Cicerone Guide Book: Walks & Climbs in the Pyrenees

Cicerone Guide Book: Walks & Climbs in the Pyrenees

Walks, Climbs and Multi-day Treks, by Kev Reynolds

Guidebook describing 170 routes for walks, climbs and multi-day treks on both sides of the Pyrenees, including a circuit of Andorra's Frontier Peaks. 

The 3000m summits are within reach of any hill walker and offer a variety of terrain. The day walks range from 30 minutes to 9 hours and the multi-day walks from 2 to 12 days.

Essential guidebook of walks and climbs in the Pyrenees, with over 170 day walks, multi-day walks, climbing routes and mountaineering ascents. Covers all valleys and peaks on both sides of the border with France and Spain, with through routes and peaks to bag, as an introduction to one of Europe's finest mountain ranges.

The active walker, trekker and climber is spoilt for choice. There are exquisite valleys and passes to wander and summits of 3000m and more within the reach of most hill walkers. The landscape is full of diversity and contrast, with Alpine-style peaks over 3000m, small glaciers, deep gorges and more than a thousand mountain lakes. 


The range is also known as the 'flower garden of Europe', and the wildlife includes various species rarely seen elsewhere on the continent. Since the first edition appeared in 1978, Walks and Climbs in the Pyrenees has become accepted as the authoritative guide to the range and has been continuously updated and in print. 

For centuries the Pyrenees were dismissed as holding little of importance to the climber and mountain walkers ignored them almost completely. But all that has changed and the Pyrenees have now become the focus of attention for mountain activists of all degrees of commitment. 

The guidebook divides the range into 21 sections, including Andorra, the Ordesa National Park, the Carlit Massif, Gavarnie and the Cirque du Lescun to name a few. Each area includes practical information on travel, accommodation and mountain refuges, as well sketch mapping. Between short, half-hour walks, to 12-day treks and 25 summits, this guidebook will help any walker, climber or trekker experience the best of the Pyrenees.

Activities
walking, climbing, multi-day trekking

Seasons
Winter stretches from November to April; summer activities between May and October, although snow may hold on into July; thunderstorms on hot summer afternoons

Centres
Etsaut, Borce, Lescun, Laruns, Gabas, Eaux-Bonnes, Gourette, Arrens, Lac d'Estaing, Cauterets, Gavarnie, Torla, Bielsa, Gèdre, Héas, Barèges, St-Lary, Benasque, Eriste, Arties, Salardu, Bohi, Espot, Capdella, Àreu, Vicdessos, Andorra, Ax-les-Thermes, Porté-Putmorens

Difficulty
from easy day walks to climbing and mountaineering routes of the Pyrenees' highest peaks, long-day and multi-day mountain walks

Must See
multi-day tours and mountaineering ascents throughout the High Pyrenees; all valleys and peaks from France and Spain, with through routes and peaks to bag

Updates and errata:

November 2014

Refuge de Barroude (on routes 81 and 82)

Sadly this refuge was destroyed by fire on the night of 10/11 October 2014. A replacement is expected to be built on the same site...