Ski mountaineering
Distance
Duration
Elevation +
Elevation −
We will leave one vehicle at the junction of the road with the Montaup track (carretera de Montaup, 5.9 km from Canillo) if we want to return through this valley from the pic de l'Estanyó. From the village of els Plans, we will take the road that leaves to the right and follow it for about 300 m to its end (chalets), at 1,825 m, and park. We will follow the narrow track west to its end and take the camí dels Plans. We will climb gradually along the sunny side (solà) until we cross the ridge and enter the shaded side (obaga). We will continue through the bosc de la Vall del Riu and, when we reach a property (a borda surrounded by an obvious wall), we will continue north, keeping our elevation, to the Vall del Riu hut (2,160 m). From the hut we will climb northeast to the top of the bony, cross the riu de la Comarqueta d'Incles and traverse the costa Gran heading WNW. At the 2,360 m contour we will cross the riu de la Comarca de les Fonts (pleta de la Cabaneta) and climb a small couloir (canaleta) heading west to the first lake. Looking towards the large lake of the Vall del Riu, we will turn right and go up the valley. From here, we will reach the collet (2,731 m) that we will see at the head of the valley and follow the crest to the summit. On this stretch, depending on snow conditions, we will need ski crampons or even crampons and an ice axe. On the way back, and if snow conditions allow, we will continue along the crest heading southwest with ice axe and crampons. We will take extreme care on the most exposed section. At the end of the serra de l'Estanyó, the terrain flattens out. We will descend towards the clots d'Encarners and follow the Montaup gully down to the meadows and to the car.
