"Pyrenees Coast-to-Coast" "Pyrenees Coast-to-Coast"
| Introduction In 1994 we made a tour of 3 weeks starting in Hendaye on the Atlantic Coast, to Barcares on the Mediterranean Sea. As you might know, hikers have their Haute Route des Pyrénées, which follows the watershed, as close as possible, from coast to coast. The godfather of this route, Georges Véron, described a similar route for cyclists. We mainly took this route. The length of the tour which is described here, is 988 kilometres, divided over 17 stages, but it is possible to do it in two weeks. It is a real tour through the higher mountains: every day one has to climb at least one big col. Especially on the Spanish side, the roads are not as good as in the Alps (something to remember when descending). The traffic on the passes is not very busy: traffic in the Pyrenees generally moves in a north-south direction, while our route heads from west to east. Only the Tourmalet and the Aubisque are frequently visited by tourists.
Route description day 1: Hendaye - Goizueta (63km) After some searching, we get on the N121 leaving Hendaye. Despite the thick red line on the map leads to believe otherwise, it is not a busy road. Once again we didn't take the time to rest from the journey by bus: the mountains are calling. Riding along the Rio Bidasoa we reach, without having much to climb, Oronoz. Hier we take the road to Irurita, and from there we take the NA174 heading for the Puerto Artésiaga (966m). This doesn't seem high, but remember: each single metre has to be climbed from sea level. The road carries through a magnificent landscape, but this is of little help. More death than alive (it takes an hour to complete the final 3 km of the climb) Ant reaches the top. Unfortunately there is no sign on the top, no indication of the height, and thus no photo to take. A tricky descent over gravel is our only reward. In Eugi we find a nice hostal near the lake. Once again, the first day of a journey proved to be quite a difficult one. day 2: Eugi - Auritzberri/Espinal (43km) In the morning, looking out of the window, I discover that our bikes are no longer put up near the entrance. The landlord had dragged them upstairs, to place them safely behind the billiard-table!! Only a short stage today. Over the N138 to Zubiri, and from there via the N135 over the Pto. Erro (801m) and the Pto. Auritzberri (860m) to Auritzberri/Espinal. Here we leave the tent at the camping. Because 25 kilometer is not much, even to our standards, we ride out again to the Pto. de Ibaneta (1057m) . From Roncevalles we are surrounded by thick fog. This is the famous pass where Earl Roland courageously defended himself against the Moors (as described in the Chanson de Roland). A small chapel is to be found on the col, and a small hill is decorated with a large number of improvised crosses. For many this marks the start of the pelgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (cf. our journey through North-West Spain (in Dutch)) day 3: Auritzberri - Isaba (60km) Leaving Auritzberri we take the NA202 in the direction of Ochagavia. The scenery slowly alters: the green Basque country changes into yellow and brown tones. The vultures circle high above us.... via the Alta Remendia (1040m) we descend to Ochagavia where we have siesta in the local bar. In the afternoon we set ourselves to the ascent of the Alto Laza (1129m). We've really entered the Spanish Pyrenees: it is boiling hot! After our unpleasant experience on the monster Artésiaga, Ant starts to enjoy herself more and more... maybe we might still manage to climb the Tourmalet! The first real mountain: the Col de la Pierre St. Martin (1760m). After a long run along the Arroyo de Belagua, 5 steep kilometers follow, 3 of them being 10%. But they don't pose significant problems. Next an irregular stage through open fields, with lovely views. After a small tunnel yet another landscape unfolds: the road winds itself through bare rocks and weather-beaten pine trees. This relatively unknown col still holds as one of the most beautiful we've climbed. La France lies underneath a thick cloud cover. Maybe this is just as well, because it hides the ugly ski resorts from the eye. The fog thickens, and we almost miss, just beyond the Col de Labays, the junction to the D441 at the right. This road is hardly more than a garden path. A nasty climb to the Col de Hourataté (1109m) lies ahead. After this, the forest clears, and we drop into the Vallée d'Aspe. day 5: Bedous - Eaux Bonnes (47km) The Col de Marie-Blanque (1035m), the first col known to us from the Tour de France, although it wasn't part of the route in recent years. That is a pity, because it is a small, but very mean col. Full of energy one turns right to the D249 near Escot, leaving the busy N134. This is a relatively small road, and riding on a slope of 4 to 5% you are thinking: let's go for it!. But be careful: after 4 kilometers the road becomes steeper: the final kilometers are 11 to 13%. When you waste your energy in the early stages of the ascent, you might have to walk the final kilometers. Because it is so steep, most of the cycle tourists (which tend to use too big gear ratios) experience serious difficulties in getting to the top. For them it is unbelievable that one can reach the col with a bike packed with luggage: with a 1:1 gear ratio however, miracles can happen! Take care in the descent (I almost missed a corner). Via the D934 we reach Laruns. Along the Gave d'Ossau one can find plenty campings, but one might consider to cycle on a little, in the direction of the Col d'Aubisque (D918). About 1 kilometer after having passed Eaux Bonnes a very nice, quiet, camping is to be found on the right!
