Saldes - Gresolet

We did this hike as a family including two boys of 8 and 11 years old. Had lunch at the halfway point (Rifugio Gresolet) to break it up, and going at an easy pace allowed us to have complaining to a minimum.

The walk starts at the square Plaça Pedraforca of Saldes. You have to go direction church, which you leave on the left and continue through the small street (Carrer Sant Marti) at the end of the square Plaça Sant Marti until you reach the path of la Canalassathere is also a signpost(Castell de Saldes and Gresolet pel camí de la Costa).

If you follow the white/green marks you will reach the castle. In the year 2002, they did here some consolidation works and a study about the best conserved parts. The most spectacular element is the base of a tower, with big arrow slits and a hall with pointed barrel vault. It was built between the 11th and the 12th century with reforms in the 14th or 15th century.

The hermitage of Santa Maria was the castles church, is a small building with a rectangular nave and a apse at the eastside; watching it you realize immediately that it has suffered a lot during its long history: the apse deformed and the bell-gable off-centre are witnesses of the reforms whom have their origins in the cataclysms of the history.

When you abandon the castle, you descend to a small valley that has been cultivated until not so long-ago. Are remarkable the terraces that limit the fields: tons of rocks that have been moved by generations to clean the farm land. The path passes through a labyrinth and you have to be attentive to not lose the way marking.

You continue till the path ends at the dirt track near the La Costa house, typical mountain farmer house with the annexed buildings around; three plants: the stable on the ground floor;the kitchen, oven, living room and rooms at the first floor and the barn at the attic. Next to the house there is a hay loft with in front a threshing-floor. Near to the complex, in a corner, there is a small spring recently fixed. This house has the basic building typology that became popular since the 16th century in the mountains.

The walk continues on the ascending dirt track to Gresolet, slightly above the house.At about 400 meters (1,312ft) there’s crossroads, here you continue to left, going up and at about 15 meters (50 feet) you find a signpost.

From the point called Forat del Llop, the path enters in more arid landscape, passesbeneath the viewpoint of Pedraforca and continues outflanking the streams that plough through the north slope of Pedraforca. The panoramas that offer the small viewpoints you can find crossing the ridges are impressive. Observe the tall and longwalls of dry stone that adapted the great slopes of the mountain to make them suitable for cultivation.

The path ends on the dirt track, going to the left, it will lead you to the shrine “Santuari De Gresolet”,one of the most emblematic places of the region; elevated above the valley, looking out over the forest of Gresolet, in which you can find several monumental trees as also the largest spruce of Berguedà, at his upper limit the limestone crown that forms the northern slope of Pedraforca. The shrine is documented since the 13th century, although there are no remains left from the original Romanesque building, due to the reforms that they have done through the ages.

To return to Saldes you have to descend the dirt track gravel until the intersection of Cal Bessó(SL 9), where you will find a signpost. Although, in summer, you can find a lot of traffic, the Gresolet stream will be your companion on this section. The stream and the views will compensate the annoyance that can cause the passing traffic. The road passes by several houses: Anorra, Cal PistrausandCal Camp d'en Jou on the left and Els Casalots on the right. Watch the terraces that there are at the slopes behind the houses: so much work for such a poor yield!

Before you reach cal Ferrer the way benches to the right(signpost), at beginning following a dirt track until passing the house cal Bessóthat you can see below. A bit further you take a path on the left that goes through some old crop fields and crosses the stream Torrent de cal Bessó. Here start a steep climb and you pass by the spring Font del Faig. At Coll de la Creu de la Cabana you continue going up on the dirt track until you find another dirt track which you follow to the left and you arrive again in Saldes.