July 11-20, 2008
Plan your arrival
for July 10
Plan your departure for July 21
July 11-16, 2008
Plan your
arrival for July 10
Plan your departure for mid-day July 17 |
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Wilder than the Alps, the grand, sculpted mountains
of the Pyrenees form the natural border between France and Spain. Splendid
trails lead to the magnificent cirques, lake-spangled basins, and
knife-edged summits of France’s Pyrenees National Park. On the Spanish
side follow trails that lead through the spectacular canyons of the Ordesa-Monte
Perdido National Park, one of Europe’s oldest. In 1997, the United
Nations inscribed a portion of the French and Spanish Pyrenees near the
French village of Gavarnie and the Spanish village of Torla on its list of
World Heritage Sites. Here, nature over the eons has carved three stupendous
glacial cirques including the renowned Cirque de Gavarnie and a 3,000 foot
deep canyon called Ordesa—Spain’s "Grand Canyon." Explore
trails that take you into the heart of these "world class"
natural wonders. You’ll also explore the lush Marcadau Valley whose
trails lead to high basins full of some of the most beautiful alpine lakes
in the Pyrenees. Revel in a region where languages, food, and culture mix
and flow. The Pyrenees are a feast for all your senses!
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My husband and I certainly can recommend
the Pyrenees Mountains to hikers of all abilities. We also give an
enthusiastic endorsement to Walking Softly Adventures. Their attention to
detail and sincere commitment to their client’s total enjoyment makes us
ready to try another of their destinations soon!
--SHARON WILSON
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5 The
Ilheou Valley. |
Day 1
Overnight in Cauterets
Lunch & dinner included
Meet in Pau and travel to the mountain
town of Cauterets on the threshold of the Pyrenees National Park. Cauterets
is your base for three nights. After lunch in a local brasserie,
travel by vehicle, and ascend the winding road into the Cambasque Valley, one of several valleys that converge on Cauterets. Enjoy
an afternoon warm-up hike by following a portion of the long distance hiking
route known as the GR10 (Grande Randonnée 10) up the open Ilheou
Valley. The
trail passes by a waterfall and tiny Lac Noir before arriving on the shores
of picturesque Lac d'Ilhéou, a perfect introduction to the Pyrenees high country! |
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Day 2
Overnight in
Cauterets
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Transfer to the Pont d’Espagne
in the Pyrenees National Park. Hike past meadows, waterfalls, and
rushing streams in the lush landscape of the exquisite Marcadau Valley. The nearly level terrain of the Cayan
Plateau offers easy walking through meadows laced with winding streams and
punctuated by tall pines. |
5 Near
the Pont d'Estalounque. |
Marcadau is a corruption of the Spanish mercado,
which means "market." The name reflects the importance of the
valley as an ancient trading route across the Pyrenees. The Marcadau
Valley was a crossing route for those on the medieval pilgrimage to
Santiago de Compostella in Spain. |
5 The
Wallon basin. |
Continue on to the Refuge Wallon at the junction of five mountain valleys
close by the border with Spain. Gnarled pines grace the well-watered
meadows around the refuge. A lovely stone chapel and a backdrop of high
peaks completes the scene! |
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Energetic hikers can undertake a strenuous
10-hour loop hike (known as the Circuit des Lacs) past a string of exquisite, rock-rimmed
lakes. If you’re lucky you may see wild chamois (called isards in
the Pyrenees) or even the elusive
lammergeier in flight. |
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5 Lac
Nere on the Circuit des Lacs.
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5
Vignemale from the Gaube Valley. |
Day 3
Overnight in Cauterets
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Return to the Pont d’Espagne for a chance
to explore the Vallée de Gaube which leads to the base of Vignemale—highest
peak in the French Pyrenees. If the weather cooperates, you can gaze upon
the peak that lured the 19th century Pyrenean mountaineer,
Henry Russell, to climb it 33 times! Hike to the still waters of Lac de
Gaube, the renowned
"mirror of Vignemale," hemmed in by mountain slopes. Ascend the
increasingly open valley beyond Lac de Gaube to the foaming Cascade
Esplumouse. Just beyond, a stunning view of the north face of Vignemale
opens up—a Pyrenean classic! If you desire, continue up the Gaube Valley to
the Refuge des Oulettes from where you can enjoy an astounding, close-up
view of the vertical north wall of Vignemale. Return to the trailhead and
spend a third evening in Cauterets. |
I had not anticipated the degree to which
you had prepared every detail to facilitate everything and make Walking
Softly an unforgettable experience.
