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\l
1.{\sl Valles de Benasque y Eriste}\par
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\l
{\bf TRACK OF THE 'BALL'}\l
(3 stages)\l
Total time: 5 hours (approx.)\vskip 0.5cm
\l
{\bf a. From 'Benasque' to Los 'Ba\~nos'}\l
Time: 1 hour 50 min.\vskip 0.5cm

Depart from {\sl Benasque} to the North by the road to {\sl Los
Ba\~nos}. After 100
m. take a track to the left ( between the river and the road). You will
find a bridge over the river {\sl \'Esera}. After  crossing it,
follow
the track on the left bank of the river, which is, again, the track of
the {\sl Ball}.
Follow the tiara of the old paved track, which ends up at the
main road.
Keep walking and after approximately 200 m. turn left and you will soon
get to a deviation.

Keep walking following the left bank of the river and in 7 minutes you
will
reach the old {\sl Cuera} bridge. \underbar {Do not cross it}, but keep
walking straight
and you will pass near the {\sl Aneto} Camping on your way to the {\sl
San Jaime} bridge (this bit coincides with the GR 11). Walk under
it.

After a while you will reach a trail, follow it on its left, cross the
{\sl Rainero} ravine, leave the descent of the {\sl Ixeira} Camping on
your
left, and go up following the riverbed against the flow. After about 18
minutes from the {\sl Cuera} bridge, the trail ascends in a bend and
after a
few meters it has to be left to take a path. Take it and after five
minutes, you will go back
to the trail and continue to the left to begin the descent between the
wood and the surroundings of the {\sl Paso Nuevo} dam.

Later on cross the {\sl Vallibierna} river and join another
trail.
Here you leave the GR 11 ("{\bf G}ran {\bf R}ecorrido" or Long Distance
path) that
goes to {\sl Vallibierna}. Keep walking through the path on your left to
the camping area of {\sl Plan de Senasta}. Cross the {\sl Canal Seca}
(Dry Stream) and in 15 minutes you will get to {\sl Plan de Rosec}, near
the ruins of an old Civil Guard post where you begin the ascent again.

On your left you will see the {\sl San Farr\'e} waterfall and after
about 7 min., the fountain of the same name on your right. Once
passed the {\sl Cregue\~na} and the {\sl \'Esera} rivers, the fishermen
refuge, and
the {\sl Plan de l'Acampam\'en}, you will hear on your right the
{\sl Caseta
del Rey} waterfall and will get to a fork. Take the track on the
right
and in approximately 7 min. you will reach the {\sl Plan de Ba\~nos}.
Cross
the bridge and after a few metres take the path on your right to get to
the road to {\sl Los Ba\~nos}.

The altitude of the spot where {\sl Los Ba\~nos} (or {\sl Ba\~ns}) is
placed is
1.702 m. and they are the highest ones in Spain. It is believed that
these thermal waters  were  already
used in  Roman times by the inhabitants of the valley. There
are various springs, each of them at  different temperature,
used as part of therapeutic treatments. The main structure of the
building was constructed  in
1801 and consists of  three floors. Los Ba\~nos were destroyed
after the
Spanish Civil War and later re-built.
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\l
{\bf b. From 'Los Ba\~nos' to the 'Hospital'}\l
Time: 1 hour\vskip 0.5cm

Follow a forest trail that departs from the Thermal Baths and
goes down to the bottom of the valley. Parallel to it there is a wide
track
which crosses some gravel, goes under the {\sl Turonet de Alba} and
continues close to the mountain slope until it reaches a point
above the {\sl Pllau del Ospital}. During this last bit, the track
descends to
the asphalt trail that goes to the {\sl Benasque Hospital}. Cross this
trail, keep
on walking for five minutes through the prairie, by the margin of the
river till you get to the {\sl Ospital de Ben\`as}.

The site of the {\sl Hospital} is at 1.758 m. It used to be a
rest
and shelter place for hikers and travellers. Very close to the
most frequented mountain ports, it was built and protected by
various religious orders, being some of the most important ones the
"Templarios" and "Los Caballeros de San Juan en Jerusal\'en".

The {\sl Benasque Hospital} is known to have existed since the XIIth
Century.
Pilgrims, trademen and travellers were its most frequent guests. It has
been destroyed several times and been used for different
purposes. \vskip 0.5cm


\l
{\bf c. From the 'Hospital' to the 'Renclusa'}\l
Time: 2 hour 20 min.\vskip 0.5cm

Cross the {\sl \'Esera} and follow the right bank towards a stony area.
Keep walking following the stone wall till you get to the end of the
{\sl Llanos del Hospital}. Then go up the
river (against the flow)
following the {\sl Canal de Pe\~na Blanca} and after a few metres take
the ascending path through a black pine wood to the {\sl Puyadeta de les
Araneses}, water pools area. (25 min. altogether).

Ten minutes later, you will get to the plains and {\sl ibones} (mountain
little lakes) of {\sl Plan d'Est\'an}, circumvent them on their left
till you
get to a higher track. Follow it and you will end up in a road behind
the refuge of {\sl Plan d'Est\'an} and a little ascent that will take
you to {\sl Besurta} in 15 min.

When you get to the end of the road, you will find a fork with two
possible routes:\par

\l
- the one on the left will take you to the bottom of the valley and
to the {\sl Forau d'Aigualluts},\par
\l
- the one on the right ascends to the {\sl Renclusa} refuge under
the peak of the same name. You will get up there in approx. 45 min.
This is the starting point to ascend the Aneto (3404m).


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