Cascada de Gerber

Puerto de la Bonaigua / Parc Nacional d'Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici / Catalonia Region, Lleida, Spain

About Cascada de Gerber

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Cascada de Gerber was an unexpected waterfalling surprise as we made the long drive across the Pyrenees from Torla to Espot.

We didn’t even know this waterfall existed when we were planning the Pyrenees part of our trip.

Cascada_de_Gerber_048_06182015 - Cascada de Gerber
Cascada de Gerber

However, it wasn’t until our daughter noticed this waterfall as I was busy concentrating while driving on the steep switchbacks beneath the Bonaigua Pass did we then acted to pursue it.

According to a nearby interpretive sign, the Cascada de Gerber was 125m tall.

It turned out that we would experience this waterfall in two different ways – one from right at its base, and the other from the road across the valley.

Getting close to the Cascada de Gerber

The route to the base of the Cascada de Gerber began from a very small trailhead area at the end of one of the switchbacks off the east side of the Bonaigua Pass (see directions below).

Cascada_de_Gerber_009_06182015 - On the short trail leading close to the Cascada de Gerber
On the short trail leading close to the Cascada de Gerber

Once we found the correct pullout (confirmed by a small sign about the Pyrenees) and got out of the car, we followed a lush dirt trail following alongside a small stream.

The trail was composed of a combination of boardwalk and conventional trail.

It didn’t take long before we reached a junction, which was by an interpretive sign (claiming the falls was 125m tall).

We turned right at this junction and went up steps leading right up to the mirador for the waterfall.

Cascada_de_Gerber_016_06182015 - Ascending the steps up to the spray from the Cascada de Gerber
Ascending the steps up to the spray from the Cascada de Gerber

The mirador itself was very wet and misty as it was smack in front of the rush of one of Cascada de Gerber’s sloping and twisting drops.

It was so misty at this mirador that I managed to scramble towards a spot that was a little less misty, and that was where I was able to at least take a photo without killing the camera.

We had to be real careful here because it was very wet and potentially slippery.

In any case, this was an example of being a bit too close to a waterfall, especially since our June 2015 visit was during peak flow.

Cascada_de_Gerber_022_06182015 - Direct look at the torrent from the Cascada de Gerber
Direct look at the torrent from the Cascada de Gerber

Probably in lower flow, this might be a good way to experience the Cascada de Gerber.

Thus, we didn’t linger here for long, and we were back at the car barely 10 minutes after we had gotten started.

Contextual view of Cascada de Gerber

Of course, our misty experience left a lot to be desired.

So when we continued driving, we were actively looking for pullouts that would’ve given us a more satisfying view of the Cascada de Gerber from across the valley.

Cascada_de_Gerber_040_06182015 - Context of the C-28 Road looking back towards the Bonaigua Pass as I started the short scramble to a contextual view of Cascada de Gerber
Context of the C-28 Road looking back towards the Bonaigua Pass as I started the short scramble to a contextual view of Cascada de Gerber

Fortunately, there was such a pullout, which I’ll get into later in the directions.

However, the problem with the view from here was that there were power lines cutting right in front of the field of view.

So in order to clean up the view and get the photo you see at the top of this page, I had to scramble down the grassy embankment from the road.

That embankment was essentially a mushy cow pasture full of a minefield of cow dung.

Cascada_de_Gerber_055_06182015 - Focused look across the valley at the Cascada de Gerber
Focused look across the valley at the Cascada de Gerber

Eventually, after a couple minutes of scrambling, I’d get far enough beneath the power lines to get that satisfying view of Cascada de Gerber surrounded by trees covering the mountainside.

Authorities

Cascada de Gerber resides beneath the Port de la Bonaigua (Bonaigua Pass in Catalán) near the town of Vielha in the province of Lleida, Spain. It may be administered by the municipality of Val d’Aran. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you may be able to get leads from this website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual members. See Membership Options.
Content is for members. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: espot, puerto de la bonaigua, lleida, aiguestortes, parc nacional, national park, estany de sant maurici, catalonia, spain, waterfall, pyrenees, bonaigua pass



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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