--RICHARD HERMANN
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5
Monskhood (Aconitum) blooming in the Cirque de Troumouse.
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Day 4
Overnight in Gavarnie
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Travel to Gavarnie by vehicle
stopping en route to hike in the Cirque de Troumouse where alpine pastures
are nearly encircled by impressive mountain ramparts. Trails wind their way
through meadows and fields of wildflowers and alongside shallow tarns and
rushing streams. The Cirque de Troumouse is one of the three cirques in the
French Pyrenees that were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 1997.
Our hotel in Gavarnie is situated "front and center" before the sheer walls
of the stunning Cirque de Gavarnie. Settle in for a three-night stay. |
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5 Hiking
above the Plateau de Pailla.
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Day 5
Overnight in Gavarnie
Breakfast & lunch included
Gavarnie trails beckon! Hike into the awe-inspiring Cirque de Gavarnie
by following a switchbacking trail that ascends to the meadows of the Plateau de Pailla.
Continue on the trail as it descends gradually into the Cirque de Gavarnie.
Portions of this trail follow natural limestone
ledges and are similar to the faja trails in Spain’s Ordesa-Monte
Perdido National Park. For a more strenuous outing, you can hike to the
lofty Hourquette d’Alans
for views into wide and lonely Cirque d’Estaubé before making the
descent into the Cirque de Gavarnie. |
At last a moment to say a huge thank
you for the great time I had hiking in the Pyrenees...I was so lucky to be
with a group like the one we were...It was wonderful the way we all mixed
and matched and then all pulled together on the last day to make it up to
the Brèche.
--RICHARD GOCHER
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5 Refuge
Sarradets. |
Day 6
Overnight in Gavarnie
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Transfer to the Col de Tentes, a mountain pass near the
Spanish frontier. Hike to the
Refuge Sarradets just below the legendary Brèche de Roland. If you're
sure of foot you can continue on a never-to-be-forgotten hike into the
brèche itself. |
5 View
from the Breche de Roland. |
Stand in
this enormous notch at the top of Gavarnie’s cirque wall and gaze over the
magnificent Ordesa Canyon into Spain. Legend has it that the brèche
was carved by the sword of Roland, nephew of Charlemagne, in the 8th
century. SIX-DAY FRENCH PYRENEES TRIP OPTION
CONCLUDES THIS DAY.
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5
Bridge at San Nicolas de Bujaruelo. |
Day 7
Overnight in Torla
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Travel to the Spanish stone
village of Torla at the mouth of Ordesa Canyon. You can choose to hike to
Torla via the pass called the Port de Boucharo on one of the old pilgrimage
routes to Santiago de Compostela. From the Port de Boucharo, the trail
descends into Spain's Ara River Valley. Near the valley floor are some
wonderfully old specimens of the red-berried European yew (Taxus baccata)—called
tejo in Spanish. The path eventually arrives at the picturesque stone
bridge that spans the Ara River at San Nicolás de Bujaruelo.
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5 Torla. |
The path
continues downstream through beautiful stands of white fir (Abies alba)—known
as abeto in Spanish—to the mouth of the Bujaruelo Valley and Torla.
Alternatively, you can travel to Torla by vehicle via the mountain pass
known as the Col de Pourtalet. Torla is your base for three nights.
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5 The
Circo de Soaso, Ordesa Canyon.
