Stage 15: Sant Lleïr de la Vall d'Ora - Sant Llorenç de Morunys

The fifteenth stage of the GR 1 stage begins just behind the hermitage of (1) Sant Lleïr (0:00h - 765m), the epicentre of the bucolic Vall d'Ora. You follow the white and red GR signs and begin heading up the valley, in a northwest direction. You will soon go past a detour on your left for the monastery of Sant Pere de Graudescales. Continue your route. You climb up to the panoramic Els Presidents vantage point and follow the shady streams that are tributaries of the Aigua d'Ora river. Following a nice meander of the watercourse, you pass the Molí de Bancell, cross the river and you will arrive at (2) the bridge of Llinars (1:30h - 881m).

Your cross the LV-4241 road -which links Sant Llorenç de Morunys and Berga- and continue north along a paved path that heads up the valley of the Aigua d'Ora river, which, in its upper course, is named Aigua de Llinars. You pass the Aigua d’Ora camping sit, and then go past the detour on your right that leads to the town of Llinars. You gradually climb up the sunny side of the mountain until you reach a paved path, which you take towards the left. You will not take long to reach (3) Cal Timó Nou (2:30h - 1.119m). At this point, you leave the paved track, which continues on into the abandoned town of Sisquer (0:05h), where the Romanesque hermitage of Sant Esteve de Sisquer and the old house of Timó really stand out.

From Cal Timó Nou you descend Sisquer mountain to the bottom of the valley. You cross the (4) Aigua de Valls River (3:10h - 851m) over a bridge. The path avoids the old Molí de Cal Riu, it goes round a large field and continues along a narrow road that climbs up to the sanctuary of Puig Aguilar. You pass a fountain and afterwards a sharp turn, before heading into Obac de la Corriu, an impressive pine forest. You change slope and gradually follow the stream of La Foranca. If you look closely, you will be able to observe a colony of common vultures on the crags above; you can locate them by looking for the white stains of their excrement on the rock face and on the ledges.

You leave the road of the sanctuary and go up a paved path to la Corriu. You go along the side of the church of Sant Martí de la Corriu and keep going up. From time to time you will come off the track and do the odd stretch on the old path, which serves as a shortcut. You pass Cal Paraire and then tackle the last stretch of the climb, which is much more gentle, until you reach (5) Cap de Balç (5:10 - 1.410m), the highest point of the stage. You take a detour a few metres off on the left (S) until coming to edge of the cliff. The views over Vall de Lord from this spot are sensational!

Head back onto the route and begin a long descent through the wood, heading west. First you go along a track and then take an old bridle path that descends in loops. The descent is sharp. You cross the ravine of the stream of La Barata and pass the beautiful sport where the hermitage of Sant Lleïr stands, surrounded by holm oaks and century-old oak trees. Head down to the course of the (6) river Cardener (6:20h - 813m), which you cross via a bridge, and go round the country house and hotel of Monegal. You head up towards the gateway of Era Nova and continue towards the plaza of the Church and the Canal Gate in the centre of the town of (7) Sant Llorenç de Morunys (6:40h - 924m), the end point of the fifteenth stage.