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Shorter Treks in the Pyrenees
7 great one and two week circular treks
ISBN
9781852849306
Availability
Published
Published
15 May 2019
Edition
First
Pages
280
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.55cm
Weight
330g
Delivery & Returns
Free Royal Mail 48 postage on UK orders. European postage is £3.50 per item. Worldwide postage is £5.50 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.
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Guidebook detailing seven circular treks of 4-12 days in the beautiful Pyrenees. The varied routes cover both sides of the French-Spanish border and include both the High Pyrenees and the lower, more gentle mountains of the Basque Country and Catalonia. Variants are suggested for those wishing to shorten or extend the treks.
Seasons
July to September for the treks in the High Pyrenees, April to October for the trek in the Basque Country and May to October for the trek in Eastern Catalonia.Centres
Basque Country, Catalonia, Parc National des Pyrénées, Gavarnie, OrdesaDifficulty
The treks are on mountain paths, mostly well-waymarked. On several of the treks there is boulderfield to cross and some easy scrambling when crossing high alpine passes. In June experience of mountain walking in snow/ice conditions would be needed for the five treks in the High Pyrenees.Must See
Basque Country, Pic du Midi d'Ossau, Vignemale, Ordesa Canyon, Cirque de Gavarnie, Réserve Naturelle de Néouvielle, Carros de Foc, Ariège, Cerdagne, Puigmal and Canigou.ISBN
9781852849306
Availability
Published
Published
15 May 2019
Edition
First
Pages
280
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.55cm
Weight
330g
Delivery & Returns
Free Royal Mail 48 postage on UK orders. European postage is £3.50 per item. Worldwide postage is £5.50 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.
More information...
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Overview
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A guidebook to seven short treks of 4–12 days in the Pyrenees, covering both sides of the France–Spain border. Showcasing the region’s spectacular scenery, the treks follow mountain paths, with boulder fields and easy scrambling on higher routes. Accommodation is available in mountain refuges and villages, though wild camping is also possible.
The routes range from 70 to 224km and are presented in day stages of between 7 and 33km (2–8 hours). They cover the Basque Country, Pic du Midi d’Ossau and the western Pyrenees, Vignemale and La Alta Ruta de los Perdidos, Réserve Naturelle de Néouvielle, Carros de Foc, Montagnes d’Ax and Les Pérics, and Puigmal and Canigou in Catalonia.
- Clear route description and 1:100,000 mapping
- Information on accommodation and facilities for each trek stage
- Access, maps and route variants and alternatives for each trek
- Advice on planning and preparation
- Optional detours to climb neighbouring peaks
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Table of Contents
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CONTENTS
Overview map
Map key
Summary of the treks
Preface
Introduction
Overview of the treks
Weather and when to go
Wildlife
Access
Accommodation
Equipment
Camping
Water
Swimming
Fuel
Culture and language
Using this guide
Route 1 Tour of the Basque Country
Stage 1 St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry
Stage 2 Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry to Bidarray
Stage 3 Bidarray to Ainhoa
Stage 4 Ainhoa to Sare
Stage 5 Sare to Bera (Vera de Bidasoa)
Stage 6 Bera to Elizondo
Stage 7 Elizondo to Aldudes
Stage 8 Aldudes to Burguete (Auritz)
Stage 9 Burguete to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Route 2 Pic du Midi d’Ossau and the limestone peaks of the western Pyrenees
Stage 1 Etsaut to Camping du Lauzart (Lescun)
Stage 2 Camping du Lauzart (Lescun) to Refugio de Linza
Stage 3 Refugio de Linza to Refugio de Gabardito
Stage 4 Refugio de Gabardito to Refugio de Lizara
Stage 5 Refugio de Lizara to Col du Somport
Stage 6 Col du Somport to Refuge de Pombie
Stage 7 Refuge de Pombie to Refuge d’Ayous
Stage 8 Refuge d’Ayous to Etsaut
Route 3 Tour de Vignemale and La Alta Ruta de Los Perdidos
Stage 1 Cauterets to Refuge des Oulettes de Gaube
Stage 2 Refuge des Oulettes de Gaube to Refuge des Granges de Holle (Gavarnie)
Stage 3 Refuge des Granges de Holle to Refuge des Éspuguettes
Stage 4 Refuge des Éspuguettes to Refugio de Pineta
Stage 5 Refugio de Pineta to Refugio de Góriz
Stage 6 Refugio de Góriz to Refuge de la Brèche de Roland
Stage 7 Refuge de la Brèche de Roland to Refugio de Bujaruelo
