The Pyrenees - A Complete Walker's Guide

• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
• Maps
• Reviews
• Further Reading

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THE CENTRAL PYRENEES: Introduction

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East of the Réserve Naturelle de Néouvielle all the more interesting and challenging mountains are either gathered astride of, or nudge close to, the international border. On the northern flank these are abrupt, rocky peaks that rise from largely bare, tarn-filled cirques, but the major summits on the Spanish side are found among big massifs wearing fast-shrinking glaciers, separated from the frontier crest by luxuriantly verdant valleys that flow parallel to that crest. There are more than 60 3000m peaks within this central region, including the two highest, Pico de Aneto (3414m) and Pico Posets (3375m), both of which project from extensive ridge systems that afford long expeditions of unquestionable appeal.

Granite dominates, yet outcrops of limestone also occur, and the Posets and Maladeta massifs reveal a mixture of both. But the valleys on both sides of the border are as memorable as the mountains. Among the meadows in late spring and early summer an abundance of alpine plants give credence to the Pyrenean epithet of Flower Garden of Europe, and the trails that work through these valleys and, in some cases, cross the passes that link one with another are among the most rewarding of all.

This central section of the High Pyrenees is surrounded by good roads. In France the Route des Pyrénées climbs out of the Vallée d’Aure at Arreau and crosses Col de Peyresourde to Luchon. In Spain the east–west N260 skirts the high mountains from Ainsa to the valley of the Noguera Ribagorçana, which forms the boundary between Aragón and Catalunya. At the western end the Bielsa road tunnel, which is open all year round, links both sides of the frontier, while at the eastern limit of this region the Viella tunnel at the head of the Noguera Ribagorçana provides access to the lower Vall d’Aran and France. On the French side of the mountains Bagnères de Luchon is the most important centre, while Benasque in the Spanish Valle del Ésera enjoys a perfect location on the edge of the Parque Natural Posets-Maladeta.

3:1 Vallée d'Aure

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Southeast of Tarbes the valley of the Neste d’Aure (neste is local dialect for ‘river’) spills out of the foothills at LANNEMEZAN, a small town near the junction of the main north–south D929 road and the east–west N117. It has a station on the important Pau–Tarbes–Toulouse railway line, and a useful bus service through the Vallée d’Aure as far as Aragnouet, just short of the Bielsa road tunnel. Lannemezan, then, is the key to a northerly approach. To obtain local information contact the Office du Tourisme on the Place de la République (Phone 05 62 98 08 31).

As far as Arreau, some 27km south of Lannemezan, the D929 passes along the eastern edge of the wooded foothill country of the Baronnies, a pear-shaped, damp and misty land, sparsely inhabited but strangely attractive without being scenically dramatic. ARREAU is the first place of any real importance, a pleasant slate-roofed, half-timbered little township at the confluence of the Neste d’Aure and Louron, and at the intersection of the D929 and Route des Pyrénées. Once the capital of the Pays de Quatre Vallées (those four valleys being the Aure, Magnoac, Neste and Barousse), Arreau has a fine medieval covered market place on the left bank of the Louron, and on the right bank the interesting Chapelle Saint-Exupère. In summer tourist information is found in the Château des Nestes (Phone 05 62 98 63 15), which also houses a Pyrenean museum. There are two hotels, the Angleterre and the more simple Hôtel de l’Arbizon, and three municipal campsites: one a little south of town; another, the Gentils at Pailhac, just 1km to the north (open April–Sept); and a third nearby, Camping Le Refuge, which is open all year.

Leaving Arreau, D929 continues south along the right bank of the river and soon passes through CADÉAC, where a curious rock arch squeezes the road. Bypassing ANCIZAN, which has a group of 16th-century houses that recall more prosperous times, the road crosses to the left bank and continues through cultivated land to ST-LARY-SOULAN.

In the 1950s St-Lary was developed as a ski resort, and now the pistes of Pla d’Adet and Espiaube, linked by gondola to the west of town, encroach right up to the boundary of the Réserve Naturelle de Néouvielle, where the highest lift reaches 2400m. (Pla d’Adet also has facilities for cross-country skiing.) In addition the town provides access for skiers to the extravagently modern resort of Piau-Engaly, 20km upvalley. In summer St-Lary has an agreeably bright and sunny appearance, but activists using it as a base for a walking or climbing holiday would be advised to have their own transport. As for accommodation, there are two local campsites, plenty of two- and three-star hotels, the one-star Hôtel Pons Le Dahu, and a 46-place gîte d’étape, Le Refuge (Phone 05 62 39 46 81), at the Pla d’Adet téléphérique station. The tourist office is situated at 37 rue Principale (Phone 05 62 39 50 81), and there’s also a separate Maison du Parc with interesting displays and publications relating to the PNP. St-Lary has a number of shops catering to the outdoor enthusiast, a few restaurants, banks and a post office.

