Cardita is a genus of marine bivalves with both living species and extinct ones that are known as fossils. This is the case of specimen in the images from Vallhonesta (Sant Vicenç de Castellet) in Eocene terrain. Cardita has medium to large size, round shape, wide and well-defined radial ribs, and umbos -the roughly conical … Read more
The ICHN-Bages group in Sant Jaume de Vallhonesta, the large hostel, now partially ruined, on the old country road from Manresa to Terrassa, during the naturalistic outing on 07.03.2026. Sant Jaume de Vallhonesta is located on the ridge between Santa Creu and Vallhonesta valleys, near the northeastern boundary of Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac … Read more
The Roca Foradada of Montserrat is the largest and the best-known bored rock in Central Catalonia, although it is not the only one. There is also the Foradada del Ginebral on the northern tip of the Ginebral mountain range, between the farmhouse of El Ginebral and the pass of Gipó that the old Royal Road … Read more
The path that goes up the valley of the Rubió stream on the Puigsoler slope, from the Vallhonesta neighbourhood towards the range of El Ginebral and the pass of Gipó, crosses, a few hundred meters beyond the large farmhouse of Can Forns, two inactive and contiguous quarries: first and below the path the old quarry … Read more
The stream of Guardiola drains a quite large basin in the southwest of Bages district and partly in Anoia, with main area around the town of Sant Salvador de Guardiola, boundaries in Castellfollit del Boix plateau and in Sant Pau de la Guàrdia range, and outfall into the Cardener river in Els Torrents, within the … Read more
The cold wave of January 1985 killed the aerial part of many olive trees (Olea europaea) in the district of Bages; all the olive trees were more or less damaged. The photos taken a few years later in La Guía (Manresa) (photo 1), and in 2026, 41 years later (photo 2), show the olive trees … Read more
The badland of Cornet cuts the slope of the range of Montlleó beside the path at the bottom end of the valley of Guardiola stream in the municipality of Castellgalí, shortly before reaching the large Cornet farmhouse that also gives its name to the stream in this stretch. The badland is made of poorly consolidated, … Read more
The badland of Marganell is a cliff displaying the fractal pattern of erosion on the outer side of the meander of La Fassina of the Marganell stream, near the hermitage of Sant Jaume de Castellbell and the crossroad between the BV-1122 to Sant Cristòfol and the BV-1123 from Castellbell to Marganell and Colldarboç. The badland … Read more
The well-known Muntanyes Russes (= roller coaster) are not the unique badland area in the municipality of Sant Vicençde Castellet. In the neighbourhood of Vallhonesta, on the slope of Puigsoler left of the stream of Rubió and just before reaching the quarry of El Roure, there is the badland of Can Forns that inherits the … Read more
The join of several small streams in Sant Pere Sallavinera, in the district of Anoia, gives birth to the stream of Rajadell. Once it achieves the condition of stream of Rajadell it enters to the district of Bages going east for about 25 km with few twists and turns, crossing Aguilar de Segarra, Castellar, Rajadell, … Read more
Upon reaching Súria, the Cardener river fits into the meander of the Ribera de Coaner. Despite being close to the town of Súria, both banks of the meander belong to the municipal district of Sant Mateu de Bages. The left bank, the meander’s external one, is a vertical cliff 550 meters long and 60-80 meters … Read more
The Cardener valley that is wide in the alluvial plain of Les Hortes and Reguant suddenly narrows in El Fusteret. This apparently capricious relief results from the complex geological structure of Súria that Cardener river crosses In Súria, in a sequence from northwest to southeast although not exactly in line, the following, enchained geological structures … Read more
On Saturday, January 24, 2026, the front associated with the storm Ingrid left snow in the highlands of Central Catalonia. The snow level was around 400 meters in the west, 500 meters in the east and in the north, and 700 meters in the south. The snow whitened the complete district of Moianès and, in … Read more
The Cardener river plenty of trouble water on Sunday 18.01.2026 beneath the Pont Vell in Manresa, during the rainy event in Catalonia that was caused by the storm Harry from Saturday 17 to Tuesday 20. On Saturday 17.01.2026, the automatic weather stations in Sant Salvador de Guardiola and Cardona recorded, respectively, rainfall of 74.8 L/m2 … Read more
The graphs show monthly precipitation averages for the periods 2000-2024 and 1950-1999, and their differences, recorded at the meteorological stations of Manresa, Balsareny and Artés in the district of Bages, and Moià in the district of Moianès. Within the enormous interannual variability of rainfall, the averages that are obtained from a long enough time confirm … Read more
The graphs show the average monthly minimum and maximum temperatures for the years 1950-1999 and 2000-2024, as well as the differences between the two periods, from the weather stations of Manresa, Artés (Bages) and Moià (Moianès). Both the minimum and the maximum temperatures, in all months and in both locations, temperatures in the 21st century … Read more
The Cavall Bernat in Montserrat is not the only Cavall Bernat in the district of Bages; in the natural park of Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac and in the municipality of Mura, there is the Cavall Bernat de la Vall as well. The Cavall Bernat de la Vall is also a prominent conglomerate monolith, … Read more
