CANYONING IN ELS PORTS DE BESEIT NATURAL PARK

The Grandma, Joseph and Claire in Bot, Terra Alta

Claire Fontaine continues her travelling along the Ebre lands. Today, she has gone to practise canyoning in Els Ports de Beseit Natural Park.

Claire, Joseph de Ca'th Lon and The Grandma have visited Les Olles de Bot and the Canaletes River two amazing places where they have enjoyed extreme nature and have practised one of their favourite activities. The Grandma has also wanted to climb up Tossal dels Tres Reis and Mont Caro mounts to homage Lluís and Carme, two brave old friends who love culture like her.

During the travel from El Perelló to Bot, The Grandma has studied a new lesson of her First Certificate Language Practice manual (Vocabulary 10).

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Ports de Tortosa-Beseit, also known as Ports de Beseit, or simply as Els Ports or Lo Port by locals, is a limestone mountain massif located at the north-eastern end of the Sistema Ibérico, a complex system of mountain ranges and massifs in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. Its highest point is Mont Caro, 1,441 m. Rivers such as the Matarranya and the Sénia have their source in these mountains.

At the 1350 m high Tossal dels Tres Reis, Peak of the Three Kings, where the borders of the ancient Kingdoms of Valencia, Catalonia and Aragon meet, there is a cairn marking the meeting point of the ancient three kingdoms of the Crown of Aragon.

The Grandma contemplates the Canaletes River

It is mostly a limestone massif, with many steep cliffs, jagged peaks, deep valleys, shafts and caves. The area is mostly uninhabited except for small villages. These mountains were one of the last redoubts of the Maquis in the 1940s and 50s.

One of the largest colonies of griffon vultures in Europe, as well as Spanish Ibex, Roe Deer, Wild Boar, European badgers, common genets, grey wagtails, among others, have their habitat in these lonely mountains. Among the aquatic animals there are trout in some of the rivers and amphibians such as the Marbled newt in many of the ponds of the range.

The vegetation of the Ports is rich and varied. Besides the Mediterranean species, there are also species belonging to Alpine flora and colder temperate regions at high altitudes and in protected valleys.

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The Ports Massif comprises several mountain ranges, like the Muntanyes de Benifassà, Serra de les Falconeres, Serra del Àguila, Serra de Rastell, Los Curullons, Moles de Raudorar, Serra de la Fortalesa, Serra de Caro, Serra de la Puca, Serra de Rafalgari, Serra de Paüls, Serra de les Deveres, Serra de l'Escaleta, Serra d'Encanader, Serra del Pedregal, Serra del Coc and Serra de l'Espina. The latter, located at its northern end, connects with the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range.

Some of the main peaks of the massif are: Mont Caro (1447 m), the highest point, Castell de l'Airosa, Tossal d'en Cervera, Mola del Boix, Mola del Boixet, el Castellar, la Portella del Pinell, Curullons, el Negrell, Punta de l'Àliga, Farrubio, Penyaflor, Mola de Catí, Tossal dels Tres Reis, Tossa Blanca, Roques de Benet, Penyagalera, Mola de Lli, Tossal de Tall Nou, Tossal de l'Espada, la Ballestera, Mola de la Paridera, Muntanyola, La Tossa, Mola Castellona, Tossal de Joan Gran, Tossal de la Forca, Tossal d'en Grillo, Muntanya de Santa Bàrbara, L'Espina and La Moleta d'Alfara.

Joseph de Ca'th Lon in Les Olles de Bot, Els Ports

There are two natural parks in the massif, the Parc Natural dels Ports on the Catalan side and the Parc Natural de la Tinença de Benifassà on the Valencian side but there is no protected area on the Aragonese side.

Canyoning is travelling in canyons using a variety of techniques that may include other outdoor activities such as walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling or rappelling, and swimming. Although non-technical descents such as hiking down a canyon, canyon hiking, are often referred to as canyoneering, the terms canyoning and canyoneering are more often associated with technical descents, those that require abseils -rappels- and ropework, technical climbing or down-climbing, technical jumps, and/or technical swims.

Canyoning is frequently done in remote and rugged settings and often requires navigational, route-finding and other wilderness travel skills.

Canyons that are ideal for canyoning are often cut into the bedrock stone, forming narrow gorges with numerous drops, beautifully sculpted walls, and sometimes spectacular waterfalls. Most canyons are cut into limestone, sandstone, granite or basalt, though other rock types are found.

Canyons can be very easy or extremely difficult, though emphasis in the sport is usually on aesthetics and fun rather than pure difficulty. A wide variety of canyoning routes are found throughout the world, and canyoning is enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels.

Canyoning gear includes climbing hardware, static or semi-static ropes, helmets, wetsuits, and specially designed shoes, packs, and rope bags. While canyoneers have used and adapted climbing, hiking, and river running gear for years, more and more specialized gear is invented and manufactured as canyoning popularity increases.

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I'm a walker, whether that's a stroll on the beach at sunset or 

getting up at eight o'clock on a Sunday morning and doing 

an eight-hour hike through a canyon. It's Zen time for me.

Lara Pulver