The nearby village of VIELLE-AURE (20mins north of St-Lary) is on the route of GR10, where there’s a gîte d’étape that is highly spoken of. Le Relais Montagne (Phone 05 62 39 42 31) is situated in a tastefully converted traditional building just a few paces from where the GR10 passes through the heart of the village. Heading west that long-distance trail climbs onto a grassy spur leading to the Col de Portet and the Espiaube ski grounds on the edge of the Néouvielle réserve (6–7hrs from Vielle-Aure to Refuge de Bastan; see 2:9), while the eastbound route crosses the Vallée d’Aure and works its way up the eastern hillside through AZET (gîte), an attractive village with a fine view over the valley, then crosses the Col de Peyrefite before dropping into the Vallée du Louron in 3½hrs (see 3:2).

Walks in the Vallée de Rioumajou
Beyond St-Lary the valley narrows to a gorge, and in a little less than 4km a minor road cuts back to the left and climbs into the small, huddled village of TRAMEZAÏGUES, which guards the entrance to the Vallée de Rioumajou. This is a glorious, heavily wooded tributary valley drained by a lovely mountain stream and protected as a site classé. A narrow paved road intrudes for 8km beyond Tramezaïgues to a small parking area and aire du bivouac near the granges, or barns, of Frédancon. Beyond that a track continues for another 4km as far as the ancient Hospice de Rioumajou at 1560m. In the 19th century Henry Russell described it as ‘an execrable inn ... where I dine on milk soup’. There were no beds and he had to sleep in the hay. ‘But what a marvellous place to spend a week in,’ he continued, ‘if only there were an inn!’ Although the hospice was renovated in the late 1980s/early 1990s, with plans to provide overnight accommodation for walkers and HRP trekkers, the scheme failed through a lack of electricity, so it is open only in summer for snacks and drinks, and closes each day at 6pm. Camping in the nearby meadows, however, appears to be tolerated, and is the only option for an overnight stay in the valley.

• Above and behind the hospice the frontier ridge curves in a deeply indented horseshoe of steep grass- and tree-covered slopes. Several walkers’ passes breach the frontier ridge, and on the valley’ eastern wall there are two 3000m summits,  Pic de Lustou (3023m) and Pic de Batoua (3034m), both of which may be reached without difficulty, the first in 4½–5hrs via Frédancon and the Col de Lustou northwest of the summit, the second by way of the 2526m Port de Cauarère in about 5hrs. The Posets massif looks tremendous from Pic de Batoua, while a ragged sea of peaks ranged ESE of Pic de Lustou makes this another excepionally fine viewpoint.
  

The North Face of Pic de Batoua contains a medium-grade winter climb (D with passages of 70°) of about 550m, which usually comes into condition between January and April.

• Souheast of the Hospice de Rioumajou,  Port de Caouarère is used by HRP trekkers on the stage leading to Refugio de Viadós at the base of the Posets massif (see 3:5). A remorseless 3hr climb among trees and shrubs, and up a final long slope of black scree and schist, brings you onto the pass, but the descent into the valley of the Cinqueta de la Pez (the upper Valle de Gistaín) and on to Viadós is a delight of grass-covered hillsides and alpenroses.
• South of the hospice the cirque projects into Spain at its deepest point on Pic d’Ourdissetou. Along the frntier ridge northwest of this peak lies the 2403m  Port d’Ourdissetou, by which trekkers can cross to Lago Ordiceto and the GR11. By bearing west along GR11 (a dirt road), Parzán or Bielsa could be reached within the day, while an HRP variante shared by the eastbound GR11 crosses the Paso de los Caballos (2326m) and in 61⁄2–7hrs from Rioumajou reaches Viadós.
• On the western side of the Rioumajou Cirque the HRP climbs on steep slopes of crumbly schist and evetually gains the frontier crest at a vague pass below  Pic de Lia, where three ridges come together. The way then continues westward either on or just below the crest to reach Refuge de Barroude at the end of a very long and tough day’s trekking.
• A somewhat less challenging, but no less rewarding,  walk of about 4hrs in the lower Vallée de Rioumajou can be tackled about 2km from Tramezaïgues, where the road crosses to the east bank of the stream on Pont Tisné. Here a path zigzags up to the Cascade de Pichaleyt and continues climbing southeast along a line of cairns into the shallow valley of Hitte Longue above a cabane. At the head of this valley, below the Crête de Hitte Monte, the way crosses a spur and on the far side comes to the three Lacs de Consaterre (2349m), set close together in a grassy basin about 1100m above the valley.