day 6: Eaux Bonnes - Luz St. Sauveur (58km) Maybe we're just getting used to cycling through the mountains, but the Col d'Aubisque (1710m) isn't so bad. The steepest part is encountered a kilometer or so from the camping, but the remainder of the route is a civilized 8 a 9%. A characteristic cafe is situated on top of the col. Leaving the col, one descends into the Cirque du Litor. Here, in an attempt to defend his yellow jersey in the 1951 Tour de France, the famous Dutch cyclist Wim van Est lost control and fell into the ravine: he was badly bruised, but more than this he was very surprised that his wrist watch was still ticking! Three simple kilometers have to be climbed to add the next col to your list: Col du Soulor (1474m) In the descent we prefer to take the more quiet D13 in the direction of Bun. Through the magnificent, but unfortunately, because of the Lourdes-Gavarnie traffic, crowded Gorge de Luz, we reach Luz St. Sauveur. day 7: Luz St. Sauveur - Gavarnie v.v. (48km) The Cirque de Gavarnie is one of the Pyrenean high-lights. Impregnable, 1500 m high cliffs encircle a lovely valley. The "grande cascade" pounds its way to the rocks several hundred meters lower. Something as nice as this in the vicinity of Lourdes attracts lots of tourists, and Gavarnie is one big tourist trap. But when you leave on an early september morning, you will find little people on your way. In any case, take some time to walk a few miles into the valley. We stayed only a short while in Gavarnie, only to return a year later equipped with full hiking gear (read our report elsewhere), but you can also stay very conveniently on the simple camping which lies behind the village, at the entrance to the Cirque. day 8: Luz St. Sauveur - St. Marie de Campan (39km) As Julius Caesar said: alea iacta est - the dice is cast... The entire week we thought about it. Shall we or shan't we... can we or can't we... but we are now heading definitely for the Col du Tourmalet (2115m), our first "2000-er". From Luz it ain't as steep as from St. Marie via Mongie, but with a length of 19 kilometers, an ascent percentage of 7 to 9 percent, it is a serious climb. The initial ascent is not to difficult.... only when reaching Bareges it becomes real steep. After Bareges the trees disappear, and you see the col luring in the distance. But the road makes a sharp right bend, and it turns out that you have still a long way ahead of you. The restaurant near the Pont de la Gaubie offers a warm welcome, but perhaps it is better to continue your struggle uphill. The scenery turns rocky and barren, and you're struck by a feeling of really having to fight a fierce mountain. The final kilometer is only 9%, but your legs are not so sure of this. And than you're there... on holy ground... people speak encouraging words, and whisper about all that luggage...
We had all the luck we could have: clear blue skies, a magnificent view. By the way, the diehards can take the track from the Tourmalet to the the Pic du Midi, making the Tourmalet not more than an ouverture for the real stuff! In Bareges I was still seriously considering to go all the way, but having reached the Tourmalet I couldn't resist calling it a day... The descent over the road through Mongie (10-11%) invites you to break speed records. Campings are to be found just before entering the sleepy village St.Marie... day 9: St. Marie - Arreau (28km) We treat ourselves to a nice and easy day. The Hourcette d'Ancizan and the Peyrefitte are cancelled from our program, end replaced by one, slightly higher Col d'Aspin (1489m). The Aspin is more famous than the other two, and the third col in the classic tour: Aubisque - Tourmalet - Aspin - Peyresourde. On a sunday like this, half of France seems to tour on their bikes, either on their way to the Tourmalet or Aspin. For us this implies lots of "bon courages". An older man doesn't seem to get enough of it, and tells everybody on top of the Aspin about our journey.... In Arreau we spent the sunday afternoon as "Gods in France" (the appropriate Dutch proverb for "living in clover"), a small meal, delicious wine... a holiday on bike is only for the athletic few! day 10: Arreau - Bossost (55km). Approaching the Peyresourde Ant is almost unstoppable, takes the lead, and rides as if the devil were on here mudguard... well, apparently it is one of those days. The Col de Peyresourde (1569m) is a nice open col, with on top of it a cottage, where one can get beer and delicious cheese. In Bagnères de Luchon we ride through stately neighbourhoods. The Col du Portillon (1293m) is far from stately however! A real @#$@% mountain! Climbing through dense forset, no views, hot, sultry, and the final kilometers are 10.5%! Over Spanish