Lake Malniu
Due to its beauty and reputation, in summer the Malniu lakes are among the most visited in La Cerdanya, even more so than the Pera lakes. Its ease of access and the location of the Malniu refuge certainly have a lot to do with it.
Technical Data
Access: You can reach the Malniu refuge from Meranges, following the forest track that goes up there. You can also access it from the Guils Fontanera Nordic ski resort, following the track that continues along Pla de la Feixa and then down to the refuge itself, where the car park is located.
Home: car park at the Malniu refuge.
Difficulty: Very easy.
Maximum altitude: 2,250 m
Elevation gain: 120 m
Total duration: 1 h (35 min one way + 25 min return).
Time of year: All year round. In winter it can be done with snowshoes, although many times the access to the refuge is closed.
Route
Once our vehicle is parked, we go back a few meters to find the entrance to the car park. Just before crossing the stream that comes from the Malniu lake drain, we find on the right the signs that indicate the start of the route. It starts next to the river itself, enters the forest and, for a while, continues along its bank.
We follow for a while the white and red marks of the GR 11 route, painted on the rocks, and also the white and yellow marks that mark the circuit of the lakes. We make a first gentle climb, with a bit to the right, and then another more steep climb that allows us to gain height. The road is wide and the landmarks and paint marks guide us inside the forest. Thus, we arrive at a small plain from which we can see, in a open space, the refuge of Malniu and its parking. Later, the GR 11 path deviates to the right towards the Feixa refuge, but we must continue up the path on the left, now only marked with white and yellow paint. We move into an area with large granite rocks and stuffed with alpenrose bushes. Then we go out to a flatter place where there is a crossroads with signposts. One of these signs points to the right indicatea in the direction to the ponds. In this way, we cross a fairly flat area and reach the lake drain.
Malniu Lake (2,250 m, 0.35 h). It is located in a very beautiful place, under the rocky area that can be seen from the Castell dels Lladres and the Pedró de la Tossa. The dimensions of this pond amaze us. It is advisable to take a walk along the lake in order to admire its beauty. If we follow the path, now less marked, we can reach the lake of Guils, surrounded by stones.
Map and altimetry
