Circuit de Fontfredda.

Fontfredda-Pic de Salines-Col de la Pau Neu-Fontfredda

Fontfredda can be reached by the D13f which starts on the western outskirts of Ceret. A narrow but well kept road takes you for 11 kilometers up to Fontfredda, a good starting point for mountain walks. As the name indicates there is cold, fresh water and, also important there is a lot of shadow.

From here we took the yellow signposted track to the Col de Les Salines, a track which is part of the 5 hour-walk called the'Sentier des Trabucayres'. This track leads you to the Col and Pic de Les Salines, 1330m. and gives you good views all the way.

From the Pic de Les Salines you have an all around view both into France and Spain,of too many interesting points to mention, although the Roc de France and the Canigigou range should be mentioned here.

This Pic is situated on the Fernch/Spanish border and from here we took a beautiful border track to the Col de Pou de la Neu (Puit á Neige). The sheer rock cliffs and bizarre rock formations are very impressive.

The Col de Pou de la Neu gives you the opportunity to go into four directions, among which the one to the Roc de France, but we took the white-red signposted GR 10. This is a beautiful track which leads you through the woods and across rock slides but this way to the starting point of the walk is much longer.

Sometimes the descent is so steep that I had to put my gps into my pocket so that it missed all the lefts and rights that the track makes at one particular point and shows one straight line instead of all the zig-zags. Here the descent is very steep indeed and under wet circumstances it might be a really difficult one.

The major advantage of this track is that it is in shaded area almost all the time. Although the views are not that impressive as on the way up the immediate surroundings most certainly are.

Although you go down to the junction where you went up to the Col de Les Salines it sometimes feels as if you are making more climbing metres than descending ones. Once you get to the junction it is not far to the starting point, where you can refresh yourself with the cool water of the fountain.

All in all a beautiul and rewarding walk.