Refuge du Pinet - Montcalm/Estats/Verdaguer Peaks - Refuge Vallferrera

(S) From the Refuge du Pinet, take the Porta del Cel path heading west. Walk along the northern shore of the lake of the same name, then cross the Ruisseau d'Estats stream. The path then heads south. From here, the path is mainly rocky and stony for more than 10 km.

(1) At a fork (altitude 2,260 m), take the GR®T61 trail on the left, which also corresponds to the Porta del Cel route, continuing south. The trail overlooks the stream coming from the Étang d'Estats lake.

(2) Shortly before the Étang d'Estats, take the path on the left heading south-east to overlook the lake without getting too close and reach the Étang du Montcalm about 500 m further on.

(3) Head south to reach the Col de la Coumette.

(4) Turn left towards the east to reach Col de Riufret, a crossroads of four different paths.

(5) Turn left to make a round trip to Pic du Montcalm on a clearly visible and easy trail.

(6) At the summit, return to Col de Riufret via the same route you took on the way up.

(5) Continue straight ahead towards the south until you reach an intersection at an altitude of approximately 3,020 metres.

(7) Turn left towards the south-west to reach an unnamed pass between Pic d'Estats and Pic de Verdaguer.

(8) From here, head towards the highest point of this multi-day hike: Pic d'Estats. Please note: although not technical or long, the final climb to Pic d'Estats is quite steep and those who are less confident may need to use their hands to help them climb.

(9) Turn around and return to the unnamed pass.

(8) Continue along the ridge to reach the summit of Pic de Verdaguer in a few minutes. The ascent is easier than that of Pic d'Estats.

(10) Return to the unnamed pass.

(8) Return to the intersection at an altitude of 3,020 metres below.

(7) Take the path on the left, still on the Porta del Cel route.

(11) At a new intersection at an altitude of 2980 m, turn left, still on the Porta del Cel route. Be careful here: this short descent is steep and has large boulders, so take your time going down (rated T5).

(12) At another intersection at an altitude of 2,900 m, turn left towards the west and follow the southern bank of a stream coming from the Étangs de la Coumette d'Estats. The path then branches off to the south-west once you have passed the ponds. Reach the intersection of the Pic du Port de Sullo.

(13) Continue left towards the south to reach Port de Sullo, located about a hundred metres further on. This pass marks the French-Spanish border.

(14) Continue south and enter Spain. Descend through a scree slope to Coma d'Estats.
Please note: a rockslide occurred in July 2025 on this section, covering the original path, but it is still possible to descend via this scree slope according to hikers who have done so. It will take time for the path to be re-established as people walk along it. After Coma d'Estats, reach Estany d'Estats on its western shore, then Estany de Sotllo, also on its western shore.

(15) At a small unnamed pond south of Estany de Sotllo, turn left to stay on the Porta del Cel trail. This trail heads east, then quickly south.

(16) At an intersection, continue straight ahead towards the south and leave the path on the left leading to Estany Fondo. From here, the path becomes grassier and easier to walk on as it runs alongside the Sotllo stream. The landscape is dotted with fir trees all the way to the refuge.

(17) At the small pass de Sotllo junction, continue straight ahead south, then south-east on the Porta del Cel towards the Valferrera refuge.

(18) Finally, at the last intersection at an altitude of 2,050 metres, turn right and descend southwards on a winding path to the Valferrera Refuge (E).

Late snowfields may remain in July, particularly on all sections between Col de la Coumette (4) and Port du Sullo (14). These same sections are frequently subject to lightning strikes, so be sure to check the weather conditions.