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In La Vanguardia’s Readers’ Photos we can see what the torb phenomenon in Puigmal looks like from the Osona region, colored white with some autumn snow.
In Catalan, torb comes from the Latin “turbo” which means “swirl”, a very graphic etymological explanation to define this phenomenon. During the torb, winds exceeding 56 km/h and temperatures below -12 °C occur in the Pyrenees. In these conditions, visibility is minimal.
El Puigmal, in Alta Cerdanya, is the second highest mountain in the province of Girona, with 2914 meters, and is located on the border between Spain and France.
Located between the municipalities of Queralbs (Ripollès) and Err (Alta Cerdanya, Eastern Pyrenees), the Puigmal is the highest of the peaks that make up the so-called Gran Olla that surrounds the Vall de Núria.
It is a wide and rounded top. And its ascent is easy if the weather conditions are not very adverse. At its summit there is a forged iron cross and a plaque with verses by Jacint Verdaguer.
