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Stage 20: Refugio de Biadós - Puente de San Jaime
Alternative - Variant GR11.2: Ref. de Viados/Biados - Ref. Ángel Orús and Ref. Ángel Orús - Pte. de San Jaime


Distance/elevation: 20.3 kms / (+905),(-1,362)
Time: 7h40min (walking time without stops).
Difficulty: Chistau Pass (2,592m) may be covered in snow in early summer. The route is clearly marked.
Water: You will have no difficulties in finding water, as there are several streams along the stage.
Suggestions: You can make the stage shorter and spend the night at the auberge in Estós (5h). There is also a variant of this stage (GR11.2) that skirts the Posets massif to the south, via the Ángel Orús or Forcau auberge. This stage adds a day to the trail.
Recorrido/Itinerario:

(0h0min;0km) Refugio de Biadós/Viadós (1760m). The path heads downhill for a few metres to a small car park marking the end of the track coming from San Juan de Plan, which has vehicle access. You follow a wide path, suitable for cars, that crosses the farms at Biados, formerly used as grain stores and stables. By the last one, the path takes a hairpin bend to the left and the path forks. Information panels indicate to the right the variant GR11.2, passing the Ángel Orús auberge (add one day), and ahead to the left, the one you take to the Estós auberge. The path rises up the valley alongside the river Zinqueta de Añes Cruces. After 35 minutes you pass the Puyarueso shelter (in rather precarious condition). The valley begins to narrow. The path heads up the left bank, crossing the odd stream, until a kind of collar where the valley opens up once more. Up to the left you can see Añes Cruces cabin (good condition) and below it, in a boggy field, another one in very poor condition.

(1h30min; 3.2kms) Pleta de Añes Cruces (2080m). A spot where several torrents converge. Here the GR11 veers away from the Alta Ruta Pirenaica (ARP/HRP), which is unmarked, and heads towards the Puerto de Añes Cruces. The path crosses the streams and climbs to the right, in an easterly direction, the Chistau ravine. The way is clear. When we carried out this stage we encountered water almost at the top, at 2,500m.

(3h00min; 6.5kms) Puerto de Chistau (2592). This is the highest point of the stage. The views are majestic: to the west lie Punta Ixabre (2,699m) and Bachimala (3,174m), while on the other side emerge the row of three-thousand-metre peaks starting with the Picos de Clarabide (3,006m) and ending with Perdiguero (3,222m), and on the far side stands the hulking mass of Maladeta. The path veers right after heading over the pass and descends down the right side. In 40 or 45 minutes you switch sides and you begin to see the first streams from which you can take water. The path follows a trouble-free course down to the...

(5h00min; 11.1kms) Refugio de Estos (1890m). The path continues downhill past fields and pine forest until some 35 minutes later it comes out into a clearing where you cross the river.

There, unsuspectingly, sits the Cabaña del Turmo which many will recall thanks to the legendary song “20 de abril del 90” by Celtas Cortos. ¿Recuerdas aquella noche en la cabaña del Turmo, las risas que nos hacíamos antes todos juntos?(Remember that night in the Cabaña del Turmo? The laughs we all used to have together?) ... Apparently the song is not inspired by real events, but it must be the cabin they made reference to. Find out more.

You pass a fence and now follow a track. Soon afterwards, you are advised to take a left turn (shortcut), indicated by a sign as Gorgas de Calantes. The path passes a series of panoramic viewpoints over something thatresembling cooking pots, carved out by the river whenever it finds a cascade. You rejoin the track. After 25 minutes you reach the Escarpinosa lakes, 5 minutes later you pass a drinking fountain and another 10 minutes later you reach the...

(6h30min; 17.2kms) Cabaña de Santa Ana (1495m). In good condition. You keep walking downhill. At the Palanca de Aiguacari the track crosses over to the other side. Later on, you leave the small reservoir of Estos below to the right, and soon afterwards, you come to the road between Benasque and Los Llanos del Hospital, where the stage ends.

(7h15min; 20.1kms) Puente nuevo de San Jaime (1254).

Where to sleep:

At the beginning, Refugio de Biadós/Viadós (/).

During the stage: Puyarueso free shelter (rather precarious), Añes Cruces free shelter (good condition) Refugio de Estós (/) and Cabaña de Santa Ana (free, good condition, 2 rooms, 20 places).

At the end of the stage Camping Aneto, Camping Ixeia and Hostal Parque Natural.

In Benasque, 3km away from the route, you will find a choice of accommodation. We recommend Hotel San Antón (Tel: +34 974 55 16 11; info@hotelsananton.es) and Hotel Aragüells (Tel: +34 974 55 16 19; info@hotelaraguells.com), both with restaurant.

