From Lastourg to the Jando Canal

The hike (or walk) takes place in the south-eastern part of the Mont Coronat limestone massif, starting from the Mas de Lastourg campsite.

(S/E) The route starts in front of the road leading to the campsite and the SHEM hydroelectric station.

On the N116, cross the road and head straight on along the right-of-way marked ‘No entry except for local residents’ (for cars).
Turn left immediately and continue along the service track for 800 m, climbing gently (+40 m). Pass an old, renovated shepherd’s hut on your right, with a very pretty garden.

(1) Cross a bridge over the small river Ravin des Horts/Correc dels Horts (often dry), pass through a fairly large car park (a former gravel storage site belonging to the Roads Department?), then continue along the track (often completely overgrown with wild grass). Cross a section marked ‘Caution: ford’. At the end of this path there is a road barrier, like a car park entrance or toll booth. You’ll need to go back about thirty metres.

(2) Head off the track up the slope at a 90° angle to the path, towards a small wayside shrine. The climb is short but difficult.

(3) You’ll soon reach the first terraces. Carry on to the wayside shrine. Go round the shrine and head towards a large shepherd’s cottage, clearly visible 100 metres higher up. The climb is quite steep, across the old terraces, with no signposting or marked path. However, the cottage remains visible throughout this short climb.

(4) Once you reach the house, turn left onto a path leading from this shepherd’s cottage towards the neighbouring farm of La Guardia, 700 m away. Along the path, you’ll find the old Jando irrigation channel on your right (sometimes signposted ‘Rec Nou’ –meaning ‘new irrigation channel’ in Catalan); at times it’s clearly visible, whilst at others it’s completely hidden by vegetation or entirely filled with earth.

(5) Leave the canal and head towards La Guardia. The gates to the farm’s grounds mark the end of the route to the west.

(6) Turn back when you reach the gate.

(5) Walk alongside the canal again.

(4) Pass behind the shepherd’s cottage again, without turning right, and continue to follow the old canal (rather than the path shown on the map, which has been completely abandoned). The canal joins the dry riverbed of the Ravin des Rocs Llisos/Torrent dels Horts (which flows into the Têt a little further down).

(7) Crossing this section is rather tricky, as the canal is broken and has probably been out of use for decades; you’ll need to do a bit of safe scrambling down a 2-metre drop. The canal then resumes its winding course with very steep sections and counter-scarp walls over a distance of 500 metres. However, none of this poses any danger, even for children.

(8) The canal then joins another stream, the Ravin des Horts/Correc dels Horts. A beautiful, smooth grey slab bears witness to the volume of water that has flowed here, either since time immemorial or during the often violent storms in the area.

NB: the canal’s course does not end here; it continues on the other side, but this is not the focus of this particular walk.

To continue, you must retrace your steps for 30 metres. Then leave the canal and head down to the right through the undergrowth to rejoin the right-of-way path taken at the start of the walk, leaving the peak (the ‘Sugar Loaf’) rising to 573 m (IGN map elevation), the Kerlong, on your left. After crossing terraces planted with young cork oaks, rejoin the path further down, about sixty metres before the bridge over the Ravin des Horts/Correc dels Horts river, which you crossed and mentioned earlier.
Once back on the right-of-way path, simply follow it in the opposite direction back to the starting point (S/E).

Do not expect a wide, well-marked trail. The trail is narrow or almost non-existent. It is cluttered with vegetation, rocks that have fallen from the cliffs, and - very important - there are no lakes, passes or peaks with breathtaking views, just landscapes with the wonderful scents of the Mediterranean and the ruined remains of a heritage that our ancestors built with patience and maintained with tenacity. Nostalgia for a bygone era, difficult and close to nature, is the only motivation and interest for this hike. Only go if that's what attracts you!

It is best to set off very early in the morning to avoid the noise of the RN116 road.
Wear good sports shoes or light hiking boots and clothing that covers your legs and arms, as there is a lot of vegetation (including thorny plants).
There is no drinking water along the route, so bring your own supplies.
In case of bad weather during the hike, you can take shelter either at the first shepherd's house (on the terrace or inside if it is open, or at the back of the property, where there is a small outbuilding without a door), or at the second shepherd's house. After that, there is no further shelter.

You can see the interior and exterior design of the shepherds' houses, the ingenuity of our ancestors who designed and built the irrigation channels throughout the region, and of course the beauty of the surrounding landscape!
For campers at the Mas de Lastourg campsite, we keep an eye on the pitches practically throughout the entire hike!