The Pyrenean Haute Route

Guidebook to trekking the Pyrenean Haute Route, which zigzags across the Franco-Spanish border, staying close to the main ridge in the highest and most spectacular central Pyrenees. It covers 750km with over 40km of ascent, so is suitable for experienced mountain walkers only. The largely unwaymarked route is presented in 44 stages.

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Overview

This guide presents the Pyrenean Haute Route in 44 day stages, which are divided between five sections: since each section starts and finishes at a location accessible by public transport, they can be walked individually if you don't have a spare month-and-a-half for a complete thru-hike. Although the route offers excellent opportunities for wild camping, each stage finishes at a mountain hut or village, meaning that you can sleep under a roof every night if you prefer. Clear route description is accompanied by 1:100,000 mapping. There are bad weather variants and alternatives to avoid the most technical sections, and the guide also includes optional ascents of 10 classic summits, including Vignemale, Pic du Taillon and the highest peak in the Pyrenees, Pico de Aneto. You'll also find helpful advice on travel to and from the route, equipment and safety.

There are three main trekking routes across the Pyrenees from coast to coast: of these, the Pyrenean Haute Route (or HRP for Haute Route Pyrénéenne) is the most challenging - and arguably, the most spectacular. Unlike the GR10 and GR11, it is not waymarked and borders on mountaineering at times, sticking as closely as possible to the main ridge. It stretches 750km from the Atlantic resort of Hendaye to Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean, crossing the French-Spanish border many times on its traverse. The hike calls for experience, navigational competence and self-reliance, but offers rich rewards as you pass through some of the most stunning landscapes the region has to offer.

From the rolling green foothills of the Basque Country to High Pyrenean landscapes of aquamarine lakes nestled among 3000m peaks, the scenery is as varied as it is beautiful. Highlights include the karst terrain of Pic d'Anie, the Ossoue glacier, Lac de Mar in the picturesque Val d'Aran and the dramatic Cirque de Gavarnie with its towering cascade.

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction
The route
Geology
Plants and wildlife
Mountain weather
When to go
Getting there
Accommodation and services
Food, drink and fuel
What to take
Maps
Path conditions
Insurance, mountain safety and rescue
Using this guide
Section 1: Hendaye to Lescun
Day 1 Hendaye to Col de Lizuniaga
Day 2 Col de Lizuniaga to Arizkun
Day 3 Arizkun to Aldudes
Day 4 Aldudes to Roncesvalles
Day 5 Roncesvalles to Egurgui
Day 6 Egurgui to Col Bagargui
Day 7 Col Bagargui to Cabane d’Ardané
Day 8 Cabane d’Ardané to Source de Marmitou
Day 9 Source de Marmitou to Lescun
Variant 1 From Refugi de Belagua to Lescun via La Pierre Saint-Martin
Section 2: Lescun to Gavarnie
Day 10 Lescun to Refuge d’Arlet
Day 11 Refuge d’Arlet to Candanchu
Day 12 Candanchu to Refuge de Pombie
Day 13 Refuge de Pombie to Refuge de Larribet
Day 14 Refuge de Larribet to Refuge Wallon
Variant 2 Refuge d’Arrémoulit to Refuge Wallon
Summit 1 Grande Fache (3005m) from Refuge Wallon
Day 15 Refuge Wallon to Refuge de Bayssellance
Summit 2 Vignemale (3298m) from Refuge de Bayssellance
Day 16 Refuge de Bayssellance to Gavarnie
Summit 3 Le Taillon (3144m) from Gavarnie
Section 3: Gavarnie to Salardú
Day 17 Gavarnie to Héas
Summit 4 Piméné (2801m) from Refuge des Espuguettes
Day 18 Héas to Parzán
Variant 3 Parzán via the high route to Hourquette de Héas
Day 19 Parzán to Refugio de Viados
Day 20 Refugio de Viados to Refuge de la Soula
Day 21 Refuge de la Soula to Refuge du Portillon
Day 22 Refuge du Portillon to Refugio de la Renclusa
Summit 5 Pic Perdiguère (3222m) from Portal de Remune
Summit 6 Pico de Aneto (3404m) from Refugio de la Renclusa
Day 23 Refugio de la Renclusa to Hospital de Vielha
Day 24 Hospital de Vielha to Refugi de la Restanca
Day 25 Refugi de la Restanca to Salardú
Summit 7 Montardo d’Aran (2826m) from the Coll de Crestada
Variant 4 Three days on the GR11 from Refugio de Viados to Hospital de Vielha
Section 4: Salardú to l’Hospitalet-près-l’Andorre
Day 26 Salardú to Refugi Gràcia Airoto
Day 27 Refugi Gràcia Airoto to Alós d’Isil
Day 28 Alós d’Isil to Refugi Enric Pujol
Summit 8 Mont Roig (2868m) from Refugi Enric Pujol
Day 29 Refugi Enric Pujol to Refugi de Certascan
Variant 5 To Noarre via Tavascan
Summit 9 Pic de Certascan (2853m) from Coll de Certascan
Day 30 Refugi de Certascan to Refugi de Baborte/del Cinquantenari
Day 31 Refugi de Baborte/del Cinquantenari to Étang de la Soucarrane
Day 32 Étang de la Soucarrane to Refugi de Sorteny
Day 33 Refugi de Sorteny to Refugi de Cabana Sorda
Day 34 Refugi de Cabana Sorda to l’Hospitalet-près-l’Andorre
Section 5: L’Hospitalet-près-l’Andorre to Banyuls-sur-Mer
Day 35 L’Hospitalet-près-l’Andorre to Refuge des Bésines
Day 36 Refuge des Bésines to Refuge des Bouillouses
Variant 6 GR10 to Refuge des Bouillouses
Day 37 Refuge des Bouillouses to Eyne
Day 38 Eyne to Refugi d’Ull de Ter
Summit 10 Pic des Bastiments (2881m)
Day 39 Refugi d’Ull de Ter to Refuge de Mariailles
Day 40 Refuge de Mariailles to Refuge de Batère
Variant 7 GR10 to Refuge des Cortalets
Day 41 Refuge de Batère to Moulin de la Palette
Day 42 Moulin de la Palette to Las Illas
Day 43 Las Illas to Col de l’Ouillat
Day 44 Col de l’Ouillat to Banyuls-sur-Mer

