Circular Portella de Mantet, del Callau - Mort de l'Escolà from Mantet

From Perpignan, follow signs for Andorra. First pass through Ille-sur-Tête, Vinça and Prades; at the roundabout in Villefranche-de-Conflent, turn right towards Mont-Louis. 500 m further on, before crossing the River Têt, turn left onto the D6. Fuilla, Sahorre, Py, Mantet.
Park in the only car park in Mantet, at the entrance to the village. Note: The D6 is a dead end.

(S/E) From the village car park, set off south-east towards the village. Follow the small village road to the right, leaving the return route on your left. You’ll come to a square.
Now follow the red and white markings for^{the GR®®36}and^GR®®10. Please note: See practical information ¹.
Head down to the left towards the lower part of the village, along a very steep cobbled alleyway. Cut across the end of the road and go down a very steep cobbled alleyway. At a tiny stream, continue to the left along a track suitable for vehicles.

(1) At the fork, if the water level in the Ribera del Ressec is low, head straight on downhill and cross the ford. If the water level is too high, take the footbridge on the right.
From here on, the path climbs straight ahead without stopping. Take the beautiful path lined with dry-stone walls.

(2) Go through a gate (close it behind you) and turn right onto the footbridge spanning the Ribera de l’Alemany, then left, following the^GR®®10signposts.
Simply continue along this lovely, very well-marked path. Pass the ruins of huts and sheepfolds in this pastoral area, which is still in use, and reach a fork in the path.

(3) Turn right, still following the red and white markings. Pass Jaça Grossa and reach the junction of the GR®® routes^.

(4) Please note: Leave the^GR®®10and 36 trails and continue left, now following the^GRP®® Ronde du Canigó and Tour des Réserves Naturelles trails, marked in red and yellow. You will arrive at the Refuge de l’Alemany with its spring.

(5) A well-equipped, unmanned refuge. There is another private refuge a little further on, reserved for the shepherd. See practical information ³ .
Continue along the path, pass the Rec dels Bacivers and arrive at an open area.

(6) At the fork, turn right, continuing to climb along the red and yellow markings.
Pass the Baraque des Allemands, where there is a small, raised memorial with a few stones from the hut set into it.
Simply follow the markings carefully along this path, which is rutted in places. The gradient increases and becomes steep on the climb to La Portella.

(7) La Portella de Mantet offers a fine reward. The landscape could be perfect, but below, the small ski resort of Valter on the Spanish side slightly spoils this very mountainous setting.
Head off to the left, following a wide curve towards the south-east.
=> The path leads into Spain.
Caution: There is a risk of confusion with the^GR®®11(marked in red and white) and the HRP.
Pass La Portella de Morens.
=> The path returns to France. From there, the general direction is due east, marked with red and yellow signs.
The scenery on all sides is magnificent. The Pla de Coma Ermada is a grazing area at an altitude of 2,400 m. A few peaks at 2,500 m, visible on the right, mark the border. Head for the Portella del Callau.

(8) Head left for 250 m along the path that starts just below the ridge.
You can easily reach Roca Colom (2,507 m) by climbing to the right up the grassy ridge along the border.

(9) Continue to the right following the red and yellow^GRP®® markings and ignore the paths leading down to the left.
Carry on due east, towards a pass with a surprising name: Mort de l’Escolà.
Head slightly to the right to view the valley where the source of the Tech river lies, which flows into the sea at Argelès-sur-Mer.

(10) At the crossroads, turn left heading due north, looking for a cairn marking the start of the trail and a signpost. Leave the^GRP®® and the red and yellow markings behind. See practical information².
You must now find and follow the sporadic yellow markings. The path, clearly marked on the ground, follows the Serra del Salt del Cans – a boundary between territories, marked by a fence – on your right-hand side.
To the right, behind the fence, there are steep drops. Pass to the right of the Cim de Pomerola (2,456 m).
The path, which remains clearly marked on the ground, now descends slightly. It stays at the edge of the forest on your left, remaining on Pla Segala, which is also a high-altitude grazing area still in use. Continue towards the wooded area due north (2,200 m). Look for the cairns and the old yellow markings.

(11) At the fork, turn left. Find the path heading due west into the forest.
The path runs through a clearing in the forest and descends rapidly. You’ll reach a flat, open area (2,130 m). Turn right, still following the yellow markings.

(12) At the Moscalló Spring, you can collect water using a filter bottle or purification tablets. The path is very clearly marked on the ground and descends steeply once more.
Please note: The path widens and becomes very stony. Look to the left in the woodland for a much more comfortable path that runs alongside this stony section. You’ll come to a grassy track that descends towards the pass.

(13) At Coll de Mantet, you’ll come to a junction with tracks, paths, a road, a car park and mobile phone masts. A lovely spot to take a few photos of the village below and the path you took on the way up at the start of the walk.
Now simply look for and follow the red and white markings of the GR®10 and^GR®36.
Leave the road – you must not follow it here under any circumstances. Head downwards towards the south-west along a well-marked path.

(14) When you reach the road, follow it for 10 m and turn left^, rejoining the^GR®® markings^. Head down towards the village and return to the car park (S/E).

Spring at the unmanned Alemany Refuge (5). Moscalló fountain (12).
Drinking water is available at the two lodges in the village and at the far end of the town hall square – and at the church if necessary.

¹ Please note: The red and white markings cover the^GR®®10and^GR®®36routes, as well as the^GRP®® Ronde du Canigó and^GRP®® Tour des Réserves Naturelles.

² In the event of problems or bad weather => the Porteilla de Rotjà refuge, after (10), approximately 800 m away, following the red and yellow^GRP®® markings, heading due east.

³ After the Alemany mountain hut, the wooden hut is private and reserved for the shepherd.

This is a mid-mountain area. So, as you would expect, you will need: rainwear, water, a packed lunch, route details, a description, a map, a GPS, a camera, good walking boots and a walking stick.

Accommodation options in Mantet include the La Cavale equestrian lodge below the Coll de Mantet and the former Cazenove stopover lodge, now a restaurant and guesthouse, at the bottom of the village.

The Alemany refuge: unstaffed but well-equipped (spring, dry toilets, some provisions, designated fire area, etc.)

The Tech (Tec in Catalan) rises at Roc Colom (2,507 m), accessible from the ‘8 ’, in the Costabonne massif at 2,345 m, situated in the commune of Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste.
It flows into the Mediterranean Sea within the Mas Larrieu Nature Reserve, north of Argelès-sur-Mer.