From Camping Ixeia -via Benasque- to Refugio de Coronas

^22-07-17

Since resupply options in Parzán were kind of limited, and also I didn’t plan that well / wanted to carry that much, I need to walk into Benasque where there are several good shops. The friendly receptionist at the campground also points me to a sports shop that should have freeze-dried meals.

It’s a lovely flatish walk about an hour (good 3km) down along the river, passing by the old stone bridge of San Jaume.

Benasque is quite a lovely compact town; with clearly an old town centre, but also quite touristy based on the number of restaurants and sports shops.

I do my shopping, and have a light lunch (catering to my vegetables cravings), while enjoying a little 4G for a short while.

Then it’s back up to the Camping again; I choose the path on the other, western side of the river. Also very nice, but it’s been getting hot and I am thankful for any shade.

Back at the campground I just chill for a couple of hours until the worst mid-day heat wears off; and also for my power bank to get some more time to fully charge.

Then, with a light evening breeze coming up, I start out again, at first on a not too steep gravel road.

Soon I can see the imposing dam of Embalse de Paso Nuevo lurking between the trees.

Then I can take a smaller, steeper path, shortcutting the wide serpentines of the gravel road. It leads me through a strange, dense ‘forest’ of trees unknown to me. They remind me a bit of the laurel forests on Tenerife… but no idea if it’s in any way related plants.

And finally the path starts climbing really steep up the side of the valley, heading east… it’s not long before I get quite dramatic views back down onto the reservoir and the valley bottom.

And suddenly I hear a noise… some kind of larger vehicle coming down the gravel road; park rangers maybe? I cannot believe my eyes when a quite decent sized public transport bus makes its way around the next bend!

Since this is one of the two main ascent routes to Pico Aneto (the highest top in the Pyrenees), there is obviously a lot of hikers, and they have therefore set up this bus route 5 or 6 times a day during the summer months.

Sweet! But I’m still going to hike it.

When I reach Cabana de Quillón at about 1800m asl, I feel I’m done for the day. But there isn’t really any good flat spot, the cabana looks pretty grotty to sleep in, and it’s quite a detour to get water… so after a chocolate bar and some rest, I manage to motivate myself to press on.

The terrain flattens out, and it’s cooler now, so I reach the end of the gravel road and Refugio de Coronas at 1965m asl quite quickly.

I go on for a couple of hundred meters and find a hidden stealth no-trace bivouac spot by the river.

Long day – so: river bath, some food, toothbrush and then right to sleep!

first approx. 8km, 155m descent/ascent to Benasque and back

then: approx. 3,5h incl. breaks;

9,8km, 730m ascent, 45m descent

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