The Port de Salau has been used as a crossing point between Spain and France for centuries. The lowest col in the Ariège, it is the site of a yearly pujada when the different nationalities meet to cement their friendship. 

The Port de Salau may be the lowest col in the Ariège at 2,087 m and the walk to it is fairly straightforward, but it is long. As we set off from the parking area at 980 m, it looked a long way away too!

The distance is actually only just over 6 km but with a leisurely lunch and coffee stops it actually took us 7½ hours – it is commonly quoted as 4 hours.

It started deceptively easily from a bend above the little village of Salau, following a broad forest road. In half an hour we reached the Léziou waterfall, a pretty one neatly hidden in the trees and a cool spot to linger.

The road started to climb from there and in another 1½ hours we reached a large grassy clearing on the hillside.

Set a little back to the left is the Bégé waterfall, which cascades in a series of minor steps from high up on the mountain. There were some rather slippery rocks where the path ended, just in the shade, so it made a good lunch spot.

Backtracking downhill a little, we crossed the Ruisseau de la Bégé and continued to climb on a shady old road through the Bois de la Crémade, the dark box shrubs exuding their distinctive scent.

As we progressed this became quite cobbled in places before swinging up a valley with a refreshing stream and on to the Cabane de Pouill (1,578 m). This was obviously a shepherd’s cabin so we didn’t stop but continued to a shady rock under a huge pylon where we stopped for coffee.

The pylons, which stretch away to the col, are another remnant of the one time industrialization of these seemingly remote areas.

There were originally 91 of them in iron and oak and with the aid of four steel cables they carried pine wood from the Spanish forest of Bonabé up over the col and down the other side to a paper mill in Salau – a total of 9.3 km. This still stands in the village but in a sadly derelict state. 

The path continued its zig zag progress up the hill to the Cabane des Lannes at 1,859 m. As we crested the rise before it we were greeted by the sight of a vast herd of sheep which dotted the hillsides in all directions.

A painted rock en route carried an anti-bear message to the effect that live bears = dead pastures and indeed it  looked like a perfect bear smorgasbord to me!

It would appear that these sheep were not corralled at night but there were no less than four patou guard dogs. The first looked at us quite benignly as we passed, but the following two did approach with a major amount of barking. The ankles felt rather vulnerable but we got through the herd unscathed and had a break at the cabin.

This was a rather dinky one with no less than 12 bunks (‘too short’ according to one visitor who had gone so far as to draw an improvement plan in the visitor’s book!) and even a fuel stove. It was also beautifully clean. Above it was a tiny wooden cabin, the sort that gets flown in under a helicopter, and which seems to be used by researchers. 

There were no bears visible to us but we did see some people on the ridge above the Pouill Hut looking into the next valley with binoculars so my money is on them being there!

It was getting late as we left the cabin for the final climb to the Col and the clouds were moving in rapidly, so much so that by the time we reached the pass, it was lost in the mist.

The ruined building left from the wood transportation days loomed high above us with huge arches and it was actually quite atmospheric.

It was also quite damp and windy so we were grateful for a tiny cabin squeezed in the ruins which provided us with a dry space for the night.

As we cooked supper a flash of movement caught my eye and shortly afterwards a large mouse like creature appeared with an endearing striped face and huge ears. Our breadcrumbs were rapidly hoovered up.

Our cabin seemed to house the tables for the annual pujada which happens on the first Sunday in August. Although rapidly becoming a tradition, it was actually only instigated in 1988 when people on both sides of the border decided to meet to reaffirm their friendship over a picnic lunch with music and dancing.

We slept well amidst the tables and awoke to a fine clear day. The French valleys were lost in a cloud inversion but the Spanish side was clear so we breakfasted in Spain and enjoyed a view over the Spanish Pyrénées.

A wander amidst the ruins and trailing cables was interesting. It was hard to believe what a lifeline the pass once was. Used by pilgrims from the 12th century, in more recent times it saw Spaniards fleeing Franco’s oppression, Jews fleeing the Nazis and allied POWs and downed airmen hoping to reach home.

At about 10.30 am we started our descent, late enough that the cloud inversion had burned off and we had superb views down the valley.

We stopped at the Cabane des Lannes and had a birds eye view when suddenly the hundreds of sheep, which were spread across the hillside opposite us, came to a unanimous decision to swop sides.

They poured down the mountain in white flurries, only checking when they saw us sitting outside the hut and making a rapid detour. A patou came past and gave a couple of token barks.

However the herd flooded over the path, so when it came time to move on we thought it wise to divert down the lower valley. We were amused to see two patous had crammed themselves into crevices in the rock to escape the sun – it must be hard wearing a thick white coat all summer.

The diversion allowed us to more thoroughly check out all the pylon ruins, including the giant one which still had three loaded wooden ballast carts at its base, filled with a mixture of metal wheels and rocks.

There was one other minor stop just off the old road as we descended: the sign indicated the chapel of St Jean du Port  – but there was little left of the 12th century structure other than a floor plan and a good view.

We finally descended out of the trees onto the wildflower strewn slopes above the Ruisseau de la Bégé and cut across to the prime waterfall spot to gratefully dip our feet in the cool water.

It was the perfect spot for a lazy lunch and the afternoon slipped away amidst water and wildflowers, before we retraced our path along the forest road to home.

NOTES

Distance 12.54 km

Ascent 1,026

Descent 1,019