The forests of Catalonia are home to more than 2000 varieties of Mushrooms, bolets, some of those are exclusively found in this province and autumn is the best time to harvest them. The Bosc del Carboner Mort forest between the Renfe stations of Urtx-Alp and La Molina, below the la Molina ski resort is famous for the wide variety of mushrooms that bloom in the damp forest.
The hiking route from the town of Alp has magnificent view of the Pyrenees on one side and a thick damp forest of Birch, Hazel, fir, oak & pine trees growing on the side of the mountain up to the ski resort and summit of Collada de Toses.
A popular event in rural communities is to go mushroom hunting which forms a large part of Catalan autumn and winter cuisine. Many rural towns have mushroom markets and you can find edible mushrooms in any food market in Barcelona during this period. During the Autumn, thousands of Catalans drive up into the forests around the North to find some of the most elusive mushrooms that grow only in Catalonia.
Edible mushrooms at Sants Food Market
There is curious expression Estar tocat del bolet, literal translation to be touched by the mushroom, which means that a person is hallucinating or crazy. This popular expression comes from the Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) mushroom, (red with white dots) with hallucinogenic properties.
A local TV series about Caçadors de Bolets, (mushroom hunters) that was aired on 3CAT tv channel, described as An informative series about the world of mushrooms found in our province provides in-depth insight into the mushroom culture of Catalonia.
Mushroom picking season usually starts in October depending on factors such as soil type, humidity, temperature and if it has recently rained. Normally, November is considered the perfect month for mushroom picking. However, mushrooms can grow from the end of September if it has rained in the summer.
Mushroom season ends when the winter frost and snow sets in but local Catalan hunters say that when you find a mushroom called Fredolic, (cold mushroom), it means that the cold is coming and the end of mushroom harvest season.
To be a good Caçadors de Bolets (mushroom hunter) or boletaire, (mushroom picker), you need to know where to look for them. The most famous areas for mushroom hunting in Catalonia are usually the following damp mountainous areas:
This route runs parallel to the Alp river and has multiple tributaries crossing down to this river amongst a variety of the above trees making it an ideal place to find mushrooms. Take a look at the photo Gallery.
Note: I am not an expert on mushrooms and when I took the photos from this route, the mushrooms I photographed were the most artistic and colourful mushrooms, many of which are toxic so do not use my photos as a guide as what is an edible mushroom. I did not pick any of the mushrooms because I do not have the knowledge to evaluate if they are safe to eat.
To harvest a mushroom, use a sharp knife to cut the stem where it joins the ground. Once the mushroom is picked, it should be placed in a wicker or mesh basket with the hymenium (the lower part of the hat) upside down. This causes the mushroom to spread its spores through the holes in the basket so that it can grow again.
Click on any of the 42 images to open full screen gallery player
At the end of the station platform at Urtx-Alp is a footpath that crosses the single track railway line and descends down and via an underpass rather than taking the winding road. follow Avinguda Girona into Alp village taking the first left into Carrer Mossen Gabanyach and then a left into Avinguda de la Molina which transitions into a gravel country lane. If you take the early train, there is time to head into the centre of Alp to find a bar for coffee and breakfast.
As you head away from the village you will eventually arrive at a fork in the gravel road. you need to take the right fork, however 50 metres along the left fork you will see Torre de Riu. this is an old farmhouse converted into a castle, following the neo-medieval fashion of the 16th century.
Follow the path into the forest and follow it as per the Wikiloc route. Note that to find the mushrooms you will have to wander off the path and explore in the forest. Use my suggested route as a guide and explore the many small paths in this forest.
Manage your time accordingly to arrive at La Molina before the last train of the day. The route itself is short at 11km and takes about 4 hours to walk allowing plenty of time for foraging in the forest.
This route is fine and should not present any challenges or difficulties for a dog. However, note that this forest does contain poisonous mushrooms and it is possible that you may come across poisonous Pine Processionary Caterpillars in Spring and Summer.
A wicker carry basket can be found in most home goods stores. Ask for cesta de miembro para setas.
Address: Bosc del Carboner Mort, Alp. 17538
Take the Renfe Rodalies, R3 line, Barcelona to Pyrenees train (Pigcerda or Latour-de-Carol) getting off at Urtx-Alp and returning from La Molina on the same line.
The R3 Rodalies line is the only train line from Barcelona that will take you to the foot of the Pyrenees mountains which is why the best train accessible hiking routes can be found starting and ending from many stations along this train line.
Note: Urtx-Alp is an unmanned station on a single track line with no station services such as a tea bar or toilets. Make sure you take food and drink with you or it is a bit of a diversion into the village of Alp to find breakfast.
Click on any one of the 3 PDFs to view in full screen and download.
10km easy linear Autumn Mushroom hunting hike in Bosc del Carboner Mort between Urtx-Alp and La Molina and the mushroom culinary culture of Catalonia
Distance: 10.58 Km
Difficulty: Easy
Return Travel Fare: €23.00
Transport Network: Rodalies
Mountain Forecast weather for La Molina