Appendix A Useful contacts
Appendix B Glossary
Appendix C Facilities table

Updates

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July 2021

Food and drink

Day 3, arriving at Aldudes. Entering the village, coming down the tarmac road, the municipality owns a big white building with red shades. It offers the possibility to buy drinks and sandwiches. For €2 you can take a shower.

Stage 4 3.30. There is also water available when you come to Col de Burdincurutcheta.

Thank you to Peter Jones for this information.

April 2021

Author updates

There have been a few map changes and a number of changes concerning accommodation. Finally there's a word about Covid-19 measures for the 2021 season.

p39. Rando Éditions Mapa Excursionista maps nos. 23, 22 and 21 are no longer available. Hikers can buy Rando Éditions Carte de Randonnées nos. 13, 6 and 7 instead, they cover the Pyreanean Haute Route for that area too.

p92. Refugio de Belagua is open. The hut has 56 places and prices for overnight stays and halfboard are very reasonable. There is also a bar and restaurant. Make your reservation online on https://refugiobelagua.es or over the phone: 623 10 73 17.

p126-133 Refuge Wallon is closed for renovation until the end of 2021. Find the latest updates here: http://www.refuge-marcadau.csvss.fr/en/home. The whole site is closed, so the only option there is a bivouac (many good places). For those wishing to sleep inside the only alternative is to hike on the Pont d'Espagne (2h) and take a taxi to Cauterets, where you find hotels.

p150. Refuge des Sarradets remains closed. It is at present unclear if the hut will open for the 2021 season. Check https://refugebrechederoland.f... for the latest updates.

p180. The phone number of Refuge de la Soula has changed. Instead of the numbers given in the book, phone 05 62 40 23 41.

p258. The correct timing for day 31 is 5h20, not 5h. In the route description the correct timing is given.

p290. Refuge des Bouillousses is closed for renovation and is scheduled to reopen in the autumn of 2021. There are two alternatives closeby: Auberge du Carlit (https://lesioux.fr/aubergeduca..., tel 04 68 04 22 23) and hotel Les Bones Hores (https://www.lesboneshores.fr, tel 04 68 04 24 22)

p319. Ecogite Moulin de la Palette has closed permanently. At Montalba d'Amélie (1h further) it is possible to pitch a tent and get water. For those wishing to stay inside, a solution could be to stay at refuge de Cortalets on day 40 and in Arles-sur-Tech on day 41.

