Coma Pedrosa
| Coma Pedrosa | |
|---|---|
Coma Pedrosa in October 2006
|
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,943 m (9,656 ft) |
| Prominence | 434 m (1,424 ft) |
| Listing | Country high point |
| Coordinates | 42°35′26″N 1°26′41.21″E / 42.59056°N 1.4447806°ECoordinates: 42°35′26″N 1°26′41.21″E / 42.59056°N 1.4447806°E |
| Geography | |
 Coma Pedrosa
|
|
| Location | Parish of La Massana, Andorra |
| Parent range | Pyrenees |
Coma Pedrosa (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkomə pəˈðɾozə], locally: [ˈkoma peˈðɾoza]) (2,943 m or 9,656 ft) is the highest mountain in the principality of Andorra. It is popular with mountain climbers, its ascent being technically straightforward, although strenuous. Several mountain lakes and tarns are found on the slopes, notably Estanys de Baiau, which lies on the western slopes, across the Spanish border.
The nearest town is Arinsal, La Massana. Historically, the mountain provided ample security from invasions into Andorra.
Coma Pedrosa, shaped like a pyramid, is situated at the northwestern border with France and Spain. It has in the past acted as a barrier between Andorra and France. The mountainous terrain of Andorra, a landlocked country, contains 65 peaks that rise to an elevation of greater than 2,000 m (6,562 ft), and of the 65 peaks, Coma Pedrosa has the highest one at 2,943 m (9,656 ft).
Its recent exposure to tourism has attracted millions to enjoy the unique scenic beauty of its hills and valleys. The higher reaches of the mountain are covered with forests while the lower reaches have some arable lands. The mountain gets fully covered with snow during the winter months which provides opportunities for skiing and mountaineering, ice climbing and scrambling. During the summer season, the mountain provides many easy routes for trekking through the Arinsal valley covering neighbouring areas of Vall Ferrera in Spain after crossing Baiau, the mountain pass.
The town of Arinsal is in the narrow valley below the mountain. The Coma Pedrosa's Estany Negre, the Torta Coma, Coma's Gaspedrosa, the Puestode las Erolas, Cape dels Croes, and Puig dels Emborts in the Sierra del Aguiro surround the parish of La Massana.
The local area is known as Comapedrosa. The mountain is in a natural park called Parc Natural Comunal de les Valls del Comapedrosa (Communal natural park of the Comapedrosa valleys).
The forest vegetation in the mountain and its valleys are of pines, birch and firs. There are many glacier lakes formed within the valley created by the mountains and also vast meadows. Consequent to the popularity of skiing in and around this mountain valley near Arinsal and close to the Andorra la Vella and other valleys in Andorra, the pristine ambiance of the valley has been inundated with tourist resorts, hotels, restaurants and business establishments catering to tourists. This has created an awareness to preserve virgin mountains and forests, and put restrictions on further proliferation of ski resorts and urban activities by introducing a national network of parks as preserves.
...
Wikipedia