a0305 - Aigüestortes Vall de Peguera Black Lake and Reservoirs

Vall de Peguera in theAigustortes i Estany de Sant Maurici Parc Naciona is a spectacular and challenging hiking route with an elevation gain of over a thousand metres over a distance of eight kilometres. The route is via the Peguera River valley from Espot to the first of many great lakes that form The 141 km2 Aigustortes Natural Park.

The route starts in the centre of Espot at the village parking area at the entrance to the village on the LV 5004 road. Cross the village via a small street called calle de Peguera. Admire the pretty stone buildings heading up to the start of the Cami de Peguera. When you leave the road onto a gravel track there is a campsite on the right, Camping la Torre.

This trail is well sing posted and is part of the GR-11 (Gran Recorrido 11) trail to Estany Negre de Peguera and Refugi Josep Maria Blanc. Along the initial part of the gravel track you will see a waterfall on the right. Shortly after the waterfall the path transitions onto a footpath and settles into a steady uphill climb through shrub and shady woodlands into the Peguera Valley in certain sections paralleling the river Peguera. At several points you will cross over the river via wooden footbridges which give excellent views of the river passing over the rocky bed. At one point along this path you will see a large waterfall.

After about three kilometres, the path emerges from the forest onto a mountain plain that is very swampy so the path traverses via wooden planks over the swamp to pass a ruined stone farmhouse. From here the path enters the forest again and continues upwards another one and a half kilometres to get to Lake Lladres, a dammed lake with a small hydro electric plant called Presa de la Font Grassa. This is usually where I stop to take a short break and a snack.

The path is now via a gravel road and from here on up the tree canopy is a lot thinner. After about another kilometre of this trail we ass from a distance the Trescuro lakes, where the trail climbs further along a zig zagging route after a further one and a half kilometres we see the corner wall of the Tort de Peguera Lake. Here most hiking trails follow the gravel road but I walk along the top of the dam and follow a small path parallel to the lake until I get to the Refugi (Mountain hut) Josep Maria Blanc. In the summer when the Refugi is open it is posible to get a beer, wine or something stronger here.

After Refugi Josep Maria Blanc I followed the gravel road up further to get to Lake Negre, Estany Negre de Peguera. Despite its name, this lake does not have dark water but perfect blue crystal clear glacial water. From small dam wall the path continues up in a zig zag up the mountain to the right of the dam before dropping down to s spot next to the water. This is another discreet place that I like to take a rest and admire the view. The lake is surrounded by high granite mountains.

The Estany Negre de Peguera is the end of this route and the point where I turn around to return to Espot via the same path that I used to ascend.