, that it rather feels like the continuation of the first peak. Some maps don't even mention the existence of a second summit.

On top, I was told, I would experience the best possible view of Aneto, the highest peak of the Pyrenees, and I have to admit, that I was slightly disappointed. Obviously I indeed had a stunning view from the top, but it was not as impressive as I had imagined beforehand. The mistake was mine, though, for I had expected to see Aneto's glacier, which turned out to be located on its far side, facing to the north. (Quite logical, actually)

Aneto's south side

Tuca de Culebres, 3051m

After the second summit photo of the day I decided not to loose any time, but to begin my way down in direction of Col de Llauset. From my lookout point I was able to see, that the first hikers from Estany de Llauset, the first peole to meet, were about to reach it and I would have liked to coincide with them, but in an unknown and mountaineous landscape one should not rush. I did, and soon found myself apart from the path in the middle of a steep rockface scattered with unstable stones. Since I needed some extra time to get myself back onto the track, by the time I reached the col, the hikers already had disappeared.

Approaching Estany de Llauset

Further down then, I met other groups of hikers, struggling their way up the stony slopes to the col. I was glad I had decided to make a round trip, because it's far more pleasant to descend on such a loosely ground, than ascending it. For every two or three steps they went up, one they glided down. 

Looking back to Col de Llauset

Curious bug

On my way back to the car I snapped some more pictures of the landscape, its flowers and a beautiful red - black insect not being sure whether it was a fly or a butterfly. Before 11.00 am, then, I was back at my car and on my way home, satisfied with how the day had started.

Dots of colour