The Mining Tour - Destination Canigó

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The Volta Batera-Pinosa

This 24-kilometer hiking loop will allow you to discover the mining heritage of the Canigó Massif, including the La Pinosa mining colony, rehabilitated by the Canigó Grand Site Joint Syndicate.

The Canigó Massif is surrounded by an iron belt. This is a story for specialists in long-term geology, revealing the evolution of rocks that are not as dormant as they appear! Iron is an ore that forms in veins through the transformation of pre-existing rocks. Under the influence of tectonic movements, the rocks deform and heat up, and water intrusions trigger a chain of chemical reactions that ultimately lead to the formation of iron.

Present in the form of oxides (hematite) or carbonates, the iron ore of Canigó has long been renowned for its quality, thanks to its high iron content (commonly exceeding 50%) and manganese, a substance which prevents the rapid oxidation of soft iron, as well as the absence or near absence of phosphorus and sulfur.

This iron has been exploited since Antiquity, notably during the time of the Republic and the High Roman Empire (2nd ^century BC – 1st ^century AD), but it was in the 19th ^century that mining took a turn, with industrialization and the establishment of an ingenious system for transporting the ore (cable car, railway) from the slopes of the Massif to the stations in the valley.

The circuit consists of 4 stages,

It can be done in two days, with an overnight stay at the Batera refuge , one of the 5 staffed refuges in the Canigó Massif :

From Coll Palomeres to La Pinosa
From La Pinosa to the Batera Refuge
From the Batera refuge to the Torre de Batera
From Torre de Batera to Coll Palomeres

The loop passes through several major iron industry sites: the former mining settlement of La Pinosa , whose development was completed in spring 2022; the Ménerots mining site; and the Batera mining site . Along the trail, which partly follows the old railway line, remnants of this heritage are visible and tell the story of a resource and the people who exploited it.

The Rando-patrimoine La Volta de Batera-Pinosa guide is available in Tourist Offices to guide you on this route.

Guide Volta of Batera-Pinosa

PDF 13 MB

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Book at the Refuge de Batère

Municipality of Corsavy
Tel.: +33 (0)4 68 39 12 01
www.refugedebatere.fr
GPS: 42.5017612 / 2.5462572

Rehabilitation of an old mining canteen into a mountain refuge/inn. Accommodation in dormitories or rooms. Restaurant at lunchtime, à la carte menu until 15:00 p.m. and hiker's table in the evening at 19:00 p.m. (one service only). Open from May to the end of October.