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 Content
Summary of the treks
Overview map
Map key
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-Bagorry
Stage 2 Saint-étienne-de-Bagorry 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 Griz
Stage 6 Refugio de Griz 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 Baos de Panticosa
Stage 9 Baos 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 Nria
Stage 2 Traverse of Puigmal
Stage 3 Nria 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 Carana
Stage 12 Refuge du Ras de la Carana to Eyne
Appendix A Route summary tables
Appendix B Sources of information
Appendix C Bibliography
About the author
In 1997, Brian Johnsons surgeon told him he would never walk again and recommended early retirement from his career as a physics and sports teacher! A couple of years later Brian was able to start playing bowls and return to very gentle walking and, in 2002, he thru-hiked the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail through the mountains of California, Oregon and Washington.
Since then Brian has done two more thru-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2700-mile round-Britain walk, a single summer compleation of the Munros and climbed all the Corbetts (Scotlands 2500-3000ft mountains) and Grahams (Scotlands 2000-2500ft mountains). In recent years he has concentrated on the Pyrenees and has completed ten traverses from Atlantic to Mediterranean on the Pyrenean High-Level Route, GR11 or GR10. While he was unable to walk Brian did many multi-week canoe tours in Sweden, France, Spain and Portugal and has also completed a 2200-mile cycle tour of Spain and France.
In his younger days, Brians main sport was orienteering, competing at a high level and coaching Bishop Wordsworths School and South-West Junior Orienteering squads. After a 25 year break Brian has been able to return to competitive orienteering. A keen climber and hiker, he led school groups in Britain and the Alps. Brian competed to a high standard at cricket, hockey, and chess, his crowning achievement was winning the 1995/96 World Amateur Chess Championships. He now concentrates on bridge.
More ebooks from the same author(s) / Editor
27,768 Ebooks in this category