Stage 8 Refugio de Bujaruelo to Baños de Panticosa
Stage 9 Baños de Panticosa to Refugio de Respomuso
Stage 10 Refugio de Respomuso to Refuge Wallon
Stage 11 Refuge Wallon to Cauterets
Route 4 Réserve Naturelle de Néouvielle
Stage 1 Barèges to Artigues
Stage 2 Artigues to Refuge de Campana de Cloutou
Stage 3 Refuge de Campana de Cloutou to Lac d’Orédon
Stage 4 Lac d’Orédon to Barèges
Route 5 Carros de Foc
Stage 1 Refugi dera Restanca to Refugi Joan Ventosa i Calvell
Stage 2 Refugi Joan Ventosa i Calvell to Refugi d’Estany Llong
Stage 3 Refugi d’Estany Llong to Refugi de la Colomina
Stage 4 Refugi de la Colomina to Refugi JM Blanc
Stage 5 Refugi JM Blanc to Refugi Sant Maurici Ernest Mallafré
Stage 6 Refugi Sant Maurici Ernest Mallafré to Refugi de Saboredo (via Refugi d’Amitges)
Stage 7 Refugi de Saboredo to Refugi dera Restanca (via Refugi de Colomèrs)
Route 6 Tour des Montagnes d’Ax and the Tour des Pérics
Stage 1 Ax-les-Thermes to Orlu
Stage 2 Orlu to Refuge d’en Beys
Stage 3 Refuge d’en Beys to Refuge de Camporells
Stage 4 Refuge de Camporells to Refuge des Bouillouses
Stage 5 Refuge des Bouillouses to Refuge des Bésines
Stage 6 Refuge des Bésines to Auberge du Nabre (Mérens-les-Vals)
Stage 7 Auberge du Nabre (Mérens-les-Vals) to Refuge de Rulhe
Stage 8 Refuge de Rulhe to Ax-les-Thermes
Route 7 The icons of Catalonia: Puigmal and Canigou
Stage 1 Eyne to Núria
Stage 2 Traverse of Puigmal
Stage 3 Núria to Refugi de Ull de Ter (via Refugi de Coma de Vaca)
Stage 4 Refugi de Ull de Ter to Chalet de las Conques
Stage 5 Chalet de las Conques to Refuge de Saint-Guillem
Stage 6 Refuge de Saint-Guillem to Refuge de Batère
Stage 7 Refuge de Batère to Refuge des Cortalets
Stage 8 Traverse of Canigou
Stage 9 Refuge des Cortalets to Refuge de Marailles
Stage 10 Refuge de Marailles to Mantet
Stage 11 Mantet to Refuge du Ras de la Carança
Stage 12 Refuge du Ras de la Carança to Eyne
Appendix A Route summary tables
Appendix B Sources of information
Appendix C Bibliography
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Updates
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May 2023
Route 1 Tour of the Basque Country updates
Thank you to Austin Mills for the following updates
Stage 2. In the upper part of Biderray, Gite Aire Zabal offers an Air de Bivouac in a field opposite the Gite, they will also provide tokens for a hot shower; however, you need to walk about 400m to use them as they are located near the Town Hall along with the toilets.
Stage 3. The Tourist Office advised us that Camping Harazpy has closed permanently.
Stage 4. Camping La Petite Rhune is June to September only.
Stage 6. The descent into Elizondo is now quite rutted and greasy under foot when wet.
Stage 7. The climb up from Elizondo some of the trails are also water courses during spring. Where you leave the GRT5 to descend to Aldude is worth noting that you almost completely turn back on yourself (page 65). As you enter Aldudes there is a Village hall with Public Toilets and a note on the door with a phone number to use the facilities overnight.
Stage 8. The way marking through the forest down to Burguete has clearly been neglected through the pandemic and close attention is required in order to follow it. For those camping there is a good back road that leads to Camping Urrobi, which is much safer than walking along the N-135.
January 2023
Altitude diagram (p112)
The scale on the left has lost its initial digits so that the altitudes come as 0, 500, 000, 500, 000. They should read 0, 500, 1000, 1500.
August 2022
The Hôtel du Cirque
p123 The Hôtel du Cirque is now a very smart hotel rather than a ‘bar-cafetiera’.
By Brian Johnson
After taking early retirement from his career as a physics and sports teacher, Brian Johnson found time for three thru'-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2700-mile round-Britain walk and a single summer completion of the Munros (Scotland's 3000ft mountains), as well as climbing all of the Corbetts (Scotland's 2500-2999ft mountains) and Grahams (Scotland's 2000-2500ft mountains). He also completed a 2200-mile cycle tour of Spain and France and multi-week canoe tours in Sweden, France, Spain and Portugal. A keen climber and hiker, he led school groups in Britain, the Alps, the Pyrenees and California and completed ten traverses from Atlantic to Mediterranean on the Pyrenean Haute Route, GR11 and GR10. As a fanatical sportsman and games player, he competed to a high standard at cricket, hockey, bridge and chess. His crowning achievement was winning the 1995/96 World Amateur Chess Championships. Sadly, Brian passed away in 2021.
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