Colomèrs a Ventosa (Carros de Foc in 5 days: stage 2)

Refuge of departure: Colomèrs

Track difficulty: high

We start the path early in the morning from the new Colomers refuge, just leave and once we have crossed the broken bridge, at the junction with the GR 11, we have to turn left following the stream on the right side along the GR 11.18. We will follow the stream to a point where we will have to start climbing more intensely along the right side of the valley and we will separate from the river arriving at the Estanh del Port de Caldes. We passed it and we only need the last climb to the Port of Caldes. Once in the port, the original cart path continues to the right of the valley, passing by the right of the Estany de Mangades, but we prefer to go through the valley and pass the Estany on the left, as n ' there was a lot of snow and it was not an easy step. Once down with a small climb you reach the Estany des Monges which you have to pass on the right, reaching shortly after the Coret d'Oelhacrestada or the Port de Rius, from there we will see the Estany de cap de Port but that it is only halfway to Restanta there will still be almost 500m of elevation gain !!! Once in the aforementioned lake we start a steep descent along the river, where we will see Era Restanca, but not the refuge that is hidden on the right. We will have to return the same way, passing the same port again and going down again to the Estany de Mangades. Once there we will continue to the right down the valley with beautiful views of different small lakes until we reach Travessani which we will see from the top of a cliff. Once we have reached the level of the lake we will have almost arrived, and we will know when we see the Black Lake in the background, because turning left we will see the refuge of Joan Ventosa i Calvell of the CEC very well conditioned except for the cold water shower!