20 ways to cross the Pyrenees on a Camino

[peregrina2000]

On my recent Camino Catalan, I couldn't resist sticking a brochure from the albergue in Huesca into my pack. I usually am loathe to add to my weight but this was pretty amazing. Entitled, "Huesca, La Magia" this brochure and map show and describe no fewer than twenty Camino routes over the Pyrenees (and this is only for Huesca!!!).

I thought particularly of MikeVasey, so I hope you see this Mike, and if I could figure out a way to copy this map and its accompanying descriptions of the routes, I would post it. But it's too big for a normal copier.

In any event, here are the Camino entrances into Huesca from France, at least according to this guide.
Viella
Portillon de Benasque
La Madera
La Pez
Ordiceto
Trigoniero
Bielsa
Pro Biello de Bielsa
Brecha de Rolando
Bujaruelo-Torla
Gavarnie
Los Mulos-Ouolettes
Marcadau
Piedra S. Martin
Lavedan
Biello Sallelnt-Peyrelue
Portalet
Los Monjes
Comport
Palo
Mesa

Of course a lot of these all merge soon after the crossing but it explains why people who go to the Pyrenees on vacation find arrows everywhere! I'm not sure how well marked they are, but it looks like there are many options.

Buen camino, and I'd love to hear from anyone who has tried one of these less conventional routes, most of which connect with the Camino Catalan on its way through the province of Huesca.

Laurie

 

[mspath]

Sounds great Laurie! What a pleasure it is to dream of all those 'new caminos' to follow through Huesca. Facebook, too, has a post with the title "Huesca, la Magia"; perhaps it is also the same content.

MM

 

[bernhugo]

Hi Laurie. If you have a photographic function like photo shop or similar, take a photo of the map and process it through your computer/laptop/appliance.
You can then post it on here ,the same way as you post a photo.

 

[peregrina2000]

Not sure how this will work, but here´s my first attempt. I split the map in half, and only took a shot of the northern part, which shows the crossings themselves. And for some reason, I was unable to click on rotate so they are not very easy to see. I can email the actual pictures to anyone who sends me a PM with an email address.

 

[annakappa]

If only one lived in the area, what a way to pass a few weekends, or mid- week hikes ( for us lucky ones who are pensioned)!

 

[Urban Trekker]

Any of those alternate routes flat Buen Camino

Happy Trails

 

[Castilian]

here are the Camino entrances into Huesca from France

The entry from Viella (aka Vielha) isn't from France. I don't know some of the routes you quoted so I can't tell you if there's any other route that doesn't enter into Huesca province from France.

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks for that correction, Castillian. You're right of course, on closer inspection I see that the route starts in Catalunya. I have now closely inspected the rest of the entry points and they are all over the border into France, not by much in some cases, but it looks like they all leave Spain. Do you know if they are all marked? Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Castilian]

Facebook, too, has a post with the title "Huesca, la Magia"; perhaps it is also the same content.

Not necessarily. Huesca, la Magia is an old slogan used by local authorities to promote tourism. If memory serves me right, it started to be used in the 80's as La Magia de Huesca and in the 90's it became Huesca la Magia (it was used too on -at least some years of- the first decade of the 2000's). The main basketball team of the city (back them in the top basketball league of Spain) adopted it as name during several years. The slogan became so popular (not only in Huesca) that even if it wasn't used anymore people would recall it.

You're right of course, on closer inspection I see that the route starts in Catalunya.

It's not always easy to say what's the starting point of a route but that one enters into Catalonia from France... For more info: www.caminosantiago-valledearan.com/recorrido.htm
BTW, Vielha (aka Viella) is the main town of the Val d'Aran (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_d'Aran).

Do you know if they are all marked?

I don't know, sorry.

 

[mikevasey]

Hi Laurie, thanks, strange thing is I am little scared of heights but cant help looking at the various routes and wonder what they are like. There was a thread knocking about somewhere which talked about the Cathars route in France and using it to cross the Pyrenees and then join up with a camino, that would be a beautiful one, with its own unique history. I think these routes are more for you, i keep trying to make my caminos simple and straight forward but end up losing sight of this.

 

[mspath]

Mike,

For more on the Cathar trail see this earlier Forum thread.
...If only there might be time enough before my time runs out !

MM

 

[navarro]

On my recent Camino Catalan, I couldn't resist sticking a brochure from the albergue in Huesca into my pack. I usually am loathe to add to my weight but this was pretty amazing. Entitled, "Huesca, La Magia" this brochure and map show and describe no fewer than twenty Camino routes over the Pyrenees (and this is only for Huesca!!!).

