The mining history of Les Aspres

From Le Boulou, head towards Céret on the D115. At the entrance to Céret, at the Pont du Diable, turn right onto the D615 towards Llauro. At Coll de Llauro, turn left onto the D13 towards Oms. Continue on the D13.
When you reach Coll d'en Forto (Col du Fourtou), turn left onto the D618 towards Saint-Marsal.
Once you have passed the Saint-Marsal sign, turn right and then right again towards the car park at the foot of the church.

Yellow markings

(S/E) Continue west, leaving the cemetery on your left.
Continue climbing steadily along the wide track, ignoring the tracks on your left and right.

(1) Reach a small road and cross it. Go through the iron gate and close it behind you. Directional sign.
Volta se Santa Anna (St Anne's Tower).
There is another information sign about this pastoral area with warnings.
Climb up, looking for a sunken path along a fence on your left.

White and yellow + yellow markings

(2) Crossroads. Keep slightly to the right as you descend. Cross a còrrec (talweg) and continue along a fence on your left.
Further down, there is another crossroads. Continue downhill, this time with the fence on your right.

(3) Go through a scrap metal gate, remembering to close it behind you, and immediately join the road on the right.
Turn left onto the wide hard shoulder on the right.
Be careful, even if there is very little traffic.

(4) Leave the road and follow a very good path on the right into the forest, which descends rapidly to the bottom of the valley.

(5) Còrrec el Bolès ford. Lots of water (12 March 2020).
Be careful. This is a tricky spot to negotiate due to the slippery rocks.
Climb steeply opposite and rejoin a good path that is still marked.
Cut across a grassy track to climb up the opposite side towards a low wall.
When you reach the low wall, there is a right turn. Join a track and go left for 50 metres.

(6) Look carefully for and follow the yellow markings, even if everything seems obvious on the IGN map.
Some paths and tracks are not shown on the IGN, OSM or OSM Trails maps.
1) Find a track and turn left for about 80 metres.
2) At the^first left turn on the track, turn right and head uphill. Continue towards the large entrance gate to the house.
3) Just before this gate, go up to the left to pass above the house, which is below on the right.
4) Then cut across the access track to the house and continue straight ahead along a good forest path.
You will come out at the end of a road. Immediately turn left and go uphill behind the house.
You will arrive above a beautiful orchard opposite and some very pretty gardens further down on your right.
In the village, there is a sculpture and an old mining skip at the end of the path.
At this crossroads, look for a well topped with a stone cone on the other side of the road.
To the right of the large building, you will see the toilets, with a play area, where there is a drinking water point.

(7) Go around the well on the right and climb up against the concrete house on the right-hand side.
Join a grassy track in a grazing area. Follow it for a few metres. Yellow markings.
Leave the house at the bottom on your right and head further to the left at the edge of the forest on your left.

(8) Cross the D13, then further on, a grassy track.
Cross the D13 a second time. Then join it a third time further on.

(9) Turn left onto the left-hand side of the road. Take care. Pass Cortal de Vincenç on your right.
Continue along the D13 or Sarrat de las Creous (hamlet of crosses).
At Cortal d'en Baux, climb up to the right along a path to follow the road below on your left.
Pass a fence and close it behind you. Join the D13 again at a cistern and continue to the right.

(10) Coll Palomeres. Large area. Numerous paths and tracks in addition to the D13.
Pass by the large information board about the area (map, hiking routes).
Go down to the left immediately afterwards. The start of the path is rutted. Still follow the yellow markings.
Make sure you put the double electric fence back in place. This will ensure that the paths continue to pass through private property. There are no restrictions.

(11) Go through an iron gate with a spring closure. Private property sign (³).
Turn left. Follow a fence on your left along a good narrow path.
Cross a track leading to the llama enclosure. Go down the path opposite.
You will come to a muddy patch; turn left and continue uphill along the fence.
Go through a second iron gate with spring-loaded latches.
Continue along the marked path. The view is magnificent. You can see the oven at the bottom of the valley on the left.
Pass by an old ruined building (Casa del Rey).
Pass the ore stocks and reach a developed area. Recent signpost (October 2019).
You will arrive at the old mines and a huge water reservoir carved out of the rock by the miners.
This dangerous area is protected by safety nets.
At this point, off the yellow trail, descend to the left along a well-marked path to reach the large stone furnace via a round trip.
Follow the orange markings.

(12) Climb back up from the furnace, further on, staying on flat ground, to the left, and discover the large miners' building and a ballast wagon (²) on a round trip. Note the large hopper carved out of the rock, through the mountain to the right and left.
Return to the original path and climb up into the forest on a good path that is still well marked in yellow.
Further on, cross a grassy track and continue climbing opposite. The path is damaged in places. Cross two Còrrec and continue climbing along the well-marked path.

End of the yellow markings

(13) Old mining railway line (¹). Leave the yellow-marked path that climbs opposite.
Alternative route: See: practical information.
Turn left along the hillside and continue for approximately 3.2 km.
Pass through a railway tunnel in very good condition, but somewhat obstructed by a rockfall.
Gaps in the forest allow you to admire the landscape.
Leave the path that descends to the left (green cross).
You will come to the old Caseta railway station. This is a great place to take a well-deserved break.
You will arrive at an open area with a clearing in sight.

Sparseyellow markings.

(14) Crossroads in the forest. Directional signs. Take the path on the far left, a very pretty path leading down to Saint-Marsal.

(15) Pla de l'Abella. Crossroads of tracks and paths. Open, mown area.
Caution: the markings are unclear at this point. Pay attention.
First turn right then left to find the cart track known as the Romaine.
The area has been mowed (12 March 2020). If not, descend the track for 700 m and climb to the right at the hairpin bend in this track to find the marked path.
On this downhill path, you will see two distinct sections of the track worn by cart wheels.

(16) Collada del Pou (Puits Pass). El Pou de Florentí (Florentì's Well). The well is secure (observed on 16 April 2024). Continue along the wide track.
Pass an open, protected water reservoir on the left of the track.

(17) Santa Creu Pass (Holy Cross). Continue straight ahead along the DFCI track. The view is still clear.

(18) Turn right and descend steeply. Leave the DFCI track, which turns into a road.
Arrive at the pretty village of Saint-Marsal via Carrer d'Amunt (High Road) on the square.
On the village square, there is water, and 100 metres downhill to the right is the Bistrot de Pays.
Go around Saint-Marsal Church. Turn left onto Carrer dels Vents (Wind Path) towards the car park (S/E).

This hike is classified as difficult due to its length and the need for good orientation skills.

Drinking water is available at the playground toilets in La Bastide, on the village square in St-Marsal.

This is a mountainous area. So, as you should, you will need: rain gear, water, snacks, GPX track, description, map, GPS or Visorando app, camera, good walking shoes, walking stick.

Alternative: if you are short on time or encounter problems, from (13) turn right onto the road to rejoin the^GRP® and follow it to the right to Coll Palomeres, then return via the same route to (S/E).

Bistrot de Pays de St-Marsal

Hike completed as a group on 12 March 2020. The markings and paths are clear and in good condition.

(¹) The original railway line was approximately 12 km long. A locomotive pulled numerous wagons loaded with iron ore. The line connected Formentera to Rapalom via Les Manerots. From Formentère, a cable was used to transport the ore down to Amélie-les-Bains.

(²) The inclined plane used to bring the processed iron ore back up, using wagons hauled by an ingenious hydraulic system of water-filled ballasts.

(³) Access to the mining site is described on the Sud Canigó website and in local newspapers, suggesting that agreements were reached for this particular area between the two portals. The Géoportail land registry confirms that the path is not private!
La Bastide rural path