And a word about Covid-19:

It speaks for itself that Covid-19 measures will apply everywhere. For every form of accommodation, it is recommended to inform about these measures on the relevant website before you set off. In the 2020 season the author witnessed that the huts operate more or less as usual, the main differences being reduced capacity (groups sleep in a separate wing of the hut, whereas individual hikers sleep in a place where the required physical distance from others is assured) and the obligation to disinfect hands and wear a mask inside the hut.

August 2019

Route Updates

*p 176, Refugio de Viados has changed its reservation phone numbers, they are now 974341613 and 669230078. It is equally possible to make a reservation online: www.alberguesyrefugios.com/viados/

*p 39, Rando éditions is in the process of renumbering and reprinting its maps. What is mentioned in the book as map 23 is now for sale as map 13. Maps 22 and 21 are currently out of print, but maps 6 (Couserans/Val d'Aran) and 7 (Haute Ariège) cover the necessary areas for the HRP too. In the future, maps 22 and 21 will most probably be numbered resp. 14 and 15. It is not clear when exactly they will be for sale.

*p 83, day 6: the shop next to the restaurant at col Bagargui no longer exists. There is now a shop in the same building as the bureau d'acceuil, at col Héguichouria. There are gas canisters (type EN417) for sale there.

*p 262, day 32: Contrary to previous years, restaurant La Goma is open for this summer.

*p 267, Day 33: the timing for the part between Refugi de Sorteny and Collado dels Meners is wrong. It should be 2hrs to Collado dels Meners instead of 4hrs, making the total time for day 33 6.25hrs instead of 8.25hrs.

July 2019

p105 last digit missing for Camping La Bergerie should be as listed on p106 : tel 05 62 92 48 41

p83, day 6: The shop that used to be next to the restaurant at Col Bagargui has closed. Instead, there is now a shop at the bureau d'accueil at Col Héguichouria. Gas canisters of the EN417 type are for sale there.
(Thanks to reader Bjorn Forselv for bringing this to our attention)

June 2019

GPX files are available to be dowloaded .

Page 4, the reference to Peter Forrest's web site should be to

www.hrpguide.org

not www.hrp.org. Our apologies.

p39, concerning the maps needed to hike the PHR: IGN carte de randonnée 1346OT - St-Jean-Pied-de-Port is no longer needed if you have the more recent Rando Éditions maps no1 (Pays Basque Ouest) and no2 (Pays Basque Est). Only with the older versions of these maps there is a gap between these two maps. Rando maps printed 2006 and later are OK.

Reviews

Essential reference material for anyone looking to take on one of Europe’s finest long-distance trails

First published in 2004, the Cicerone guide to hiking the Pyrenean Haute Route has been extensively revised and updated this year by Tom Martens. The new guide is a significant improvement over the previous edition.

Also known as the Haute Route Pyrenees (or HRP), this trail is a crossing of the Pyrenees from Atlantic to Mediterranean, sticking largely to the high ground in between the GR10 and GR11, two established long-distance trails on the French and Spanish sides of the range respectively. Terrain varies from good waymarked paths to trackless ridges, high cols, and a bit of everything else you can imagine. Just to complicate things further there is not even a single universally agreed route.

Tom Martens’ guide helps to cut through the uncertainty. The route is divided into 44 daily stages, plus 10 optional classic summits. Each chapter includes all the information you need: essential stats, elevation chart, clear topo overview maps, and detailed directions. The intro to each of the five sections provides essential details on terrain, resupply options, transport (useful for section hikers), accommodation, and more. You even get downloadable GPX files for your GPS or smartphone.

I hiked the HRP in summer 2019 using the new edition of the guide. The old Ton Joosten version had a reputation for confusing wording, ambitious timings, and other flaws, but Tom Martens has considerably improved the guide. Wording is clearer, directions (mostly) unambiguous, and I found the timings more sensible. The mapping has been improved too, the route itself tweaked.

This is a worthy update to a classic guidebook, and it made my life considerably easier on the trail – as well as helping my wife to keep track of me from home base. Essential reference material for anyone looking to take on one of Europe’s finest long-distance trails.

Alex Roddie, TGO magazine

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