Puigmal
The Puigmal is the fourth elevation of La Cerdanya and one of the four mountains of this region that exceed 2,900 m. It is also the highest peak in Ripollès. For this reason, its summit is very frequented by mountaineers who climb both La Cerdanya and Ripollès slopes.
Technical Data
Access: From Bourg-Madame take the N116 towards Sallagosa until you find, on the right, the detour that leads to the old Puigmal ski resort. Follow this paved road for 11 km to the last car park.
Start: Last car park of the old Puigmal ski resort.
Difficulty: Easy- Medium
Maximum altitude: 2,911 m
Elevation gain: 940 m
Total duration: 3.30 h (2 h one way / 1.30 h return)
Time of year: All year round.
Notes: We are moving on high mountain terrain and, therefore, we will have to be equipped. In winter it can be done with snowshoes or mountain skis.
Route
We leave the last enabled car park of the old Puigmal ski resort and follow the stretch of paved road to a water treatment building. From here we leave the asphalt and continue along a narrow dirt track, surrounded by provence broom bushes, which leads us to cross the Aiguaneix canal. We cross it and follow a grassy slope until we find a track.
At this key point, instead of following the course of the river, we turn right and immediately see a large signposted stone that shows us the way to the Puigmal. We start the climb (S), sudden, through provence broom bushes and following the yellow paint marks. At the end of this climb, we find a plain. Here we have to turn east and go up a steep slope with decomposed soil until we come out on a grassy plain.
From this flatter area, we start a diagonal journey, pass by a ruined hut (1 h), and head south to find the visible Clot de la Pastera. When we get there, we find the wide path that comes from the Tossa del Pas del Lladres on the right. We, however, begin to climb to the left along a broken, vertical path. Further up, the route enters a rocky chaos, where the snow lasts until well into spring. Several trails cross this rocky area, but all end up on the ridge of the mountain (1.45am).
When we go out on the ridge, we can already see the undulating landscapes of Ripollès. Now we have to continue to the right (E), through the path that follows the summit ridge and reaches the base of a stony hill. We pass this hill and reach its highest part, from where we can already see the summit of Puigmal. We go there crossing an area of flat stones and reach the cross and the summit of the difficulties, the summit of Puigmal (2,911 m, 2h), where we also find a plaque with a fragment of Canigó , the work of the insignia Jacint Verdaguer.
Map and altimetry
