Walking by Jane and Neil Bramwell
21 september, 2008 Author: Terina Bilby
A day out looking at sights billed as “Out of the Ordinary” by the Tourise Ariege Pyrenees practical guide 2008.
All the places visited are located to the east of Foix, north and south of the D117.
From Foix we took the D1 and went to Les Cascades de Roquefort. The guide says that the waterfalls are a spectacular sight. “The flowing waters leave behind them an accumulated mass of strange spongy stone, which the inhabitants of the village use to build their houses. Showing little activity in summer, it puts on a magnificent display in spring and winter when the water flows abundantly or freezes over.” The waterfalls came down through light woodland and because the flow was low, the spongy stone could be seen hanging almost like curtains. There were several pathways to explore through the area. Young children might find this fun as there were several small water channels and the whole landscape had something of a magical feel. Not necessarily worth it for a major trip alone in the summer, but worth a look in passing.
Getting back onto the D117 at Lavalanet, we drove east to Belesta and took the D9 towards Montsegur to see the Fontaine de Fontestorbes. The guide says “A strange intermittence which lasts from July to October and stops with the winter floods. It flows in stops and starts 30 minutes apart.” The river emerges from the foot of a cliff at the side of the road. There are stepping stones with a small handrail across the river, which lead to the bottom of the cave. The flow is exactly as detailed in the guide. The difference is quite impressive! The stepping stones can only be crossed when the flow is low – other wise they are at least 10cm under water. The river flows into a larger river and there is a footbridge across it to a well designed site which has a café, toilets and picnic tables. The parking is also good. Well worth a visit.
From Belesta we took D16 towards Foret de Belesta. We were searching for the Gouffre des corbeaux. It took some finding but is best described as being located immediately after the second road bridge after turning onto the D16. It is signed on a brown footpath sign, on the left hand side of the road by a converted farmhouse. This single track road, with only a few passing places, runs up to a small village, from which the guide says it is a short family walk (it took only took about 10 minutes). “This chasm measures approximately 60m by 30m and is accessed by a viewing platform for a totally safe visit. It was created by both absorption and subsidence. Total depth is approximately 110m.” It was an impressive feature exactly like a collapsed sinkhole or pothole. Worth the short trip to see it – although those afraid of heights might not like the platform as it juts out over the chasm.
On the D9 beyond the Fontaine de Fontestorbes you reach the village of Fougax-et-Barrineuf. The Gorges de la Frau are signed from there. The guide says, ”At the most spectacular point you’ll be overlooked by over 400m of vertiginous rocks.” The road comes to an end and parking is available. The paths slopes gently then steeply and the gorge walls are quite spectacular. It took us 40 minutes to walk up to the top of the gorge on the footpath, where it meets a stony winding road on the other side. (So the gorge could be accessed from the D613 Ax to Quillan road – but this would mean walking first down slope then back up slope – a less attractive option as down slope was easier and better coming second!) Not to be attempted in the summer without a bottle of water!
From the Gorge we drove back to the D9 and on to Montsegur. We didn’t have time to stop here but the drive alone gives brilliant views over the site and the valleys. The road takes you back to Lavelanet. From the D117 we turned right onto the D9 and drove through a parallel valley through Roquefixade which looked interesting but unfortunately we had run out of time. The D9 leads back to Foix.
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