Estany Negre, Glacial lake in Valle de Bohí, Spain.
Estany Negre is a mountain lake in the Catalan Pyrenees about 692 meters long and 217 meters wide. The water sits in a basin made of glacial material and lies at high elevation, surrounded by rocky mountain slopes.
The lake formed during the last ice age when massive glaciers carved valleys in the Pyrenees and left behind deep basins. As the ice melted and retreated, water filled these basins and created the lakes visible today.
The lake is part of a protected natural area in the Pyrenees that local people and hikers value deeply. Visitors notice how the water and surrounding landscape are treated with care by those who live nearby.
The usual approach starts at the Cavallers dam, passes the Pletiu de Riumalo, the Barranc de les Llastres and the Pas de l'Osso, and leads to the Refugi Joan Ventosa i Calvell above the lake. From the refuge the Vall de Colieto opens eastward. The lake lies at 2,134 m, so snow can linger on the passes into early summer.
The lake drains westward through the Riuet d'Estany Negre, while its main inflow comes from the Estany de Colieto to the east. Above the cliffs to the northeast stands the Refugi Joan Ventosa i Calvell, the entry point to the Vall de Colieto, which opens eastward toward views of the Besiberri massif.
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