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 high, shady, between the C-55 road in Can Sivila and the riverbank.
The cliff that the river has cut displays the pile of rock layers of Súria geological formation and, on top and in discordance, an ancient fluvial terrace laid by the Cardener river. Looking at the outcrop from the bottom, by the Cardener river, the strata arrive horizontally from the west until at the eastern tip where they turn violently to vertical because the North anticline of Súria that anticipates the Mig-Món fault.
Erosion progressively retreats the cliff, although not lineally, rather leaving isolated crowned pillars, dames coiffées or witch’s chimneys in front that last for a while before collapsing. Currently, a conical, about 20 meters high pillar that has already lost its crown or hat is the most outstanding one. The narrow strip of land at the cliff foot where this pillar rises is almost inaccessible; however, it is feasible to get closer to see it from the opposite or right bank of the river, by the inner meander’s side, through the way from Súria to Coaner, from where the photo was picked.
[photo Jordi Badia]