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Day 8
Overnight in Torla
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
A brief shuttle ride transports you into the
Ordesa Canyon with walls soaring 3,000 feet above the canyon floor. The
main canyon trail along the Arazas River passes through beautiful beech
forests and leads past a series of waterfalls including the lovely Cascada de la Cueva ("waterfall of the cave") and the
stair-stepped cascades of the Gradas de Soaso. For a more
challenging option hike along the Faja de Pelay—a natural
limestone ledge that contours the south canyon wall about 2,000 feet
above the floor of the canyon. The walk along the Faja de Pelay is one of
the classic hikes in the Spanish Pyrenees—spectacular and dramatic and
well within the reach of an experienced mountain walker. To reach the Faja
de Pelay, ascend the switchbacks of the Senda de los Cazadores
("Hunter’s Path") to the Refugio y Mirador de
Calcilarruego. From here, proceed along the Faja de Pelay enjoying
magnificent views which include the
conspicuous notch of the Brèche de Roland (Brecha de Roldán, in
Spanish) and the imposing walls of the Muralla de la Fraucata. The Faja de
Pelay trail eventually intersects the floor of the Circo de Soaso at the
head of Ordesa Canyon. From here, follow the main Ordesa Canyon trail to
return to the trailhead. Enjoy a second evening in Torla. |
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5 The
Gradas de Soaso, Ordesa Canyon.
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5
Anisclo Canyon. |
Day 9
Overnight in Torla
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Explore the narrow defile of the Añisclo
Canyon where waterfalls plunge over limestone
cliffs, and beech and oak forests offer welcome shade to hikers. The
canyon's slender profile makes a hike through Añisclo a more intimate
experience than one through its grander neighbor, Ordesa. Most of the route
up-canyon is etched into Añisclo's western wall. Throughout the hike, the
dramatic orange and grey walls of the canyon rise sharply above you, and the
roar of the Añisclo River is a constant companion. Depending on your pace,
you can reach a place called Selva Plana, a shaded plateau deep in canyon
country overlooking a particularly narrow portion of the gorge. |
5 Faja de
las Flores. |
If you're
interested in
a more rigorous adventure (and have a head for heights), you can follow a steeply ascending trail from the
floor of Ordesa Canyon to gain the lofty Faja de las Flores, a natural,
horizontal "groove" etched in Ordesa Canyon's northern wall. Proceed along a trail
set into this faja ("strip of land") 3,000 feet above the
floor of Ordesa. This is truly a five-star hike and without doubt one
of the most thrilling trail experiences available to hikers in Europe! |
5 Ermita
Nuestra Señora de la Peña, Tella. |
Day 10
Overnight in Pau
Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Travel back to Pau, France via the Tunel
de Bielsa. En route, stop for a hike at the remote mountain-top village of
Tella. Pine, rosemary, lavender, and boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)—known
as boj in Spanish and buis in French—line the fragrant
path as it loops by four stone chapels dating from the 11th to the 16th centuries.
Take time to enjoy the peace of the surrounding mountains before
continuing the journey to Pau. Lodging and a farewell dinner in Pau is included tonight as
is your breakfast tomorrow. |
Other Details about
this Trip
Trip Dates: July 11-20, 2008
(Trip Leaders: John Osaki & assistant)
Price: $3,590
Single Room for entire trip: $375
Meeting Point: Hotel in Pau, France on the morning of July 11. We suggest you spend the evening of
July 10 in Pau.
The cost of lodging for the evening of July 10 is not included in the
trip price.
Departure Point: Tour services conclude after dinner in Pau on the
evening of July 20. Your lodging for that
evening and breakfast the following morning are included in the trip
price. We suggest you plan your onward travel
connections from Pau for July 21.
Accommodations: Ten nights total at small hotels in Cauterets,
Gavarnie, Torla, and Pau. All rooms with private bath. Ten breakfasts, ten
lunches, and
eight dinners are included.
Trip Dates: July 11-16, 2008 (Trip
Leaders: John Osaki & assistant)
Price: $3,120
Single Room for entire trip: $300
Meeting Point: Hotel in Pau, France on the morning of
July 11. We suggest you spend the evening of July 10 in Pau.
The cost of lodging for the evening of July 10 is not included in the
trip price.
Departure Point: Tour services conclude after dinner in Gavarnie on the
evening of July 16. However, your lodging for that
evening, breakfast the following morning, and transfer to the rail
station or airport in Pau on the morning of July 17 are included in the trip
price.
Accommodations: Six nights total at small hotels in Cauterets, and
Gavarnie. All rooms with private bath. Six breakfasts, six lunches, and
four dinners are
included. |
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