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Stretching for 400km from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, the Pyrenees have for many centuries formed a natural frontier: physical, climatic and linguistic, between France and Spain. Second only to the Alps among the great mountain ranges of Western Europe, the Pyrenees are much less frequented, and still offer an exciting combination of steep rock peaks, small glaciers, forested valleys, mountain tarns and little trodden summer passes. Well- equipped valley campsites and dramatically situated mountain refuges are linked by an extensive network of trails and paths on both sides of the frontier. Our guided walk traverses the greater part of the Pyrenees National Park from West to East. We walk through the National Park on the steeper French side of the range, before crossing the frontier to explore Spain's magnificent Ordesa Canyon, Under Monte Perdido (3335m). The trek offers beautiful and sustained walking over a variety of terrains with great panoramas. We start at the foot of the Pic d' Anie (2503m), the most prominent landmark of the western Pyrenees. From here you can see The Vignemale towards the end of the tour, and pass the impressive rocky spire of the Pic du Midi d' Ossau (2874m). We cross the Col d'Arryous (2259m) before descending past the Lac d'Artouste to the Vallee d'Arrens. From the Col de Cambales (2705m), a descent is made into the beautiful Vallee de Marcadau to enjoy a rest day in the town of Cauterets. The next landmark is the great peak of Vignemale (3288m), which we pass on our way over the Hourquette d'Ossue (2730m). After a night below the famous Cirque de Gavarnie we climb up into Spain and drop down to the village of san Nicholas, before continuing onto the mountain town of Torla. A wonderful finale to the trek is a visit to the the stunning Ordesa National Park, a huge former glacial valley scoured through the limestone hills. We leave Spain the way we have come, but with the chance to climb up to the hut under the Breche De Roland for lunch if conditions are good before walking back to Gavarnie to return to Lourdes.
vacations
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