Transcatalunya: Castellbell i el Vilar – Guialmons

A stage that starts with a continuous climb to cross Montserrat through the El Bruc mountain pass. From here, you descend to La Pobla de Claramunt and then climb constantly to reach Queralt castle. The last section includes a descent with flat sections until you reach Guialmons. You are entering La Conca de Barberà.

The stage starts in Castellbell i el Vilar. Cross the Llobregat river over the pedestrian bridge along a dirt trail until you come to the BV-1123 road from Catellar del Vallès to Marganell. Follow this road for around two kilometres until you come to a turn-off on your left, from where a steep uphill trail surrounded by forests will lead you to the BV-1122 road. After around 500 m, leave the road and turn left along the street of the El Prat residential area, crossing it and heading for the Montserrat mountain.

At the end of the residential area, continue in the same direction along a dirt trail, along Camí de Santa Cecília. At the Can Martorell country house, leave the trail and continue along an uphill footpath, following the GR footpath markings. This 750 m section of footpath will sometimes force you to get off your bike due to its technical difficulty, until you come to the trail that quickly leads to Santa Cecília de Montserrat.

Take the BP-1103 road from Montserrat monastery from Santa Cecília to the Can Maçana mountain pass.<> A 400 m section begins at the Can Maçana mountain pass along an uphill footpath with a lot of small plant life. It is very technical and some parts must be covered on foot. Once you have passed this section, at the Les Torres mountain pass with views of the ruins of El Castellferran and the district of L'Anoia, you will begin your descent towards the El Bruc mountain pass, past Santa Pau de la Guàrdia and Montserrat Parc residential area. Once at the mountain pass, cross the N-IIa road and take the trail, which is initially flat and then downhill, through thick forests to Cal Jaume Bruguers country house, where you turn left almost 180 degrees to take a rather badly kept trail, some parts of which are footpath and including markings for the GR 172 footpath, until you meet the C-15 road that you cross to enter the village of La Pobla de Claramunt.

After La Pobla de Claramunt, take the trail that is initially uphill but then flattens off to the hermitage of La Mare de Déu de Collbàs, where you take the trail on your right to Santa Margarida de Montbui. Leave the village along the trail that runs parallel to the C-37 road to Santa Maria de Miralles, which has markings for the GR footpath. After six kilometres, cross the C-37 to enter the Miralles sierra along forest trails. You will pass near Miralles castle, which you can visit by taking a short detour from the route. Follow the route to Queralt castle, where a footpath begins and shortly afterwards a trail that will take you to Riudeboix mill and the B-220 road, which you will follow towards Santa Coloma de Queralt. After around 1.7 km, leave the road to head for Santa Coloma castle and the hermitage of La Mare de Déu de la Llet. From here and to the end of the stage, after crossing the T-201 road all that remains is a gentle climb to Guialmons.