A mid-mountain ridge route in the heart of the Basque country, to be done over two days. Departure from the village of Bidarray, accessible by TER from Bayonne or Biarritz. When leaving the train, cross the “Pont d’Enfer” and go up to the village itself. From the church, we have a nice view of the ridges that we are about to climb. Then follow the GR10 which climbs regularly to the peak of Iparla at 1044m.
Not far from the summit, a vulture, not at all afraid, was quietly observing the passersby! It must have had a feast not long before: a sated vulture is generally so heavy that it becomes unable to fly. To find out more, you can read Hulot.
At Iparla peak, the path follows the ridge for a few kilometers. This is then the opportunity to have a clear view over a good part of the Pyrenees.
The GR then descends to the Col d'Harrieta, an ideal spot for a bivouac. The photo on the left shows the pass hidden by the rocks. There's a spring a little further on on the Spanish side. You can also take a short detour to the Pic d'Astate, where this photo was taken. We were lucky enough to have beautiful weather for the evening. And as a bonus, a cep mushroom to cook, found along the way!
The next day, we head back down the path that starts at the Col d'Harrieta. After a peaceful day in rural surroundings, we finally reach the village of Saint-Martin d'Arrossa, which is on the train line. I have fond memories of this place because we arrived right in the middle of a Basque festival, to which the locals happily invited us. Their enthusiasm for sharing their customs and traditional dishes warmed our hearts!
If you liked the landscape photographs on this page, please take a look at the section Pictures. For example, you can order a mountain poster of my photos, which is a good way to support me ;).
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