Six days on the high level route in the French and Spanish Pyrenees

Adapted itinerary to visit the spectacular Canyon of Ordesa

From the Breche de Roland, down into the cirque of Gavarnie and up the Pimene

Walk on the Faja de Flores, perhaps the most impressive path in Europe.

The first person known to have walked along the spine of the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean was a Frenchman called Frederic Parrot. He completed his traverse in 53 days in 1817 thus laying the foundations of the modern Haute Route Pyeneene footpath - the HRP as it is known in France. The trail weaves its way roughly along the border crest of Spain and France at moderate to high altitudes. We offer two weeks of trekking along the High Level Route and you can book these individually or as a continuous two week trek. (A minimum of four people is needed for this independent walking week.)

This six day trek covers one of the most spectacular sections of the trail from Gavarnie, through the Breche de Roland and on eastwards towards the Bielsa tunnel. We have adapted the route somewhat in order to take in the Ordesa canyon and walk the Faja de las Flores, which is considered by many as one of the most spectacular footpaths in the world. With the vertical walls of Ordesa limestone dropping abruptly to your right, the views are truly unforgettable. This unique day’s walking culminates with a return to France via the dramatic Breche de Roland, before you drop down into the cirque of Gavarnie to rejoin the high level route and continue Eastwards.

HOLIDAY ITINERARY
DAY 1 - Fly to Pau Pyrenees
The best way to get to the Pyrenees is on a Ryanair schedule to Pau. We pick you up in our minibus and drive you to Luz St. Sauveur, in the French Hautes Pyrenees. In the evening you meet up with your guide for a briefing in the bar.

DAY 2 - San Nicholas
Over to Spain. The first day of the trek picks up the trail exactly where the previous trek would have left it at the Barrage d’Ossoue. From here you will climb up to the lac de la Bernatoire which sits high on the French-Spanish border. After lunch at the lake you head down into the green valley of San Nicolas de Bujaruelo where you spend the night.

DAY 3 – Ordessa Canyon & Flaja des Flores
Today is a big day and a very memorable one. An early start will see you walk along the bottom of the canyon, past the fabulous Tozal de Mallo before you start a steep climb through the trees and up the walls of the canyon. Some chains and fixed equipment is in place to help you at the more tricky moments, although there is nothing which would be considered technically difficult. Once past the steeper section, the land flattens out as you cross over limestone pavement towards the start of the Faja de Flores. From below anyone sighted on this path will look like a technical climber pinned onto a a vertical cliff face, and it is not until you reach the faja that you see how this natural parapet forms a perfect path for a walker. The walk along this path is truly unforgettable and gives views down into and across the canyon far below.

From the Faja you turn northwards and head towards the Breche de Roland. At the end of the day this can be a hard climb but the Breche is a worthy target as it opens an immense doorway of rock back into France and down to the Refuge des Sarradets where a cool beer is waiting for you.


DAY 4 – The Cirque of Gavarnie
From the refuge we head down to the Cirque of Gavarnie via the Echelle (ladder) des Sarradets which drops abruptly to the foot of the cirque. There are wonderful views of the Grande Cascade, the longest waterfall in Europe, which tumbles some 480 metres down the cirque walls. Once in the cirque, having walked to the foot of the waterfall, we climb steadily up towards the plateau de Pailla and the Espuguettes refuge. The views from this plateau are immense.

DAY 5 – Up the Pimene and into the Cirque of Estaubé
We head directly up the mountainside to the Hourquette d’Alans where we have the choice of either dropping directly into the adjoining cirque of Estaubé, or alternatively climbing to the peak of the Pimené, one of the area’s most notable peaks.

Once on the valley floor, in Estaubé we follow the river down before heading up again across a plateau towards Troumouse. Our destination is the small hamlet of Heas, where there is an auberge and a small chapel. The hospitality however is second to none on any part of the High Level Route

DAY 6 – La Hourquette de Heas
La Hourquette de Heas and the refuge de Barroude
From Heas we have an easier day as we follow the HRP east to the Barroude hut. After a steep climb we reach the Horquette des Heas below the Pic de la Gela. Again there is the option of a short scramble to the top of this peak. We then climb down to the Horquette de Chermentas before heading due South under impressive cliff faces to the Barroude hut and the Lacs de Barroude.

DAY 7 - Barroude to Hospice Rioumajou
We set off along little walked stretches of the HRP to the Col de Port Vieux and on to the Port de Bielsa right on the Spanish - French border. There are terrific views from here both North and South across the Pyrenees. We carry on heading due east along a series of ridges and peaks to arrive finally at the Port de Moudang. From here we enter the Cirque of Rioumajou and head on down to the refuge at the old Hospice. It is here that we will be met by the minibus and taken back to our clean clothes in Luz saint Sauveur.

DAY 8 - Fly back to London
You head back in our minibus to Pau Airport or Lourdes SNCF to connect with transport back home.

Please Note: This itinerary may be altered if conditions and weather are judged to put the safety of the group at risk, or if they indicate another route would be preferable for the group’s comfort. Pyrenean Mountain Tour guides and Mountain Leaders reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary without notice. These changes will be explained to the group if they occur.

EQUIPMENT AND PACKING IDEAS
We recommend that people joining this trek are equipped with the following:

Technical equipment
Comfortable walking boots (3 or 4season)
Walking pole if you like them
Walkers' ice axe (depending on season)
Waterproof map case

Clothing suggestions
Fleece
Waterproof jacket
Waterproof over trousers
Warm hat
Warm gloves
Sun hat or peaked cap
Sunglasses
Shorts and T-shirts
Good quality walking socks

Other useful items
40 - 60 litre Rucksack
Sun block for face and lips
Personal First Aid kit (plasters,compede, paracetamol)
Water bottle or Platypus
Penknife

Optional items
Change of clothing to include: underwear,tracksuit bottoms, dry shirt, spare socks
Camera
Paperback novel (light!)
Snack bars/dried fruit/chocolate
Sheet sleeping bag liner (if you like them....)

Additional items for Unguided Groups
Compass
Altimeter
GPS