I thought particularly of MikeVasey, so I hope you see this Mike, and if I could figure out a way to copy this map and its accompanying descriptions of the routes, I would post it. But it's too big for a normal copier.

In any event, here are the Camino entrances into Huesca from France, at least according to this guide.
Viella
Portillon de Benasque
La Madera
La Pez
Ordiceto
Trigoniero
Bielsa
Pro Biello de Bielsa
Brecha de Rolando
Bujaruelo-Torla
Gavarnie
Los Mulos-Ouolettes
Marcadau
Piedra S. Martin
Lavedan
Biello Sallelnt-Peyrelue
Portalet
Los Monjes
Comport
Palo
Mesa

Of course a lot of these all merge soon after the crossing but it explains why people who go to the Pyrenees on vacation find arrows everywhere! I'm not sure how well marked they are, but it looks like there are many options.

Buen camino, and I'd love to hear from anyone who has tried one of these less conventional routes, most of which connect with the Camino Catalan on its way through the province of Huesca.

Laurie

Pyrennees mountains are very permeable. Every valley in the north had a path to other valley in the south. In winter they are covered by snow, specialy in the center Pyrennees but in summertime you can cross easily by a lot of pass. And many of them were used to link with the Santiago way

 

[Beebe]

Thanks for sharing this. Very cool. It's also in the spirit of the medieval Camino when pilgrims went over whatever route made the most sense given weather, bandits, ease, and location, and were not stuck only to one or two paths. Many times on the Camino, especially in the Pyrenees, locals told me about alternative and older camino/chemin trails that medieval folks used. It seems ironic that we modern pilgrims, with our seemingly greater social freedoms compared to medieval Europe, have thought only to walk a few paths!

 

[VNwalking]

I stumbled upon this thread completely by accident and boy, is it worth bumping!
It wonderfully undercuts the peculiar modern fixation on SJPP as 'THE start of the Camino' - which couldn't be farther from the truth.

 

[apoivre]

May I also add this link that discusses (in French) the traditional walking routes across the Central Pyrenees between St Gaudens in the Comminges and Barbastro, complete with GPS tracks and assorted practicalities. It covers the way via Vielha, too.

 

[Bradypus]

The title of the thread sparked a little idea in my mind: perhaps someone could set the list to the tune of Paul Simon's "Fifty ways to leave your lover"?

 

[Former member 49149]

The title of the thread sparked a little idea in my mind: perhaps someone could set the list to the tune of Paul Simon's "Fifty ways to leave your lover"?

ok, go ahead...

 

[sjeanmarc]

May I also add this link that discusses (in French) the traditional walking routes across the Central Pyrenees between St Gaudens in the Comminges and Barbastro, complete with GPS tracks and assorted practicalities. It covers the way via Vielha, too.

There's also the version in English of the website Hiking through Pyrenees

 

[apoivre]

There's also the version in English of the website Hiking through Pyrenees

Oh, good to see there's an English version now.

 

[JiminVa]

Hello. Have been investigating routes from Lourdes. Does anyone have any experience/insights on a Lourdes-Gavarnie-Breche de Roland-Torla-Biescas-Sabinango- Jaca route? Looks interesting.

 

[sjeanmarc]

Hello. Have been investigating routes from Lourdes. Does anyone have any experience/insights on a Lourdes-Gavarnie-Breche de Roland-Torla-Biescas-Sabinango- Jaca route? Looks interesting.

Hello.
From Lourdes, south through Pyrenees
Option 1 . Val d'Azun. Arrens-Marsous and Port de Peyre-Saint-Martin. Sallent de Gállego
Option 2 . Gavarnie. Port de Boucharo

The Brèche de Roland is a way through high pass going on a glacier (small but sometimes difficult to pass through).

 

[JiminVa]

Hello.
From Lourdes, south through Pyrenees
Option 1 . Val d'Azun. Arrens-Marsous and Port de Peyre-Saint-Martin. Sallent de Gállego
Option 2 . Gavarnie. Port de Boucharo

The Brèche de Roland is a way through high pass going on a glacier (small but sometimes difficult to pass through).

sjeanmarc. Thanks!!! I was aware of the Option 2 Route (Gavarnie and Port De Boucharo). I believe this is an old pilgrim route. But was not aware of Option 1. I'll continue to research. The route thru the Breche de Roland route and then down thru the Ordesa Valley looks wonderful as well but am not sure how strenuous it will be. Looks very doable depending on weather conditions of course. I would be doing this in the mid August timeframe.

