Pedraforca Massif Landscape of National Interest

Natural parks, Natural site of national interest

The Pedraforca Mountain soars up impressively in a very small area, formed over millions of years by the erosion of calcareous materials and the soft marl that has resulted in its unique and special profile. It is situated in the pre-Pyrenees in the El Berguedà region, and is part of the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park.

In spite of the conservation activities carried out by the Massif Committee since 1982 when it was declared a Natural Area of National Interest, it is still possible to see the effects of the destruction to the relief caused by mining works to extract coal, much of it open cast. The area covers 1,671 hectares, shared between the municipalities of Saldes and Gósol, both in El Berguedà.

All routes by the walls, edges, needles and channels on the Pedraforca Mountain walls have been well explored by climbers from across the world, who have reached the summit from every possible slope. From afar or close up, the peculiar silhouette of the so-called Enforcadura, which joins the Pollegó Superior, at 2,497 metres, with the Inferior, at 2,400 metres, has fascinated all who have visited it for many years. The north face has the most impressive appearance, with a brutal gash up to 800 metres above the Gresolet Valley, and represents a huge challenge even for the most daring climbers.

For more cautious visitors, the tarmac track from Saldes to the Gresolet viewpoint (a few metres after leaving the town there is a marked sign) offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Cadí Mountain Range, although you can also reach the peak from Gósol via the Les Set Fonts plateau or the Serrata de la Muga.

There is also a circular route that gives you a 360 degree view of the mountain. The route can be completed in one single day, or divided between two. Even so, the ascent of the Pedraforca is only recommended for people with a certain degree of experience in hiking or climbing.

This iconic mountain of Catalan natural heritage has an impressive biological wealth. Up to 2,000 metres, the vegetation predominantly comprises beech trees and other deciduous tree formations that are abundant in the Gresolet forests, although excellent representations of Scots pine and fir trees can also be found.

With regard to fauna, the presence of rabbits, partridges and wild boar is fairly common: you only need to take a stop en route and wait in silence for a while to see some of the animals that live on this mountain.

Pedraforca 360º Virtual Visit

Year of declaration: 1982
Regulations:
Law 6/82, of 6 May, declaring the Pedraforca Massif a Natural Area of National Interest (DOGC - Catalan Government Official Bulletin- 223, 14-05-82); Directive 79/409 EEC, of September 1987, declaring the area a special protection zone for birds; Decision 2004/69/EC, of 22 December 2003, in which the admission of the area into the Alpine region within the Natura 2000 network is approved; Decree 233/2004, of 16 March assigning the management of the Pedraforca Massif Natural Area of National Interest to the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park Governing Board. (DOGC 4094, of 18 March 2004).
Area: 1751
Ownership: Mixed or both
District: Saldes; Gósol.
Visitor centres: S

Annual closing: Open all year round.
How to get there: On the B-400, from the C-16 to the south of Guardiola de Berguedà you reach Saldes and Gósol.
Languages: Catalan, Spanish

Facilities

Accommodation

Parking

Picnic area

Refuge

Viewpoint

Signposted itineraries

Flora

The vegetation varies considerably depending on the altitude. Below 1,700 metres, we can find the montane stratum, formed above all by downy oak groves, accompanied by Italian maple, box, snowy mespilus, common hazel, common hawthorn, juniper, stinking hellebore, rose hip and liverwort, among others; the shadier areas of Gresolet provide very particular conditions with a preeminence of beech. Above 1,700 metres, there are conifer forests made up of fir trees and black pine groves with an undergrowth of box, rhododendron, green hellebore, white anemone, cruciata glabra, etc. When we pass 2,300 metres, the trees and bushes disappear and we are left with vegetation that has adapted to rocks and scree, such as the primrose, Pyrenean saxifrage, Pyrenean honeysuckle, globularia nana and fern.

Fauna

The diversity of forests and meadows in the massif is home to a wealth of wildlife, predominantly species from Alpine and mountain environments. The birds are the most interesting specimens of the wildlife here, particularly the wood grouse, but also the black woodpecker, the wallcreeper and many more. Among the mammals, we can find chamois, rabbits, squirrels, bank voles and common shrews, as well as foxes, pine martens, weasels and wildcats. Reptiles like the Pyrenean brook salamander and fire salamander, and a large number of invertebrates, including butterflies, complete the catalogue of wildlife here.