Walk from France into Spain – and back!

Spend a night in a mountain refuge (optional)

Massive views at the famous Ordessa Canyon

Stay overnight in a small Aragonese Spanish town

We have often been asked if we can organise shorter independent treks for people on short breaks or who want to combine a mountain walk with other activities like climbing or rafting. This three day walk from France into Spain and back takes you through high passes following some of the most dramatic footpaths in the world. You even cross a small patch of remaining glacier at the highest point of the route before heading down into the heat of Spain. And no one will forget the sense of ‘hanging in the air’ above the immense Ordessa Canyon.

There are options about the routes to take on this walk. One is harder and feels more exposed in places, taking you to some of the most famous places in the Pyrenees including the Breche de Roland (the huge stone doorway between France and Spain) and the Faja de las Flores, an ‘impossible’ natural path on the cliff face above the Ordessa (not for the vertiginous). The other is easier (though still quite long days), skirting into Spain along the side of the Taillon mountain and through the Col des Boucharo. This too has lovely views.

Both routes end in the pretty little mountain town of Torla where you can stay in a small hotel for the night (or two nights if you want to recuperate before coming back!) and enjoy some traditional Spanish cooking. We make the bookings for you and provide clear walking notes and maps which have been marked up with the route. On the start day we drop you at the point where the road ends and the paths begin at the Col des Tentes. You will need some basic navigation skills, especially if you choose the higher route. Some people turn this walk into a circuit, taking one route into Spain and the other on the way back. We can advise on the best way to do this. This option involves staying one night both in Torla and in a mountain refuge.

On both legs of the walk you need to be careful to carry plenty of water.

Route One: Breche de Roland – Flaja de las Flores
Our transport will drop you at the Col des Tentes carpark (2,208 metres) at the the top of the Gavarnie ski area. To walk the Breche de Roland route to Torla you need an early start and we should try to be at the carpark for no later than 8.00am. From the Col des Tentes you follow the old road to the Portes des Boucharo at 2270m (known as the Peurto des Bujaruelo in Spain). From here you head away from the road, (due east) to pick up the HRP (Haute Route des Pyreneene) footpath below the north face of the Taillon (3144m). Follow this path as it contours along for some time before it starts to climb the Col des Sarradets via a series of small waterfalls. There are chains on the side of the waterfall to help you.

As you arrive at the top of the waterfall you’ll come out at the foot of the Taillon glacier. This is a small glacier with a very thin layer of snow or ice. You will not need crampons or an ice axe to cross it as it is very flat and very regularly walked.

The route then heads on to the Breche de Roland refuge. From the eastern end of this hut you can see into the Cirque of Gavarnie and if you look due east you’ll be able to see the ‘Grand Cascade’ tumbling down from below the Pic de Marbore (3250m). This is the longest waterfall in Europe and has a 420 metre drop top to bottom. Most people spend the night at this hut where the guardian will serve dinner.

The final climb to the Breche de Roland heads due south from the front of the hut. One hour of uphill later and you are on the border with Spain. What’s more you will be standing in a most intriguing mountain environment – the huge natural stone portal, allegedly created by the sword of Count Roland as he beat it against the rock. Must have been a pretty big fellow!

From here you are heading into the vast Ordessa Canyon. Careful map reading will take you to the canyon. Until you get there you can’t really see this path and the route looks impossible across a sheer cliff face! But it is there and although it feels exposed it is quite safe and one of the most spectacular paths you will ever walk. At the end of the Faja you meander your way down through a series of mini cirques by paths and occasionally using hands and feet (but this is not technical climbing). Then the path drops down through the forests to the road at the bottom of the Ordessa and on to the village of Torla – a welcome sight after the long route downhill.

Route Two: Col des Boucharo – San Nicholas de Bujaruelo
Again you start at the Col des Tentes from where you follow the old road to the Port de Boucharo at 2270m but when you reach this pass you head west towards the beautiful Ara valley. This path is very straightforward and has no navigation or technical difficulties for competent hill walkers.

You follow the path along the edge of the Barranco Sandaruelo down to the old bridge at San Nicholas. The river here is a good place to have a swim if you’re hot…. But be warned the water is usually pretty cold. On the other side of the bridge there is a campsite and a bar / restaurant so you could stop here for lunch if you haven’t bought a picnic with you. There is also a public telephone here so you could call for a landrover taxi to come and pick you up if you are tired!

Those heading on to Torla on foot now pick up the waymarked GR11 trail along the eastern side of the Rio Ara.

Torla is a small Aragonese village and is a fascinating place to just stroll around in the evening. There are several bars and restaurants as well as a couple of food shops, a little bakers, post office and a bank. The buildings are very typical of Aragon and many have been tastefully restored. There is a small museum, well worth a visit, next door to the Church.

Walking back to France
Either of the routes described above can be walked in reverse to get back to the Col des Tentes for your rendezvous with our minibus. We provide detailed walking notes so that you can navigate your way back to the Col des Tentes for 5 p.m. to meet your lift in our minibus. It will be hard to believe you have only been away two days after covering such varied and dramatic terrain.

EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING NEEDED FOR THIS TREK
Apart from the usual gear that you would carry on a walk we strongly recommend that you carry the following equipment on these hikes.

• walking pole / poles (really reduces that stress on knees in descents)
• compass and / or GPS (you should know how to use these before undertaking these walks)
• altimeter (very helpful in bad weather)
• sun protection cream (easy to under estimate how strong the sun is in the
Pyrenees)
• lots of water (you should drink at last 1 litre a day on these walks)
• waterproof map case.

A Word About Water
The walks described below are quite long and cross the border in to Spain. It is often very hot and dry and you’ll need to drink plenty of water.