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Glorieta from de Mont-ral


Description of the itinerary

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Technical data
Time: 2:40 h
Slope: +400
Distance: 9 Km
Difficulty: F1, T1
 
Points of Interest
This is an itinerary pretty easy which will make us discover a few small marvels which are quite unknown, like:
The village of Mont-ral, is located at a high point and enjoys good views. MR is small (149 inhabitants) but remain pretty well kept. There is a refuge, open round the year, and some restaurants.
The Gorges of the Glorieta have remarcable cliffs, carved by the river, mostly dry at its highest part. But has eventhough been able to cut the rock strongly but with delicacy.
The Springs of the Glorieta. One can see the water coming out from the center of the rocks, creating a small but pretty nice water fall. Also a few ponds full of crystalline water are around there. They look like Gaudi's architechtural shapes. See photographs
A splendid view of the Alt Camp region from the peak of the Serra del Pou.
The nice house grouping of the village of l'Aixàviga, attachment of Mont-ral
La Nevera, a remarcable ice-well, which seems to have given name to the Serra del Pou.
 
Description of the route
 
Mont-ral - Barranc de la Font Fresca - Fonts del Glorieta - Grau del Mal Pas - Comellar del Bosquetà - Portell del Maseter - Placeta del Pi - L'Aixàviga - Nevera del Muster - Barranc de la Font Fresca - Mont-ral
 

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Start from Mont-ral (0:00h; 820a). We start from the low part of the village, at the side of the road to La Musara . There is a signpost and marks of PR-20. We begin by going down on a path pretty blurred. After 5 minutes we arrive to a track, which we follow at right for 10 meter. Then we turn left , by a small torrent, the Barranc de la Font Fresca, which we cross. We soon enter in a path better defined, which is the old trail from Alcover to Mont-ral. Five minutes later we arrive to a fork.

Fork (0:13h; 710a). We are at the path that goes up from Alcover to the houses of Bosquet and l'Aixàviga. The Barranc de la Font Fresca is at our right, and we are at the very center of the Gorges of Glorieta. We continue at left, descending, but could also do the reverse, especially in summer, if one prefer to take a bath in the Gorges of Glorieta, which are some 100 meters down. The path is now much better, but slow and turning down. Since the view deserves a stop, it will most likely take us longer than the real walking time would indicate. One may hear already the noise of the water coming out from the Fonts of Glorieta

Junction of the Fonts del Glorieta (0:23h; 670a). Must keep attention not to loose this junction, because is not signaled and could be easily unnoticed. Is at some 200 meter from a very pronounced bend, at right. Is a path that goes down directly to the bottom of the Barranc of Font Fresca, but it is worth the effort because once you are down the spectacle is unforgettable. In order to get out, one could go down the riverside jumping around here and there, but is better to go back up and continue by the path we were following before. The deviation takes some 10 minutes, plus any time spent in watching.

Back in the path, we continue our descent till a plain close to a dry pond which is at our left. Here we leave the path , taking another one at right and going back a few meters. Throughout this area there are quite a few small paths which will take us to the marvelous gorges formed by the Glorieta. Our path is at the highest part of the plains,marked blue-yellow, and takes us to cross the Glorieta through a ford, not always easy to wade. The path continues at the other side of the river (right), but is difficult to see.

Ford of Glorieta (0:30h; 625a). Once at the other side,the path continues in the direction of the water, walking plainly through a thick wood, dominated by holm oaks. We soon pass by the ruins of the house of Joan Bo, which is at our right, and we start going up, till a fork.

Fork of the Grau del Mal Pas 0:50h; 730a). We find this path which comes from the Mas de Tinet, at 7 minutes from here. We turn right (SW), going up through this new path, in order to climb the Grau del Mal Pas, steep but easy . Once the grau is passed we continue uphill more swiftly for a little while and we get to a square with a crossroad.

Placeta del Comellar del Bosquetà (1:06h; 840a). We find four paths in the square. Going back at right (NE) there is a track. If we go direct at the other side of the square (SW) there is a blurred path. We go left (E) on a path which looks clearer and that takes us to the highest area of the Serra del Pou, through a leafy wood of pine-trees. At left we see the main crest and a small hill at right.

Portell del Maseter 1:21h; 900a). We arrive to a grassy plain. In the middle,there is a well which most likely gives the name to the mountain. We can also see the ruins of a woodcutters shack .It's a good place to rest for a while. At the end of the plains, getting close to a rock over the cliff, there is a marvelous panorama to south and east. A few meters at right from this point, we find a descending path (SE) which would take us either to the Mas del Maseter- which is located under this place (SE) and gives name to the place - or to l'albiol, which we may see, over a hill, to the west.
In order to continue we back out from the cliffs, and we take a blurred track, (SW), which runs at our left. This trail starts by siding the cliff, but afterwards start descending and goes North. Some 15 minutes later we get to a fork, on a small square, with a big pinetree (880 a). An old track comes from our left (SW) with painted signs, which comes from the Grau de la Estelada; at our right there is a blurred path (NE) , coming from Comellar del Bosquetà. (1:06). We continue in our direction (N), slowly going down. We inmediately leave (W) at our left a descending path . Six minutes later (840 a) we leave our path to take a shortcut al left (W) which goes down to l'Aixàviga. It's pretty steep and crosses the track for three times. They get together further down. We follow the track at right, and soon we can see l'Aixàviga, at some 300 meter. Far , at the back of the houses we can see the Punta de la Barrina(1078 a), which happens to be the highest peak of the region of Alt Camp. We cross the Riu Sec, and get to l'Aixàviga.

L'Aixàviga (1:50h; 735a). Small group of houses, well maintained, pertaining to the village of Mont-ral. The first house at right is pretty old. There is a fountain at the entrance of the village.
To continue, we must go back, cross again the river and and walk up to the Era del Roig, at our left, which is the front threshing floor of the house. From here we follow a small path at right and some 30 meter over the gully of the Font Fresca, which takes us to the Nevera del Muster, nice ice-well.(15'). The path continues at side of the well, goes even for a while and then descends to the gully (710a). Just before crossing it we receive a path by our right which comes down from the mountains. Once crossed we walk on a paved track . At the point where it turns left we take a path at right. This path, which is the old one from Alcover to el Bosquet i l'Aixàviga, is not very clear at the beginning because was destroyed by the construction of the track. But afterwards is easy to continue because it follows the riverside on slow descent. Here the landscape is very gorgy and varied. Ten minutes later we cross a gully, and after walking some 100 meter we see at our left (710a) the path going up to Mont-ral. We have to follow it in the direction contrary to the one of the descent.

Mont-ral (2:40h). Arrival at car

 
Date of the hike We walked this itinerary on December 2002.
 
Useful maps
The best one is "Mapa excursionista de les Muntanyes de Prades", 1:30.000 published by ICC and the "Centre de Lectura de Reus". I have used the 1998 edition.
 
 
 
Page created by PR. Translations into English by Xavier Losantos. The use and copy of these pages is allowed if for non-commercial objectives. You are requested to mention the page of origin. Any suggestion will be welcome at e-mail correu