Fontalba – Nuria – Queralbs

We leave the cars in the Parking of the Zip of Queralbs, and hire a particular company, to do the track of Queralbs to Fontalba, of some 45 minutes, 10 km, and 800 m. Of desnivel positive, that all it is necessary to say it, this in very good state for the access in vehiculos, although it has a lot of stone, especially at the beginning, and there is some that another socavón. This transport did it with the company Tornasol Adventure, SL, of Ripoll, that were very kind and professional, so much in the management as in the transport.

Like this, the first part of the travesía, did it all, of Fontalba to Nuria, split of  2.096 m. Of height.
The distance to visit is of some 4,5 km., that does in little more than two hours, with a desnivel accumulated of 400m., although between the point of exit and the one of arrival the real difference  of 130 m. In descent.

The exit from the Collado of Fontalba this clear, a way to the left and the another to the right. The one of the left is the road of rise to the Puigmal, by the Summit of the Dou. The one of the right is the one who will carry us until Nuria. Once crossed the meadow, in little while happen two torrents that collect the waters of the Puigmal, until arriving to the Torrent of Fontalba, that by the way were them freezing.

The way changes of direction, going in in a forest of red pine and black, that with a light rise arrives to a carena under the Roc of the Milestone, finding us practically in the half of the excursion, with the rests of an ancient construction. The sight from this point on the Gorges of Núria and the Rocks of Totlomón, impresses, because they remain way down below, having in ours front, but in the lejanía, the hostel of the Pic of l'Àliga, that hides behind the Valley of Nuria, and to the right the Pic of the Torreneules and the torrents that feed the Freser.

From here, the way goes going up and going down of moderate form, going through a small canchal, until finding the Torrent of Gombrén, from where have a good sight, in the contrary bank of the valley, of the Torrent of Fontnegra, that separates the Pic of l'Àliga and the Torreneules. In this point go up slightly to arrive to a collado, that already offers a wide panoramic aerial of the Valley of Nuria, and where begins the most decided descent of the route, going in first to a forest that carries us to a crossing of ways, where leave manually right the G.R. 11, that goes down to Queralbs by the Old Way. Following the white and red signals go in definitively to the Valley of Nuria, by the left bank of the lake, going through the hermitage of Saint Gil.

In the point where find the indication of the Old Way, is where will restart the travesía to go down until Queralbs, of some 3 hours of length, on 8 km. And 750m. Of desnivel negative.

We go out of the Creu of Riba, leave  backwards the lake and the sanctuary. The way goes down soft, by the left of the river,  the route is quite rocky  , and even to stretches is empedrada.

The way goes resiguiendo the mountain, and every time does more aerial and if we look at the end can see the gorgues of the river Nuria.

Of descent, in the first place impresses the Tail of Horse, that can see from the balma of Sant Pere,  i the Jump of the Tailor, with the waterfall of the torrent of Fontalba, in front of us, with immense walls of stone, that fall in hammered. The landscape is agreste and  predominate the rocky forms, rough and vertical

Before arriving to the bridge of the Cremal, the footpath goes down of form decided describing some zigzags imponentes, in front ours have the road of the zip.

When we happen the bridge change sideways rightwards.

We follow going down, now already decididamente, until by question of works of the zip, the descent turns into rise, by some artificial stairs, prepared to save the works.  The stairs are matadoras, i turn to go down by a way a poquito more aerial and with some impressive sights.

The travesía  finalises to the entrance, in a way empedrado, of the village of Queralbs, with the signals of the  footpath GR11 that have accompanied us,  following  the ancient way  of the  pilgrims or old way, that before the construction of the zip, inaugurated in the year 1931, was the road of access to the sanctuary of Nuria.