Trekking to the Dous spring through the planes d'Espinalba and Abella. Route 11 Ripollès

A route through old farmlands, shepherd huts and dry stone walls, remnants of an intense agricultural activity, in the shade of Serra Cavallera mountain range. The small villages of Espinalba, Abella and la Roca and to the Dous spring.

  • Modality
    • By foot
  • Region
    • Ripollès
  • Towns
    • Llanars
  • Time
    • More than 4 hours
  • Difficulty
    • Medium
  • Estimated duration
    • 4h 10min
  • Distance
    • 11,9 Km
  • Hide elevation maximum
    • 1.454 m
  • Hide elevation minimum
    • 985 m
  • Ascent
    • 517 m
  • Descent
    • 517 m

The route begins in Llanars, where a visit to its “Sant Esteve” church is recommended. Leave the town walking down the Cerdanya street and crossing the Pont del Molí bridge, R92. Head towards Espinalba walking up on a steep old trail leading you to a set of houses next to “La Canal”farm. From here you must follow the road uphill to the “Font del Vern”stream, passing by several farms that make up the neighbourhood of Espinalba. At this point you must leave the road to take a dirt track to the oratory of “Sant Isidre”. As you gain altitude the view widens offering a magnificent panoramic view of the valley of Camprodon, the Canigó massif and mountains of the upper Garrotxa.

Walk by the little oratory of “Sant Isidre” to arrive at the Planes, a flat terrain with grasslands demarcated by dry stone walls and old stone huts used in the past to store tools and as a handy shelter in case of bad weather. Follow the main track parallel to the “Font del Vern” stream, a few meters below on your right. Two hundred meters further ahead after leaving a hut on your left the trail climbs up to an area of flat ground.

Pay attention here as you must take a trail on your left just before going down hill. Cross the meadows to find another track to climb up to Pla Rodó, a large grassy area where you will see a trough. From here, follow a little path to a second trough to later descend to the Dous spring where you find a clearly marked track. This spring is actually a set of sources emerging from the southern slopes of “Serra Cavallera” mountain range.

Continue on the track until you arrive at the R98 sign Les Dous where you have to take a wider track towards Abella. The descent to Abella is quick and pleasant as it passes through shady forests. After crossing the stream of Abella, you will have to go up to the town itself whileleaving behind several farms. From the R97 sign Abella-Veïnat de Baix you have to head towards La Roca until you find the R94 sign Serrat de la Creu. Pay attention here, as you have to go down hill following the ridge to your right to la Roca. You will arrive at the road where you will see the R93 sign La Roca.

Cross the old town of La Roca, located as its name indicates, on a big rock above the river Ter and where a castle stood in the past. Leave the village through an old gate of the wall that once enclosed the settlement. Walk down hill on a little path until you find a track which you have tofollow towards Llanars passing by the chapel of “Mare de Déu del Raïm”,and shortly later by an hydroelectric plant. You arrive at Llanars through the “Pont del Molí” bridge, where you find the way back to the starting point of the route.