Other services:

Both Camping Ixeia and Camping Aneto have a supermarket where you can get basic provisions. In Benasque you can find all kinds of amenities: outdoor pursuits stores, a supermarket, ATM, bars and restaurants, etc.

Maps:

Alpina:
Posets-Perdiguero (Scale: 1/25,000)
Parque Natural Posets Maladeta (Scale: 1/25,000)
Valle de Benasque. Aneto, Maladeta, Posets, Perdiguero (Scale: 1/40,000)
Prames:
Posets-Llardana (Scale: 1/25,000)
Posets-Llardana (Scale: 1/40,000)


Perfil de la etapa

Stages - GR11

- Prologue: Cabo Higuer - Hondarribia - Irun
- Stage 1: Cabo Higuer - Bera
- Stage 1v (GR 11.3): Cabo Higuer - Lesaka
- Stage 2: Bera - Elizondo
- Stage 2v (GR 11.3): Lesaka - Elizondo
- Stage 3: Elizondo - Pto de Urkiaga
- Stage 4: Puerto de Urkiaga - Burguete
- Stage 5: Burguete/Auritz - Villanueva de Aezcoa/Hiriberri
Stage 6: Villanueva de Aezcoa/Hiriberri - Ochagavia
Stage 7: Ochagavia - Isaba
Stage 8: Isaba - Zuriza (via Belabarce)
Stage 8v (GR 11.4): Isaba - Zuriza (via Ezkaurre)
Stage 9: Zuriza - Aguas Tuertas
Stage 10: Aguas Tuertas - Lizara
Stage 10 (discontinued): Aguas Tuertas - Candanchú
Stage 11: Lizara - Candanchú
Stage 12: Candanchú - Sallent de Gallego
Stage 9v (GR 11.1): Zuriza - Puente de Santa Ana
Stage 10v (GR 11.1): Puente de Santa Ana - Lizara
Stage 11v (GR 11.1): Lizara - Canfranc Estación
Stage 12v: Canfranc Estación - Sallent de Gallego (via C.Izas)
Stage 13: Sallent de Gallego - Refugio de Respomuso
Stage 14: Refugio de Respomuso - Balneario de Panticosa
Shortcut: The pipeline path from Bachimaña to Brazato
Stage 15: Balneario de Panticosa - San Nicolas de Bujaruelo
Stage 16: San Nicolas de Bujaruelo - Refugio de Goriz
Stage 17: Refugio de Goriz - Circo de Pineta (Fuenblanca)
Stage 17v (GR11.9): Refugio de Goriz - Circo de Pineta (Faja de las Olas)
Stage 18: Circo de Pineta - Parzán
Stage 19: Parzán - Biadós
Stage 20: Biadós - Puente de San Jaime
Stage 20v (GR 11.2): Biadós - Ref. Ángel Orús
Stage 21v (GR 11.2): Ref. Ángel Orús - Puente de San Jaime
Stage 21: Puente de San Jaime - Refugio de Cap de Llauset
Stage 21v (GR 11.5): Puente de San Jaime - Refugio de la Renclusa
Stage 22v (GR 11.5): Refugio de la Renclusa - Refugio de Cap de Llauset
Stage 22: Ref. Cap de LLauset - Conangles
Stage 23: Conangles - La Restanca
Stage 24v (GR11.18): La Restanca - Colomers
Stage 25: Colomers - Ernest Mallafré
Stage 26: Ernest Mallafré - La Guingueta
Stage 27: La Guingueta - Estaón
Stage 28: Estaón - Tavascán
Stage 29: Tavascán - Areu
Stage 30: Areu - Baiau
Stage 31: Baiau - Arans
Stage 32: Arans - Encamp
Stage 33: Encamp - Ref. l'Illa
Stage 34: Ref. l'Illa - Malniu
Stage 35: Malniu - Puigcerdá
Stage 36: Puigcerdá - Planoles
Stage 37: Planoles - Santuario de Nuria
Stage 38: Santuario de Nuria - Refugio de Ulldeter
Stage 39: Refugio de Ulldeter - Molló
Stage 40: Molló - Talaixà
Stage 41: Talaixà - Albanyà
Stage 42: Albanyà - La Vajol
Stage 43: La Vajol - Requessens
Stage 44: Requessens - Vilamaniscle
Stage 45: Vilamaniscle - El Port de la Selva
Stage 46: El Port de la Selva - Cap de Creus



Map of the stage:






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