The natural shelter and the spring of Els Caçadors are close to the foot of the cliff of La Tolega that flanks on the right bank the river Llobregat in Sant Fruitós de Bages below the urbanization of Les Brucardes. Specifically, the shelter and the spring are at the vertical of the eastern end of … Read more
Cytisophyllum sessilifolium (= Cytisus sessilifolius) is a deciduous shrub in the family Fabaceae. The leaves have three ovate, 5-15 mm long leaflets, the central one slightly larger than the lateral ones. The leaves on the lower part of the stem usually have a short petiole, while those that arise from the flowering stems do not; … Read more
The scorpion senna (Coronilla emerus subsp. emerus [= Hippocrepis emerus subsp. emerus]) is a deciduous shrub belonging to the large legume family Fabaceae. The leaves are imparipinnate with 2-4 pairs of lateral leaflets and a single terminal leaflet. The flowers display a yellow corolla of bilateral symmetry that is typical from the Fabaceae. However, their … Read more
The cliff of El Berenguer is an impressive geological wall approximately 700 meters long and 80 meters high, that is located on the right or north bank of Malrubí stream, within the municipality of Avinyó. The cliff takes the name from the nearby country house and farm, El Berenguer, on the opposite bank. Further south, … Read more
The cliff of Ribatallada is a vertical light-coloured rock face, approximately 200 meters long and 50 meters high at its highest point, carved by the stream of Malrubí at the eastern edge of the municipality of Artés, bordering Avinyó. The cliff is on the right or north bank of the Malrubí stream. The wide track … Read more
The blue green anise mushroom (Clitocybe odora) belongs to the Tricholomataceae family. It is not very large. The mushroom picker distinguishes it because its turquoise blue-green cap and its anise odour. The blue green anise mushroom has a rather thin cap, 3-8 cm in diameter, often not circular but with some sinus, with a smooth … Read more
Part of the ICHN-Bages group in the natural shelter of Els Polvorers (Manresa, Bages) looking at the rock of the ceiling for fossils of Cerithium giganteum, the large snail from the marine Eocene, during the naturalist outing on 02.11.2025 to the surroundings of Santa Caterina tower. [photos Montserrat Porta]
A large part of the ICHN-Bages group on top of Santa Caterina tower (Manresa, Bages), a privileged belvedere of the city, during the naturalist outing on 26.10.2025 in which we visited the lignite mine and the shelter of Els Polvorers. [photo Jordi Badia]
The natural shelter of Els Polvorers is on the steep slope of the right bank of the Cardener river in Manresa, just beyond the Renfe train freight station and the old Campsa fuel tanks, between the Santa Caterina tower plateau and the river. The area is known as Els Polvorers (= gunpowder makers) because in … Read more
Limonite is an amorphous and earthy mineraloid made up of iron oxides and hydroxides of generic formula FeO(OH)·nH2O, Its colour ranges from yellow to orange, ochre and light brown, of ochre, yellow, orange or light brown. The scratch is always ochre or light brown. The main component of limonite is the mineral goethite, though it … Read more
The holm or evergreen oak (Quercus ilex) of Mas Pujol Nou is a monumental tree of Catalonia picking the name from the property of the Artés district where it is located between the road C-25 -this is the transversal axis of Catalonia- and the Gavarresa stream. The large oak is on the plain of the … Read more
Russula ilicis is one amongst the numerous species of the genus Russula thriving in places with oaks and holm oaks in the Mediterranean area, that is commonplace in the counties of Bages and Moianès. In these counties, the Catalan name “cuagra” applies to any of the often very difficult to distinguish species of Russula. The … Read more
The Pujol de La Mata (= hill of La Mata) is a summit made of conglomerate, conical, acute, and difficult to climb, very different from the elongated and rounded shapes of most hills in the same area of Sant Llorenç del Munt and Serra de l’Obac natural park such as Montcau or the hill of … Read more
The spring of Font Freda is in the upper part of Serra de l’Obac, near to the top of Fontfreda stream that takes the name, at 840 metres altitude. Its flow is small, since the spring is located near the ridge. The spring has a reservoir in the rock that is covered by a wall … Read more
The central stretch of Calders river valley, from the ruined castle of Calders to Colònia Jorba, is a succession of sunken and curled meanders. In the inner side of one meander, which is also the right or northern riverbank, there is the plain of Rubió that picks its name from the farmhouse. Opposite, on the … Read more
The river Cardener flood, as seen from the Pont Vell in Manresa on the afternoon of 12.07.2025. The river is raging wild with a turbulent flow of muddy water, carrying logs, reeds, and many other things. The river spans the full width of the lock, from the wall that supports the C-1411b road to the … Read more
The Forat Micó in Calders -do not mistake it with the Forat Micó in the Mountain of Salt of Cardona!- is a natural tunnel about 10 meters long and high enough to walk it without having to bend down, and that continues as a natural shelter on both sides. The water from the Fondo de … Read more
The oak leaf phylloxera (Phylloxera quercus) is an orange-coloured aphid that attacks just trees and shrubs of genus Quercus, mostly oaks, but also the perennial holm oak and kermes oak. Actually, this is not just one species, but several: Phylloxera quercus, P.quercina, P.coccinea and P.glabra, and perhaps some more amongst the ones that are described … Read more
The ICHN-Bages group in Bufadors de Beví (Ripollès), during the naturalistic outing on 29.03.2025 to the Bufadors mountain range from La Farga de Bebié.