asphalt (we're back again!) we bump down to Bossost, a nice little village. day 11: Bossost - Esterri d'Aneu (66km) The route to Vielha (N230) is long, crowded with heavy traffic, and whines up and down. From Vielha we turn on the C142 to the Port de la Bonaigua. Looking over our shoulder we see the snow on the tops of the Maladeta. The ascent of the Bonaigua is not very steep, but it is really long: the endless road heads deeper and deeper into valley. We are relieved when reaching the hair pins under the top. The funny castle on top of the Bonaigua was just being reconstructed to provide accomodation to a hotel restaurant. Ski lifts under construction made clear what was going on here: another attempt to profit from the popularity of ski tourism. According to Véron the road to the top was already under construction in 1984: ten years later this was no different. By the way, the bumpy road downhill can use some maintenance as well. day 12: Esterri d'Aneu - Castellciutat (86km) With a high speed, the road descends slowly, we swish to Llavorsí. From here one can take an adventurous road (L510) via Alins and Tor over the Port de Cabus (2300m) to the back door of Andorra. The final kilometers are no more than a thin line on the map. Too thin, according to Ant, so I may whistle for this one... We continue on the C147 to Sort, and put ourselves to the ascent of the Collado del Canto (1600m). Its already past noon, and it is scorching hot. The dominant colour of the scenery is a greyish brown. Near Rubio it is like cycling on a giant chocolate candy, garnished with peanuts: grey brown rocks are spread around as nuts on ruby hills. Just below the almost deserted village of Rubio there is a small bar. An English group is worried about their colleague Bruce. Binoculars closely watch the Collado: after about an hour or so, Bruce is sighted, lurching down: "totally blown up". "It's just down hill from here, chap...", well, 30 kilometer of slightly uphill climbing are still to be conquered between Sort and their destination Valencia d'Aneu... we decided not to tell them. Passing through totally deserted mountain villages we descend, and reach Castellciutat on the busy N145. day 13: Castellciutat - Canillo (57km) Leaving Seo de Urgel the road (N145) becomes remarkably quiet... along the Valira we enter Andorra. One thing is immediately clear: this is one of the longest shopping boulevards of Europe. But today it is difficult to buy even a tiny bag of potatoe chips: Andorra is celebrating a National Holiday. Beyond Andorra La Vella the country shows its more beautiful side, with the shops making place for green hills. In Canillo we put up our tent. In the afternoon hours I make a tour to climb to the Coll d'Ordino (1981m). Not so long ago, this was a gravel road, but now it is reconstructed, and provided from asphalt as smooth as a billiard table. day 14: Canillo - Ax les Thermes (56km) The upper part of the Valira valley is narrow, and in september it takes quite some time before the sun reaches the road on which two chilly cyclists pedal to the Port d'Envalira (2407m). The road to the roof of our journey is not very steep. We started early, to avoid most of the crowd. The lorries drive just as slow down hill, as we do up hill! With considerable velocity we pass Pas de la Casa (another tax free gold mine) to Ax-les-Thermes, which in september turns out to be a more enjoyable little town than described by Bart Aardema. day 15: Ax les Thermes - Axat (58km) Ax les Thermes has a nice attraction for cyclists: on the way out you pass a big sign with all cols (Marmare, Chioula, Pradel, Pailhères) via which you can leave the town, in our case all "ouvert". We pick the highest of them, the Port de Pailhères (2001m). Unknown probably makes unloved... not many cyclists know this col, which, in terms of height difference (1281m), length (19km) and percentage (8-10% in de laatste 10 kilometer) is the Eastern Pyrenees counterpart of the Tourmalet. Maybe this is why the Pailheres is one of the most quiet cols we climbed during our tour. Near the ski lifts of Ascou the road gets proportions so big, a Boeing 747 might mistake it for a runway. Thick fog makes it impossible to see which of the two small roads from the top was the right one... it turns out they join a little bit further down. The descent is very steep, the road is very narrow, the turns are unbelievably tight, and horses are on the loose everywhere. Be careful! The surroundings are magnificent. We stop on a number of occasions to take a picture. Een young foal puts its teeth in my cycle bags, and only after a firm hit on the nose, it turns back to its regular diet of grass... Axat is easily reached. The Gorges de Georges just before