Shorter Treks in the Pyrenees

7 great one and two week circular treks

By Brian Johnson

ISBN

9781852849306

Availability

Published

15 May 2019

Edition

First

Pages

280

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.55cm

Weight

330g

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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, Ordesa

Difficulty

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

15 May 2019

Edition

First

Pages

280

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.55cm

Weight

330g

Overview

A guidebook to seven circular treks exploring the Pyrenees of France and Spain. The treks are designed with accommodation in mountain refuges or mountain villages at the end of each stage, though there are plenty of options to camp for those who prefer to backpack. Detailed descriptions for each stage of the route are accompanied by sketch maps and elevation profiles.

Route 1: Tour of the Basque Country - This route takes you over the steep rolling hills (in both France and Spain) at the western end of the Pyrenees. Accommodation is mainly in Basque villages with steep climbs leading to long walks along easy grassy ridges.

Route 2: Pic du Midi d'Ossau - This route takes in the magnificent limestone scenery at the western end of the High Pyrenees by combining the popular Tour du Pic du Midi d'Ossau, in France, with the best sections of the quieter La Senda de Camille on the Spanish side of the border.

Route 3: Tour de Vignemale and La Alta Ruta de Los Perdidos - This is the most demanding trek in the guide with easy scrambling over steep passes. The magnificent trek through the alpine terrain around Vignemale and Monte Perdido includes six of the honeypots of the Pyrenees; Cauterets, Vignemale, Gavarnie, Pineta, Ordesa and the Picos del Infierno.

Route 4: Reserve Naturelle de Neouvielle - The shortest trek in this guide takes you through the popular Reserve Naturelle de Neouvielle and the surrounding mountains in the French Parc National des Pyrenees. It visits many lakes and tarns in magnificent granite scenery and there is the opportunity to climb several peaks, including Pic du Midi de Bigorre and Pic de Bastan. The trek is based around the GR10 and one of its variations, the GR10C.

Route 5: Carros de Foc - The Carros de Foc is an understandably popular trek in the magnificent Parc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici, in the Spanish part of Catalonia. This is another granite massif dotted with hundreds of lakes and tarns. The huts are close together so there is a great deal of flexibility in planning, with most walkers taking 5-7 days for the trek. Route 6: Tour des Montagnes d'Ax and the Tour des Perics - The Ariege is a relatively unknown area at the eastern end of the High Pyrenees. This tour combines the magnificent alpine mountains of the Tour des Montagnes d'Ax on either flank of the Vallee de l'Ariege with the Tour des Perics in the gentler scenic mountains of the Cerdagne in the French part of Catalonia.

Route 7: The icons of Catalonia: Puigmal and Canigou - Our final tour goes through both the Spanish and French parts of Catalonia at the eastern end of the Pyrenees, taking in ascents of the two most climbed peaks in the Pyrenees; Puigmal and Canigou. Despite rising to almost 3000m the mountain ridges are gentler than in the High Pyrenees, more reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands, although the valleys still have an alpine feel. Much of the time is spent on spectacular high-level traverses of steep mountain slopes.

Table of Contents

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

Updates

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’.

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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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