Port of Gireta. Stage 02 Persecuted and saved

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We will know the route of Persecuted and Saved through the Port of Gireta.

During the years of World War II (1939-1944) thousands of Jews crossed the Pyrenees fleeing the persecution to which they were subjected in Nazi-occupied Europe. The Holocaust affected six million European Jews. Many of those who managed to flee, originating from Germany, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium or France, crossed the mountain passes of the Lleida Pyrenees in epic evasions, defying vigilance on both sides of the border, the weather, perpetual snow and the hardness of the route. Their goal was to seek refuge away from Europe. Until 1943 the evacuees were basically refugee families in France escaping from the persecution initiated by the Vichy government.

The “Persecuted and Saved” project highlights the values ​​of cross-border spaces and paths as cultural and memorial itineraries with the aim of spreading their role as places of flight for those persecuted during the Second World War.

At the same time, it extols the values ​​of aid and solidarity that the residents of this territory expressed towards the refugees. One of the busiest escape routes was the one that connects the French department of Ariège with the Aran Valley and Pallars Sobirà, through the port of Gireta (2,593 m). The route started from the Riberot Valley, in the vicinity of Saint-Girons (Ariège) and, once crossed the port of Gireta, it descended to Montgarri. Subsequently, they continued in the direction of Pallars Sobirà, following the path parallel to the Noguera Pallaresa river, and reached the edge of Perosa and then Alós d’Isil.

We propose 2 options for this route of Persecuted and Saved:

1-Make the ascent to the port of Gireta from the refuge of the friends of Montgarri, and then descend again along the same path.

We will leave from Sort, in a 4×4 vehicle, to the refuge of the friends of Montgarri, where we will start a walking route classified as Very demanding, both due to the length and the unevenness.

TECHNICAL DATA

Stage 1: Port of Gireta – Montgarri  

Distance: 6.95Km

Start elevation Port de Gireta: 2502m

Final elevation Montgarri Refuge: 1646m

Negative elevation gain: 856m

Difficulty: VERY DEMANDING

Price € 60.00 per person

The second option we offer is to make the entire route from France in two days, spending the night at the refuge of the Estagnous under the Mont Valier, resulting in a very demanding, but accessible.

1ª Stage Maisson du Valier- Refuge els Estagnous

Total length: 6.80 km

Maisson du Valier start elevation: 979m

Final level Refugi dels Estagnous: 2240m

Positive difference in level: 1261m

Difficulty: VERY DEMANDING

Time: 5h 00min + stop time.

2ª Stage: Estagnous Refuge – Montgarri

Distance: 12.40km

Start level Estagnous Refuge: 2240m

Final elevation Montgarri Refuge: 1646m

Maximum height Port of Gireta: 2543m

Positive difference in level: 585m (from the Estagnous refuge you first go down to the Rond pond, take the lower part of the Rond pond as a level)

Difficulty: VERY DEMANDING

Time: 5h 45min + stop time.

Price € 195.00 per person