Massif of the Pyrénées

The Pyrenees are a mountain range that marks the border between France and Spain and is home to the Principality of Andorra. It stretches for approximately 430 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Bay of Biscay in the east.

Pyrenees Mountains and Major Peaks

The Pyrenees Mountains cross two regions (Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine) and six French departments, and on the Spanish side: four autonomous communities (Catalonia, Aragon, Navarre and the Basque Autonomous Community) and seven provinces.

Its highest point is the Pic d’Aneto at 3,404 m, located on Spanish soil.

The main peaks are the Pic de Bugarach, the Pic du Midi de Bigorre (2,877 m) and the Pic du Midi d'Ossau (2,885 m), clearly visible from the plain, the Pic du Canigou (2,785 m), the Pic d'Anie (2,504 m), the Grand Gabizos (2,692 m), the Montardo (2 833 m), La Rhune (905 m), not forgetting Mont Valier (2,838 m).

The Pyrenees are distinguished from the Alps or other French mountain ranges by the absence of large lakes, the rarity and high altitude of the passes, the large number of mountain torrents and cirques (Cirque de Gavarnie, Troumouse, Litor, etc.).

Parks and reserves

The fauna and flora of the central part of the Pyrenees are protected by the Pyrenees National Park, on the French side, and by two national parks, the Aigüestortes National Park and Lac Saint-Maurice en "Encantats" and the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park, on the Spanish side.

In addition, there are regional natural parks and national or regional nature reserves, as well as numerous listed natural sites.

The Pyrenees, a paradise for hikers

It is of course a paradise for hikers since the Pyrenees have three long-distance hiking trails: the GR10® on the French side, the GR11® on the Spanish side and the Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne.

Some must-see hikes or sites:

• The Cirque de Gavarnie: an impressive 1500m high glacial basin.
• Gaube Lake and Refuge: a route that skirts the glaciers and the walls of the Vignemale.
• The Lakes Loop of Ayous with the Pic du Midi d'Ossau still in sight.
• The Brèche de Roland, a spectacular natural breach, which, according to legend, was opened by Roland, Charlemagne's nephew, while trying to destroy his sword Durantal.
• The Cirque de Troumouse: wild landscapes, rolling pastures.
• The Néouvielle Lakes Circuit: a hike from lake to lake in the heart of a nature reserve.

The "Grandes Traversée des Pyrénées" or GR10®

Also called "the great crossing of the Pyrenees", the GR10® is one of the longest hiking trails at 922 kilometers. It was built in sections between 1963 and 1975.
It starts in Hendaye, on the Atlantic Ocean, and ends in Banyuls, on the Mediterranean. To complete it in its entirety, it requires an average of 55 days and 55,000 meters of total elevation gain.
And if you want to return to the starting point, you can turn around and take the GR11® this time, which crosses the Pyrenees, but on the Spanish side!
Hikers taking this GR® will be rewarded for their efforts with fabulous views of the most beautiful landscapes in the Pyrenees.

The GR11®

Created in 1986, the GR11® or "Senda pirenaica" runs along the southern slope of the Pyrenees, on the Spanish side, for 850 kilometers.
It starts in the west at Cabo Higuer between Frontarrabie and Hendaye and ends in the Mediterranean, at Cap de Creus, the easternmost point of Spain.

The Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne (HRP)

The HRP as we know it today was born under the impetus of Georges Veron who, in 1968, succeeded in the challenge of joining the Mediterranean to the Atlantic in 41 stages, using only maps.
Carried out by the French Alpine Club and the French Mountain Federation, it follows the ridge lines as much as possible, without worrying about borders and markings, avoiding tarmac as much as possible. It is therefore a route intended for experienced mountaineers and hikers.
As the HRP is not marked, except when it follows the GR10® or GR11® route, it is necessary to be equipped with equipment (compass, altimeter, map, etc.) and to know how to use it!

> Before setting off hiking in the Pyrenees, don't forget to equip yourself properly: backpack, comfortable shoes, water bottles, hiking poles... Discover our range of hiking poles dedicated to the regions and massifs of France, and in particular our model "Massif des Pyrénées".

> Don't hesitate to consult our article "Choosing your hiking poles wisely".

Source: MonGR.fr