The Pyrenees are always synonymous with beauty. Within the Catalan Pyrenees there are incredible hiking routes suitable for all ages, such as the Carrilet-Estany Gento, an old railway route converted into a greenway.
Along the way you can enjoy the spectacular landscapes of the upper part of the Vall Fosca, located in the province of Lleida. The little ones can definitely sign up for the tour, located right at the gates of the Aigüestortes and Lake San Mauricio National Park.
This ‘Carrilet’ was built in 1911 “to transport materials for the construction of the Capdella hydroelectric plant and the entire system of pipelines that connect the various ponds in the area,” they explain from the Catalan Pyrenees Tourism website.
There are more than 30 lakes or estanys spread across the head of the Vall Fosca, above 2,000 meters of altitude. This elevation is easily and comfortably reached thanks to the cable car that operates for tourist use during the months of July and August.
In Sallente there is a dammed lake and the lower station of the cable car. This cable car was installed in 1981 to build the Sallente reversible power plant and can load up to 25,000 kilos, one of the largest transport capacity in Europe.
After 14 minutes of climbing, at 2,200 meters, you access the cable car restaurant shelter and the beautiful landscape of Estany Gento. We are in the peripheral protection zone of the Aigüestortes i Estany Sant Maurici National Park, to the south of this natural area.
The cable car is only in tourist operation during the months of July and August. The rest of the year we have a 7-kilometer long itinerary for the outward journey and many others for the return trip that takes us to Estany Gento from the Sallente reservoir, with the dam being the starting point of the route. Instead of taking the cable car, the climb is done in a zigzag along the La canal de Pigolo path.
Area to generate energy
This area has been used to generate energy. The main engineering work is underground, with 15 kilometers of network that links different lakes and takes the water to Estany Gento. In fact, the route reveals the economic and social transformation of the Vall Fosca following the construction of the Capdella hydroelectric plant in 1914 and the Gento-Sallente reversible hydroelectric plant, at the end of the 20th century.
From Estany Gento the Carrilet Greenway starts to the right. It is a flat terrain that runs between old rails and four tunnels along this 5 kilometer path. The route of the old railway tracks will take us to the water tank of the Capdella hydroelectric plant, at 2,136 meters high. The descent is done along the same path.
The train tracks are preserved in almost the entire route, although where they are in the best condition is in the initial part. The tunnels are dug into the rock and there are some that are quite spectacular due to their length.
Once at the top, the views of the Vall Fosca are incredible since it is a beautiful glacial Pyrenean valley through which the Flamisell River flows. From above you can see the towns of Capdella and Espui in the background.
How to get there by car
To get to the Sallente Reservoir from Huesca you have to take the N-123 for a three-hour drive. While from Zaragoza, it is three and a half hours on the AP-2.
To access the Carrilet road, in Pobla de Segur, take the N-260 road towards Senterada. Upon reaching Senterada after 10.1 kilometers and exactly at the entrance to this town, you must take the L-503 road to the right in the direction of Pobleta de Bellveí and Capdella. After continuing along the L-503 highway for about 26 kilometers you reach the Sallente reservoir. If it is the summer months, leave the Sallente reservoir dam behind on the right and continue until you reach the lower station of the Vall Fosca cable car.
Aigüestortes i Estany Sant Maurici National Park
The Vall Fosca, which means “dark” because of the shadow that forms on the high walls of the mountains when the sun sets, is the gateway to the Aigüestortes i Estany Sant Maurici National Park, where the immensity of the Encantats mountains is revealed. rises at the foot of the lake.
It is the only national park in Catalonia. It was created in 1955, becoming the fifth in Spain and the second in the Pyrenees, along with Ordesa and Monte Perdido.
In the Park you can find infinite trails, rivers, forests, glacial valleys, waterfalls with cold, crystalline water and almost 200 lakes collected in an area of 105 kilometers of high mountains. In addition to being a special destination for astronomical tourism, since the entire territory of Vall Fosca has had the Starlight certificate by UNESCO since 2018.
This natural park is covered by lush forests of black pine, fir, Scots pine, birch and beech that are home to a multitude of plants and animals of alpine or boreal origin.
In 2021, the Institute of Responsible Tourism (ITR) granted the Biosphere Destination certification to the entire Lleida district and, in fact, the Aigüestortes i Estany Sant Maurici National Park had a specific weight when it came to receiving this distinction.
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