Axat is so narrow that one almost has to remove his cycle bags in order to be able to pass through it. We pedal back through the Gorges de Georges, after which we turn left, heading for the Col de Jau (1513m). It is sweltering on the slopes of the Pic Dourmidou. The road is splendid, but a scanty breakfast starts to have its effect. We are happy when reaching the top, which offers a rewarding view on the Canigou. Even the descent seems fatiguing, apparently we have a real off-day. Still there is a lot to see: with red roof tiles and cypresses, the scenery gets a typical Mediterranean "grandeur". From Prades we take the busy N116 through the valley of the Tet. 8 kilometers further we turn left for Vernet-les-Bains. The camping we had in mind (le Cady) is no more... and so we reach the camping in Casteil, at the end of an extremely steep entrance road (who stays in the saddle here?). day 17: Casteil - Port Barcares (85km) Actually this wasn't day 17, because we made same beautiful hikes through the Canigou. "Ik wil terug naar de kust....", (I want to return to the coast...) this song is in my head all day. We descend to Vernet. Over the N116 to Prades is easy, to Vinça it goes even quicker, and when the road gets nearly flat we are blown eastward by the Tramontana. In Millas we take the D614 to Rivesaltes. Cycling perpendicular to the wind (7-8 Beaufort) is tricky with all our bags catching a lot of wind. But riding with the wind in my back I recall memories of long tours through the polders in North Holland... with 45 km/hr we race through the Rousillon vineyards. Barcares appears on the road signs... we make a single short cut, and then: the Mediterranean. Le Raid Pyreneeenne, c'est accompli! |
 Contents day 1: Hendaye - Eugi (83km) going there We took the last OAD cycle bus (a bus with a trailer for the bikes) of the season to Hendaye: leaving 14 hr from Amsterdam, arrival at 10 hr next morning in Hendaye. At the end of our tour we took the cycle bus from Port Barcares: this one travels up and down for an additional few weeks later in the season. It would have been wiser to rest for a day after arrival in Hendaye: climbing 1000 meters after spending a night in the bus, with heavy legs, on a hot humid day can be a little too much. In this way one prevents that the first stage, which is very beautiful, turns in a kind of horror show. The HRP on bike heads from Hendaye into the French part of the Pays Basque. The Spanish part is more quiet however, en offers nicer opportunities for cyclists. The disadvantage might be that there aren't many campings (camping in the country is a good alternative), but the hostals and little hotels in the villages offer an excellent alternative. The gears on our bikes had 48/38/28 in front and 12-32 on the rear. An excellent set when you are not only interested in a "tour de force", but also want to enjoy the scenery. We had 28 mm tires, and no leaks. George Véron proposes a number of stages which, to put it mildly, are for the more adventurous minded. Via Tor to Andorra for example, or over the Alto de Roques Blanches from Casteil to Prats de Mollo. We walked (!) a part of this latter stage: extremely steep, garnished with boulders, gullies, and mud. Nice track for a day on a mountainbike, but less suited for a fully packed roadbike. Michelin nr. 85 Biarritz -
Lourdes - Luchon, Michelin nr. 86 Luchon - Andorre - Perpignan, scale 1:200 000 Michelin nr. 443 Espagne Nord-Est 1:400 000. For the route described here the maps 85 and 86 will do: only a few kilometers between the Collade del Canto to Seo de Urgel are lacking, but this part is obvious. Nevertheless it is convenient to carry map 443 along as well: the Michelin maps for France do not indicate any campings in Spain. They can be found on the map for Spain however!. For our walks through the Canigou the map of the Institut Géographique National (IGN), Top 25 serie, nr. 2349 ET, Massif du Canigou, 1:25000 is the best you can get.
La Alta Ruta de los Pirineos
en Bici, Georges Véron e.a., SUA Edizioak, Bilbo, ISBN 84-87 187-01-3. La Tour des Pyrénées a vélo, Georges Véron, Altigraph, Bouchemaine, 1988, ISBN
2-903968-12-8. Fietsen in de Pyreneeën, Bart Aardema, Kosmos, Utrecht, 1989, ISBN 90 215 1513 x. Atlas des Cols des Pyrenees, Altigraph, Bouchemaine, 1990, ISBN 2-903968-15-2.
Campings: An excellent camping guide is the offered by the FFCC (Federation Francaise de Camping Caravaning) for France only. The Michelin maps indicate campings as well, but only the French campings on the French maps, and Spanish campings on the Spanish map. Arreau: "Camp Municipal", close to the centre near the river. Axat: "La Cremade", on the D117, at the junction with the D118 running through Axat.
