This 14 km circular route starts from an abandoned village called Peguera which can be found 20km from Fígols at an altitude of 1620 metres above sea level. The ruined village can be found built against the side of a mountain bluff, Roc de Peguera and was once home to coal mine workers until the final depopulation of the last inhabited house, Cal Penjorell in 1968.
The village once boasted a small castle on Roc de Peguera as well as the now ruined Sant Miquel de Fígols chapel. Arriving the village there is also an abandoned farmhouse called Can Güell. At the beginning of the 19th century the Serra d'Ensija, to the north of Peguera, and Rasos de Peguera, to the south was the first place where skiing took place in Catalonia.
This route passes through the abandoned village of Peguera before ascending a valley called Roques de Ferrús to the Roca Blanca and Cap de la Gallina Pelada summit and passes via the Serra d'Ensija before descending back to Peguera.
For a complete day's activity I recommend visiting the Museu de les Mines de Cercs at 10am then starting the hike at mid day. Note that if doing this as an Autumn or Winter hike then a head torch may be needed for the descent down off the mountain in the dark.
The peguera River valley from the now abandoned village down to the town of Cercs had multiple coal (lignite) mines that use animal hauled cable carts along an industrial railway down to the town of Cercs.
At Cercs, next to the C-16 motorway there is a Via Verde cycle trail that once formed part of the railway line to transport the lignite to Barcelona via Manresa using an industrial railway. This railway closed in 1973 and was not converted into passenger use.
In Cercs there is also an abandoned coal power station that burnt some of the lignite that was mined in these mountains.
Title: Antiga central tèrmica de Cercs
Sant Corneli is a small village on the BV-4025 highway which exists because it was built as a housing colony for the mine workers of the Sant Romà mine in the Peguera River valley. The colony had a bakery, school, dentist, and church and was a self contained community of workers because the mine was isolated from nearby towns.
Today, the Museu de les Mines de Cercs provides exhibition space about the mines in the colony buildings as well as guided tours and a section about dinosaur fossils discovered in the lignite coal seams.
A mine train takes visitors 450 metres inside the main shaft to see a visual display of mining techniques over the 150 year history of the mine.
Title: Museu de les Mines de Cercs
1Km to the south of the Abandoned Peguera village is an abandoned mine called Mina Porvenir o Eureka although not possible to enter the mine you can view the mine entrance as well as the remains of mine surface buildings.
Between the many mine entrances in the Peguera area, ran a total of 9 km of railway line operating from the end of 1910 to 1928 between Peguera and Cercs. The mining company of Peguera i Fígols (Carbones de Berga SA) will eventually have 11 inclined cable pulled funiculars to transport all the material from the mountains to the Llobregat river Valley in Cercs.
since 1931 the The Olano family was the owner of the Peguera mines.
Title: Mina Porvenir o Eureka entrance shaft
700m to the south of the Abandoned Peguera village is an abandoned Electricity transformer tower that contained an electricity transformer inside and had overhead power lines connected to it.
Title: Mina Porvenir o Eureka electricity transformer tower
Click on any of the 40 images to open full screen gallery player
The hiking route starts in the parking area near Peguera and follows a rural gravel road south passing Can Güell farmhouse ruins. At the Font de Cal Coix de Peguera natural spring fountain you can continue south a further kilometre to the Mina Porvenir o Eureka or bear right towards Peguera village.
When arriving at Peguera the first building is the Sant Miquel de Fígols chapel. Here turn right and head uphill towards more ruins. here you will find an abandoned farmhouse called Cal Penjorell and some large farm buildings built against the side of mountain. When finished at the abandoned village return back to the rural gravel road and continue in a westerly direction.
Follow the GR-107 trail (Camí de les Bones Homes) as it leaves the gravel road and takes an ascending forestall path that follows a river up a ravine alongside the Roques de Ferrús to the Collet l'Estret (1976 m) mountain plain where the trail bears to the right to take a steep ascending path up to Roca Blanca (2292 m) summit. From here follow the PR-C-79 ridgeline path on to the La Gallina Pelada (2321 m) summit.
Continue following the ridgeline path until reaching an open mountain plain where you will pass via Refugi Serra d'Ensija (2173 m) mountain hut. After the mountain hut take the path along the Serra d'Ensija mountain plain before descending back to Peguera via a forested trail.
This route is mountain plains with an ascending and descending sections through mixed forest of oaks, beaches and pines. You may come across poisonous Pine Processionary Caterpillars in spring and summer. However, if you do this route in autumn or winter as I recommend then it is most likely that you will not find any. Take care at the summit because there is a sheer drop at the viewpoint.
I pack for wind and rain when doing this hike because it is in the pre-Pyrenees mountains.
I recommend 2-3 litres of water.
If doing this as a winter snow hike, I recommend crampons.
Address: Església de Sant Sadurní de Malanyeu, Malanyeu, La Nou de Berguedà. 8698
Take the C16 motorwat to Berga and about 23km further north take an exit onto the BV-4025 at Fígols. Follow the road through the village as it ascends into the mountains for 20km to a parking area here.
There are no bars or restaurants near Peguera so I recommend stopping at the Circs petrol station on the way there. Here you will find a typical roadside Spanish cafe called Els Portals de Cercs. This petrol station is famous because of the cafe/restaurant which has a rear terrace overlooking the Panta de la Baells reservoir. This cafe has a large counter with home baked sweet and savoury pastries which are the best you will find in this part of Catalonia.
13km circular hiking route from abandoned village of Peguera to Roca Blanca & Gallina Pelada summits plus Museu de les Mines de Cercs
Distance: 12.69 Km
Difficulty: Moderate
Return Travel Fare: €25.00
Transport Network: Car
Mountain Forecast weather for
