Arnes, Estrets del riu, Catalunya. 3 new small barrancos recently opened from the Moles del Don dome: canal del Vent, canal del Patxi and canal del Skpat, which we tested today. Although the descent is relatively quick and there's nothing exceptional about it, the route is ideal for getting a good view of the Estrets, the sculpted, undulating walls of the caves and the Gronsa massif in front of us. No particular difficulty, the equipment is well in place and there are 3 pretty aerial abseils to emerge in a cascade overhanging the torrent, the riu dels Estrets, with its limpid turquoise waters. Better still: combine a long route in the area and choose one of the canals for the descent.
Technical summary
Location ✦ Arnes, Massif dels Ports
Region ✦ Catalunya
Country ✦ Spain
Type ✦ Dry canyon
Vertical rise ✦ 120m
Difficulty ✦ v4-a1-III
Duration ✦ 1h30 to 2h
Max abseiling ✦ 30m
Access to the place
From Arnes, take the small road that starts just behind the village and winds through the fields before finding the parking lot at the entrance to Les Estrets.
Itinerary description
Hiking to the start 1h à 1h30
From the Chemin des Estrets, climb a path to the right of Les Moles (petite ferrata) and reach the top of the dome. Then head west to find the canal, second from the left.
Course 1h30 à 2h
The descent includes 6 abseils, almost one after the other.
The1st is inclined and provides simple access to the canal itself. Then the end of the2nd and the start of the3rd pass through a narrow gully before opening onto a wide, rounded waterfall that plunges down to the valley floor.
The last 3 abseils descend this large waterfall, the last 2 of which can be easily linked with a 2x60m.
Back
Head east downhill towards the torrent. Cross back over to the Chemin des Estrets, which you take in the opposite direction to the parking lot.
Canal de la Ballestera, Arnes, Els Ports 4 April 2013 Arnes, massif dels Ports. Discovering the riu del Valls area, in the western part. Threatening weather today.…
Leave a Reply