{"id":4031,"date":"2025-10-16T14:33:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T12:33:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/travesiapirenaica.com\/?p=4031"},"modified":"2025-10-16T14:33:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T12:33:54","slug":"chemin-mature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travesiapirenaica.com\/en\/chemin-mature\/","title":{"rendered":"Chemin de la Mature, the Way of the Masts"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chemin de la M\u00e2ture<\/strong>translated into English as The Way of the Masts<\/strong>The road was carved between 1771 and 1773 on the steep cliff of the Gorgues de l'Enfer (Aspe valley), which goes all the way up the Sescou\u00e9 gorge to the Pacq forest. The purpose of its construction was none other than to facilitate the extraction of large trunks of spruce, beech and boxwood for the construction of the great French Royal Navy of the time. This activity was carried out during the 6 years following its construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most spectacular section of the route is less than a kilometre from the small road that climbs from the Pont de Cebers to the Bieus forest. If you are in a car and there is space, you can park it on the first sharp left-hand bend in the road and walk just 1.5 kilometres (one-way). If we go by car or there is no space, we will have to park next to the bridge of Cebers, 500 metres further down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we said, this is the quickest way to visit the most spectacular part of the Chemin de la M\u00e2ture but, if you want to take a walking route, a panel next to the Cebers bridge offers several options.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
An information panel next to the Cebers bridge offers several hiking proposals.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A bit of history:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During the reign of Louis XIV (1643-1715), a period marked by constant wars, France became the leading European power. This required the creation of a large navy and, consequently, quality timber to augment its powerful Royal Navy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fact meant that from that time onwards, between the 17th and 18th centuries, important surveys were carried out in search of the quality wood that was to be found in the forests of the western Pyrenees. And of course, one of them was the Pacq forest, ideal for its beautiful, slow-growing trees, with straight, knot-free trunks, the most suitable for making the masts of large ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But getting there was complicated, with impassable walls and vertiginous slopes - even more so if you needed to move all the timber - so they opted to carve a road wide enough to cross the Sescou\u00e9 Gorge safely, using explosives, so that the oxen used for the heavy work could transport the cut tree trunks to the place where they would be processed. In reality, one pair of oxen to lead the convoy and seven or eight pairs behind to slow it down.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
The Chemin de la M\u00e2ture, over the abysses of the Gorges de l'Enfer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Today, it is one of the most attractive places to visit in this region of the French Pyrenees. An easy route that will delight you with breathtaking views of the ravine and of the Fort of Portalet<\/a><\/strong>The building was declared a Historic Monument in 2005, and although it was built in the 19th century to defend against a possible Spanish invasion, it was eventually used as a prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Circular route along Chemin de la Mature or Route 62 (Tour M\u00e2ture-Arras)<\/h2>\n\n\n