Ax les Thermes: "?", near Savignac les Ormeaux, on the N20, 2 km from Ax. Huge camping with mainly site caravans, but also with a nice spot on a little hill for small tents. Barcares: "Le Sable d'Or", from Barcares follow the wide road through a sandy area to Port Barcares, at the end the road turns left, with the camping directly ahead of you. At the end of the season this was a very dirty camping, not recommended! Bedous: "Camping Municipal de Carolle", near the sport grounds, coming from Osse-en-Aspe just before the rail road crossing, and before you enter the village. Bossost: "?", coming from the Portillon turn left to the N230, the camping is on the left, about 1 km past Bossost. Canillo: "?", coming from Andorra la Vella on the right, behind a gas station, just south of Canillo. Casteil: "Domaine St. Martin", turn left at the parking lot at the entrance of the village, don't cross the brook. A very steep road leads to the camping. Nice owner-couple! Castellciutat: "?", coming from the south, just before entering Castellciutat on the right, at some distance from the road. Eaux-Bonnes: "?", from Laruns about 1 kilometer beyond Eaux Bonnes, on the right hand side (easy to miss). Very pleasant, simple, quiet camping. Espinal: "Urrobi", on the junction of the road Pamplona-Roncevalles with the NA172 and the NA202 (direction Ochagavia). Esterri d'Aneu: "?", huge camping on the C147, coming from the Bonaigua about 1 km past the village on the right side of the road. Luz St. Sauver: "Camp International", from Argelès on the left side of the road, in fact it lies in Esquièze, just before Luz. Camping with good provisions, our regular valley base for walking tours in the Pyrenees!" Gavarnie: "Le Pain du Sucre", drive through Gavarnie (neglect the interdiction, traffic to camping allowed), camping is on the left just behind the village, over a bridge. Simple, but with a real mountaineering atmosphere. St. Marie de Campan: "Les Frenes?", from Mongie on the left side of the road, just before the centre of St. Marie. Hostals: Eugi: "Txalotenea", at the back of the village, close to the reservoir. Nice and cosy village inn! Isaba: "Lola", good and not expensive, coming from the Alto Laza on the left side of the main road through the village, about opposite to the village church
From the camping in Casteil it is possible to make a number of nice walks: 1. The St. Martin du Canigou abbey. Follow the signs from the village church in Casteil. A wide but steep road goes up to the abbey. The abbey was founded in 1009, and was inhabited by Benedictan monks until 1783, when the last 5 monks left. In the years after, the villagers used the abbey as a quarry... In 1902 one started with the restauration led by the Bishop of Perpignan. The work was completed in 1982. A large number of the capitals which had disappeared from the abbey klooster have been returned. The abbey is now used by the Congregation of Beatification, living in silence. East of the abbey, near the viewpoint, a small path goes downhill. This is a nice alternative for the wide road uphill. The path carries you to the D119, just south of Casteil.
2. Cascades de Riu de St. Vincent. When leaving the camping, a smal road is to be discovered on the right hand side, leading to two cottages. After a few meters the path turns right, in the direction of the Ravin de la Guilla. The pad leads to the Col de Lavent (961m). From the Col de Lavent descend to the valley of the Riu de St.Vincent. Follow the brook, upstream, to reach a number of beautiful cascades. Near the Cascade St. Anglais our path ends. To the right of the cascade traces of a staircase, and part of a hand-rail can be discovered, but we considered it far to dangerous to continue here. Back along the same route. Apparently a similar beautiful walk can be made through the Gorges de Cady, just south of Casteil.
3. To the Pic du Canigou. A walk from Vernet to the Pic du Canigou and back takes about 10-12 hour. Three routes are possible: via the Refuge de Balatg, via the Refuge de Bonne Aigue, and via the Refuge Arago. We took the latter route. In Casteil don't take the road to the Col de Jou, but the road which leaves the village more to the west. Following the brook, this path takes you to the Col du Jou. From here, take the path which traverses the hill to the east heading for the Col Col du Cheval Mort via the Col de Creu. After this Col one the path joins up with the track to Mariailles. This part of the route is also part of the GR10. From Mariailles a beautiful panorama unfolds: views on the Canigou are magnificent. Continue to follow the GR10 to the Col Vert. The map indicates that there are two paths from here: wij couldn't find the path to the left, instead we continued following the GR10 marks. Having crossed the Cady turn right, to reach the southern crest via the Refuge Arago de Canigou. We didn't walked the latter part: big white cumuli betrayed the arrival of a thunderstorm. Rapidly descending, we managed to keep it dry till just past the Col de Jou, but in the final few kilometers we got it all. Well, still it was better than being exposed on the crests of the Canigou!
Area information Cyling through the Pyrenees: Three tours by Marc Zoutendijk (in Dutch): From Bordeaux to Gerona... (by: Owen Barder) From Hendaye to
Narbonne (by: Luddo Oh)
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