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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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A guidebook to trekking the 748km (465 mile) Pyrenean Haute Route (Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne, HRP) along the France–Spain border. Suitable for fit experienced trekkers comfortable with mountainous terrain, this challenging unwaymarked route traverses the Pyrenees from sea to sea, from Hendaye on the Atlantic Coast to Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean, with the aim of staying as high as possible.
The PHR is divided into 44 graded stages of 8 to 28km (5–17 miles), nearly all ending at overnight accommodation. These are presented in 5 sections, which can be accessed by public transport, for the benefit of those wishing to trek only part of the route. Also included are optional ascents of 10 classic summits, including Vignemale, Le Taillon and Pico de Aneto.
	Preface
	Map key
	Overview map
	Route summary tables
	
	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
July 2025
The correct phone number for the hostel in Eyne (Gîte du Presbytère) is 06 08 82 00 99
June 2025
Please be aware that this section can be challenging in difficult conditions.
July 2023
The hostel Refugi Rosta, in the village of Salardú, has changed its name to Alanieve. The new contact details are www.alanieve.com and info@alanieve.com
July 2021
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
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
*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.
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
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.
Tom Martens grew up in Belgium and first visited the Pyrenees in 2008 with a friend who had made him enthusiastic about the mountain chain. This first exploration was so enchanting that he has been back every year since. He has hiked extensively in the national parks and traversed the whole length of the Pyrenees several times. He has guided groups of youngsters on long, intensive hikes and climbed many of the high peaks. So far, he has spent 500 nights in the Pyrenees, mostly bivouacking. He has a special interest in mountain wildlife. Other regions where you can often find him hiking include Scotland and Estonia, where he currently lives.
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