Puigmal From Fontalba

To arrive to Fontalba, from Ribes of Freser takes the road that goes to Queralbs. A time in this village and after happening the roads of the zip takes a manually right road. From this point the road begins to go up quickly, a short metres turns into a track of sand until Fontalba (2.070 m).

The itinerary divides in 3 parts:
          - Fontalba (2.070 m) - Puigmal (2.913 m): 2:45 h. And 4,5 Km.
          - Puigmal (2.913 m) - Sanctuary of Núria (2.000 m): 2 h. And 5 Km.
          - Sanctuary of Núria (2.000 m) - Fontalba (2.070 m): 1,30 h. And 5 Km.

What do a total of some 15 Km. And some 6:30 hours with a desnivel positive accumulated of some 1.000 m. And other so many of descent.

The rise to the Puigmal does by the slope south, following along all the route the crest that separates it of the western valley, at the beginning goes up to través meadows. We go winning heaved quickly to the time that little by little goes disappearing the vegetation. The meadows give place to the brown colour of the sand and the stones and begins to identify the way. Along the ascensión observes an impressive landscape, in days with good visibility can see the saw of the Cadí, the mountains of Andorra and even the Pike d'Estats.

It is important to signal also that the rise does not present any type of problem. The itinerary is quite simple to identify due to the fact that the summit already observes before beginning to walk. The hardest part of the ascensión finds between the 2.700 - 2.900 m, shortly before arriving to the summit. It is a canchal with an approximate slope of 25º that does quite hard after 2 hours of rise. The footpath goes doing zig-zags until finally the slope decrece and in question of 10 minutes arrive to the summit of the Puigmal (2.913 m).

The beak is a big explanada from where the seen are excellent: by the North, observes all the Cerdanya and the mountains that separate it of Andorra and big macizos French like the one of the Carlit. To the East finds all the valley of Núria and the succession of summits that conform the designated "Pot of Núria". South it sees the way that have done of rise. And, finally, In it splits it west identifies the saw of the Cadí-Moixeró.

The descent do it by the slope This, where finds the way that goes up of Núria and that it is the more transitado by the excursionistas. The footpath has a strong slope in the first stretches, what in occasions hampers the descent. By this side, the valley is much more enclosed.

In little more than a pair of hours arrives to the Sanctuary of Núria (2.000 m). Afterwards so only it is missing to go back until Fontalba and the excursion will have concluded.

The way goes out of Núria by the right part of the lake, just in the crossing that conform the way that goes up of Queralbs, the way that rises to the caves and the one who heads to Fontalba. From this crossing the footpath begins to rise quickly. A time realised this small rise, the way plans until arriving to Fontalba. It does not have lost since it treats of a GR very very signposted.

In total the hard excursion some 6:30 hours, without explaining the stops and to a more or less continued rhythm.