 

[Rob_Shill_Wales_UK]

sjeanmarc. Thanks!!! I was aware of the Option 2 Route (Gavarnie and Port De Boucharo). I believe this is an old pilgrim route. But was not aware of Option 1. I'll continue to research. The route thru the Breche de Roland route and then down thru the Ordesa Valley looks wonderful as well but am not sure how strenuous it will be. Looks very doable depending on weather conditions of course. I would be doing this in the mid August timeframe.

I have hiked the breche de roland a few times from gavarnie without much of a pack. Its not an easy walk for sure. Its amazing but not easy. The breche northern side (france) until not so long back required ice equipment to traverse it as there was a glacier there. It has gone now but snow can stay on that side well into the summer requiring the hiker to use crampons. When there isnt snow, its a scramble over shingle to get to the top. Some routes from there to Ordessa require you to hold onto chains along walls due tot he steep nature of the falls. Honestly don't want to put you off but want you to be aware that its not an easy route. There is a refuge before the breche however it has been closed for some years now as they are expanding it. Not sure on when it will reopen but make sure you research if it is open if you intend using it. People tend to bivvy at the breche or towards ordessa as there isn't anywhere to stay inside. in good weather it can be amazing but mother nature can be fickle there as the spanish warm weather hits the Pyrenean colder weather and can create some hellish weather- wind especially! You should be ok in august but you would need to have gear just in case it turns bad there.

I intend starting my pilgrimage at the col de tentes which is effectively the end f the road above gavarnie and the start of the breche hike. I am going to head north to lourdes and then towards SJPP. I would love to for the breche and ordessa but i know my limits with a full pack.

Ordessa by the way is amazing- ive walked in that valley- like Jurassic park!

PS- my profile pic- taken at gavarnie (cirque) in the summer... you will see there is still snow! On that walk, i headed in the direction of the breche where i traversed deep snow drifts. one of my favourite places.

 

[JiminVa]

I have hiked the breche de roland a few times from gavarnie without much of a pack. Its not an easy walk for sure. Its amazing but not easy. The breche northern side (france) until not so long back required ice equipment to traverse it as there was a glacier there. It has gone now but snow can stay on that side well into the summer requiring the hiker to use crampons. When there isnt snow, its a scramble over shingle to get to the top. Some routes from there to Ordessa require you to hold onto chains along walls due tot he steep nature of the falls. Honestly don't want to put you off but want you to be aware that its not an easy route. There is a refuge before the breche however it has been closed for some years now as they are expanding it. Not sure on when it will reopen but make sure you research if it is open if you intend using it. People tend to bivvy at the breche or towards ordessa as there isn't anywhere to stay inside. in good weather it can be amazing but mother nature can be fickle there as the spanish warm weather hits the Pyrenean colder weather and can create some hellish weather- wind especially! You should be ok in august but you would need to have gear just in case it turns bad there.

I intend starting my pilgrimage at the col de tentes which is effectively the end f the road above gavarnie and the start of the breche hike. I am going to head north to lourdes and then towards SJPP. I would love to for the breche and ordessa but i know my limits with a full pack.

Ordessa by the way is amazing- ive walked in that valley- like Jurassic park!

PS- my profile pic- taken at gavarnie (cirque) in the summer... you will see there is still snow! On that walk, i headed in the direction of the breche where i traversed deep snow drifts. one of my favourite places.

Thanks very much for the detailed insights! Great info. Will keep researching. Doubt I'll get back over for another Camino till 2022 or later given Covid and personal obligations. So there's plenty of time to prep and research.

 

[sjeanmarc]

The way of Santiago from Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges through Val d'Aran is now marked. There's a website with gps track and useful information about this way. It goes until Berbegal where it joins the Catalan way.

 

[MinaKamina]

The Pyrenees are not easy and you cannot compare them to walking the Camino Francés.
Please stick to the places where the crossing is easiest and be glad you don't have to risk your life like in earlier times.

Never hike alone, make sure your phone is working and take enough food and cover to spend a cold night should you need it. Shoes and soles are of special interest, make sure they have enough grip and evade ice and snow. If you can't, you are on the wrong route.

French and Spanish SAR have a busy schedule with picking up stranded hikers with sprained ankles and worse.