Rheubarbariboletus persicolor (= Xerocomus persicolor) is one amongst many species of mushrooms in the Boletaceae family with reddish hues that are indistinctly known in Catalan as mataparents (= relatives’ killer) and that can be found in the district of Bages. Rheubarbariboletus persicolor is a small and slender mushroom when compared to close species. The cap … Read more
The scarlet cup (Sarcoscypha coccinea) is a mushroom that grows mainly in winter and early spring on fallen twigs of broadleaf trees. The scarlet cup is small cup of 0.5 – 3.5 cm in diameter made of thin walls of a scarlet red colour -hence the specific adjective coccinea – more intense on the inner … Read more
Puig Cardener (or written as Puigcardener) is the hill made of stratified sandstone that the Cardener river outlines on the south and the stream of Sant Ignasi on the east, and that is topped by the gothic cathedral of Santa Maria de la Seu de Manresa. Puig Cardener is the outstanding, bright place with large … Read more
The stream of Mura grows and becomes scenic from the farmhouse of Sant Esteve de Vilarasa onwards because the joining of the stream of Talamanca and the proximity of the Llobregat river at a low level that pushes to deepen the valley. Downstream from Sant Esteve de Vilarasa, the stream of Mura proofs its potential … Read more
The pass of Migdia (= Midday) splits the range of Montserrat massif in two halves, eastern and western, being also the main pass of the entangled geography of Montserrat. The pass of Migdia seats between the summits of Sant Jeroni on the east and Ecos on the west and it is reached by the channels … Read more
The fold of La font del Molí (the spring of the Mill) is a geological structure on an accessible and comprehensible scale that the Malrubí stream has been kind enough to cut and display. El fold of La font del Molí is located at the southern end of the cliff that the Malrubí stream cut … Read more
The Forat Micó cave is known for many years in the mountain of Salt of Cardona. The cave opens on the side of the mountain, is 640 m long and their walls are decorated with delicate white recrystallizations of halite. The Cardona salt caves stand out both for their exceptional beauty and for being unique … Read more
The mountains of Sant Llorenç del Munt, Montcau and L’Obac, in the foreground of the photos, and Montserrat, which appears in the background, are two large rocky areas in the south of the Bages region. Both mountain ranges are made of conglomerate rock, that is a large pile of pebbles into a matrix of sand, … Read more
Usnea is a genus of lichens that are usually called beard lichens or old man’s beards because of their light grey hairy twigs hanging from tree branches as a grey beard. Usnea includes many species that are difficult to distinguish. The thalli of Usnea have an elastic cord inside that is discovered when stretching one … Read more
Mucilago crustacea is an amoeboid fungus or myxomycete, one of the easiest to realize because the noticeable size and white colour of its fruiting body that stands out among the leaf litter. It is common anywhere throughout the year in wet weather. It forms elliptical fruiting bodies in etalium -a mass of compressed sporangia, impossible … Read more
The range known as Serrat del Serrat rises abruptly on the left bank of the Llobregat river, south of Sallent town. Its summit that is topped by a telephone antenna is an excellent viewing point over Sallent, the Plain of Bages and the Llobregat valley. The Serrat del Xipell is not a raised by any … Read more
The neighbourhood of L’Estació -for the train station of the line Manresa-Berga-Guardiola de Berguedà that stopped in 1973- was built in Sallent in the 1980s on the plain of the right bank of the Llobregat river between the southern end of the existing city and the conveyor belt of salt mineral coming from the ramp … Read more
