The GR11 Trail. Brian Johnson
Чтение книги онлайн.
Читать онлайн книгу The GR11 Trail - Brian Johnson страница 8
Название: The GR11 Trail
Автор: Brian Johnson
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Книги о Путешествиях
isbn: 9781783626205
isbn:
Stage 1 is too long for a first day unless you are already ‘trail fit’. If you are camping it is sensible to take three days to get to Elizondo at the end of Stage 2. If you are staying in Irún you could walk the section from Cabo de Higuer to Irún on the evening of your arrival and then set out from Irún in the morning. Once clear of Irún, the route is typical of the Basque Country as you traverse steep rolling hills on good tracks through a mixture of woodland and pasture.
There doesn’t seem to be an official starting point for the GR11 but the Faro de Higuer lighthouse is the prominent feature on the cape. You could of course climb down the rocks to dip your toes in the Atlantic Ocean.
Follow the tarmac track, signed ‘GR121 to Hondarribia’, down between the lighthouse and the campground, soon forking left along a path which loops round the lighthouse and follows the slumping undercliff. On reaching the road, turn left down to the harbour and follow the coast road past the sandy Playa de Hondarribia (25min) where there are water-points, toilets and beach showers. There are water-points at regular intervals along the seafront. Continue past the large marina and along the shore until the road turns inland alongside a canal opposite the airport (1hr).
Hondarribia is a large tourist resort with all facilities. Camping Jaizkibel, 500m W of the centre of Hondarribia, also has cabins and bar-restaurant. Albergue Juan Sebastián Elcano is at the N end of Hondarribia, inland from the marina. You must show the youth hostelling international card in this youth hostel.
After the road veers right, go straight (W) across a double roundabout, fork left at the next small roundabout, past the Eroski supermarket, left at a big roundabout and immediately right down the Santa Engrazia Kalea. This road returns to the main road by the Puente de Amute (1hr 30min). After crossing the bridge, fork left along road GI-636 before veering left into Irún, under a road bridge, straight across a large roundabout and up the Calle de Fuenterribía. Fork left up Hondarribia Kalea and over the railway into the wide boulevard of the Paseo de Colón to reach a big square (1hr 50min).
Irún is a large town with an international railway station. All types of camping gas are available at Decathlon in Parque Comercial Txingudi which is in Ventas at the SW end of Irún near junction 2 of the A-8 autopista. There are buses to Txingudi from Hondarribia and Irún every hour.
Keep straight on as the road becomes the Avenida de Navarra after a large multi-way junction and heads downhill. Head down the right-hand side of this dual carriageway and cross a stream. Turn right along the second road after the stream, turning left and immediately right at the end. Cross a roundabout and then, at the next roundabout, go diagonally left, signed to San Martzial Ermita. Just before you reach a stream turn right along a path. This veers left to the road. Turn right under the A-8 (Autopista del Cantábrico), after which there is a GR11 information board by a concrete track on your left (2hr 15min, 20m, N43°20.009 W001°46.634). The GR11 is well waymarked from here.
Aldabe Farm, above Irún
Turn left up the concrete track, ignoring two left forks, then continue up a rough track. Join another concrete track at Aldabe Farm, with water-point, cross a road and continue up a tarmac track which becomes gravel after another house. Cross the road again and reach a large picnic area with water and toilets (2hr 50min, 205m, N43°19.869 W001°45.920). The building on your right is the Ermita San Martzial, which has a bar-restaurant.
Irún, on the border of the kingdoms of Navarre, Castile and France, belonged to Navarre, but became part of Castile in 1200. In 1522 Navarre raised an army, assisted by German and French mercenaries, to recapture Irún and they defeated a Castilian army at the battle of Monte San Martzial on 30 June 1522. Success was honoured by the building of a chapel on the shoulder of the hill.
In 1813 Wellington was besieging the French garrison at San Sebastián when he had news of a relief force under General Soult. Wellington broke off the siege and marched his British and Spanish army to meet the French. On 31 August 1813 the Napoleonic troops were defeated in the second battle on Monte San Martzial and the chapel became an important shrine for the people of Irún.
Continue ESE along a concrete track, turning right 50m after a children’s play area/picnic area. Don’t get confused by the R-11 sign – this is a local footpath and nothing to do with the GR11. Keep straight on when the concrete track goes right and follow a track along the crest of the ridge, descending to a farm on a saddle. Keep straight on, ignoring a track to the right, and climb. You pass a small water catchment dam but the water is of dubious quality. Fork right after a cattle grid along a track which becomes concrete after passing a farm. Turn left up a rough track, under power lines, at the top of the hill. This track soon becomes a grassy path to reach a white cabin. Veer to the right of the cabin to reach a waterless picnic site beside the GI-3454 road. Continue just left of the road to a car park on the Collado de Erlaitz (4hr 5min, 448m, N43°18.314 W001°45.380) with Erlaitz (495m) on the right and Pagogaña (482m) on the left. Dry camping. It would be very easy to walk up Pagogaña from here.
Follow a grassy track parallel to and just left of the road, passing through another waterless picnic site. Continue until you reach a track going off diagonally left (438m) just after large parking areas on either side of the road. The GR11 forks left (S) down the track. Gradually descend, forking left and veering sharp right at a junction. The rocky peak ahead is Risco de San Antón (596m). The good track switchbacks down, reaching a clear-looking woodland stream at the final switchback. Continue down the track until you cross a cattle grid and come out at a small road. Turn right, uphill, to reach the W end of the Embalse de San Antón (Endara) dam (5hr 40min, 240m, N43°16.624 W001°46.494). Turn left across the dam and continue along the road to pass the Ermita de St. Antón, on your right (5hr 50min). This chapel has a water-point and a covered seating area.
Turn left up a concrete track signed to the Bar-restaurante Ola-Berri, just after the chapel. Before you reach the bar, the GR11 turns right over a stile and up a path across pasture, then forks left as you enter the wood and climbs steeply to reach a concrete track at the Collado de Tellería (Collado de San Antón) (6hr 20min, 415m, N43°16.446 W001°45.513). You may prefer to stay on the concrete track left of the Bar-restaurante Ola-Berri, then switchback right and follow the track to the Collado de Tellería.
Continue E along the concrete track, descending past a farm and climbing again. Keep straight on at crossroads and fork right at some houses. Fork right up a track then left along the main track and left again. Turn left and right at a woodland stream and then join a concrete track at a farm with a water-point in the farmyard. Fork right and then left along a path which joins a track. Soon fork right as the track becomes a path. Cross a concrete track at Alasta (357m) and follow the track along the crest of the ridge. Dry camping. Fork left after a white building at Amargunko Lepoa and contour to the next saddle, Amargaga Lepoa (7hr 30min, 304m). Take the middle track, then fork left, then right, then left again to start the descent to Bera. Follow the main track down to reach a minor road on the outskirts of Bera. Keep straight on at a crossroads before veering right to an old narrow bridge across the Rio Bidasoa.
Memorial plaque on bridge at Bera
There is a memorial plaque on the bridge to the men of the Rifle Brigade who died on 1 September 1813 defending the bridge against the French. During their retreat following defeat at the Battle of San СКАЧАТЬ