Guide to Pyrenean Haute Route HRP trek through France and Spain

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Availability

Available as eBook

Cover

Paperback - PVC

Published

15 Mar 2012

Edition

Second

ISBN

9781852845551

ISBN (10)

1852845554

Size

17.2 x 11.6 x 2.1cm

Weight

420g

Pages

320

Originally Published

7 Apr 2009

The Pyrenean Haute Route

by Ton Joosten

Detailed guide to 800km trek along the Franco-Spanish border, from Hendaye to Banyuls-sur-Mer. The unwaymarked route is described in 45 days, with 500 GPS waymarks, information on villages, mountain huts, guesthouses, hotels and campsites and variant routes to avoid difficult sections. Also ascents of ten classic Pyrenean summits beside the route. More...

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£16.00

Activities

trekking, backpacking, mountain-climbing, scrambling

Seasons

Best months: July and August. August can be extremely warm, however, and thunderstorms are an Read More... everyday hazard! In June most high mountain passes are still covered with snow but it's a good time for both the first section and, from mid-June on, the final section (if you avoid Pic Carlit). Late August and the first days of September often bring a short period of extremely bad weather but afterwards the first half of September can be exceptionally beautiful. There will be frost at night from the second half of September. Snowfall in the high mountains is not uncommon in September. Be ready for anything!

Centres

runs from Hendaye to Banyuls-sur-Mer, with nearest major towns: Bayonne, Pau, Tarbes, Foix, Read More... Perpignan and Toulouse

Difficulty

Each day walk and variant is graded on a scale of 1 to 4, from E for exceptionally challenging Read More... (moderate scrambling, exposure, glaciers) to 3 for short, easy, waymarked routes. Most are graded 2 and represent a good day's walk with significant ascent and descent but no major obstacles in good weather.

Must See

the 10 summits: Grande Fache, Vignemale, La Taillon, Pimene, Pic Perdiguere, Pico de Aneto, Read More... Montardo d'Aran, Mont Roig, Pic de Certascan and Pica d'Estats; the national parks: Parc National des Pyrénées Occidentales and Parc National d’Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici; mountain lakes, cirques, canyons, peaks and pine forests.

This is a welcome update to the first edition from 2004 with better route descriptions, extra stops to reduce some lengthy days and with around 500 GPS waypoints. I’ve walked a number of the sections and can vouch for the accuracy of the descriptions and the splendour of the route.
Each day has a detailed map, profile and excellent route descriptions with times and heights.

Justin Gutmann, Strider Aug 2009

'The descriptions of each day's walking are so detailed they almost take you there and the short highlighted summaries leave no doubt of what is ahead.

All in all, along with useful appendices, this is a practical guide to beautiful and often isolated areas which, with its lovely photographs and descriptions, makes it a gem of a book.'