From the top of the Rhune to the Pic d'Iparla
The image of the Basque Country are the beaches of course, the pretty typical villages too, but also the mountains The advantage of the mountains of the Basque Country is that you can leave with your family for the day... have a picnic and enjoy the nature that surrounds you... but it can also be longer hikes up to several days for the bravest who take the GR10. And why not snowshoe hikes in the middle of winter! In this article, I will tell you about beautiful walks to do during the day and preferably in the summer... For the GR10, we will see that in another article later. So come and discover this mountain and take advantage of this trip to take beautiful souvenir photos!!
Let's start with one of the most legendary peaks in the Basque Country...La Rhune. La Rhune is located on the Franco/Spanish border at an altitude of 905m between the municipalities of Sare and Ascain. If you come from the coast, cross Ascain and follow the arrows towards the Col de Sainte Ignace :) You have 2 solutions to go up to La Rhune: the little cogwheel train or on foot. Our subject will be for those who want to do this hike on foot. You have several possibilities of departure whether it is from Ascain, Olhette, Sare or the Col de Sainte Ignace (departure of the little train). In any case, you will need to count around 4h30 there and back...so don't forget the usual instructions in the mountains (picnic, suitable clothing, sunscreen, pocket to bring your waste, etc...) the weather can be changeable in the mountains!!
You will cross forests and meadows throughout your ascent. This winding path will allow you to approach free-roaming sheep and pottoks who spend the summer on the mountain pastures. At the top you will have a breathtaking view of the Spanish side, on the Atlantic coast as far as Bayonne in good weather and on the Pyrenees chain as far as the eye can see. A tip, if you are tired or if the weather is bad, go down by train, it is quite possible
Let's continue towards the East, from Sare you can reach the Libanteli massif. Go to the Goaneako rest area (D306), the trail starts at 250m. You will have to walk about ten kilometers over 630m of elevation (in 3h30) to reach the top of this massif. Chataigneraie, oak grove and small stream will accompany you. After a short passage on the other side of the Spanish border, you will reach the top to discover a breathtaking 360° panorama. After a good picnic, all you have to do is go back down to your starting point.
Continuing... further to the east of the Basque Country, from the town of Itxassou join the "mountain of the eagles" the Pic Mondarrain. About ten kilometers there and back and 260m of vertical drop in the background, a nice walk on the ridges, accessible to children and the less athletic people (good! you have to climb a little all the same :) ). You will surely come across some ewes, pottoks and other cows which will be the attractions of the little ones in this adventure. Why not bivouac for the night and admire the sunset!! (note: bivouac from 7 p.m. to sunrise...and don't leave anything after your visit)
Here we are back in Itxassou, take the direction of Louhossoa then Hélette... park in the parking lot of the leisure base (D119) for a short hike on the summit of Baigura. You leave for a circuit of 4 hours for about 8 kilometers and a drop of 600m. The landscape is quite arid with short meadows and small shrubs. The fauna and flora are numerous and varied...with luck you might come across a few griffon vultures looking for abandoned carcasses.
We end our escapade in the mountains of the Basque Country by climbing the Iparla peak (1044m) The start is from the village square of the municipality of Bidarray (D918). This hike is more sporty than the others presented above.
You have 2 options: - either go to the peak of Iparla and return (allow 4 hours there and back) - either arrived at the Pic d'Iparla, continue towards the Col d'Ispéguy and return via St Etienne de Baïgorry (count 3 hours more walking)... important information, you will have understood that this 2nd option is not a circuit...so remember to plan a means of transport for your return to Bidarray (a good friend who would pick you up for example...yes! yes! it exists) Be that as it may, this mid-trek is not easy...climbs in steep and slippery rocks, "handrail" in places for safety reasons, descents in blocks no more stable than that...So be careful or take a guide. This second option reminds me a bit of the GR20 in Corsica in some ways.
I would not be complete if I did not tell you about the fauna and flora that you will encounter in this universe far from the beaches. Far from being an arid place, the mountains of the Basque Country have a varied and different flora depending on the territories crossed: green meadows, oak and beech forests but also chestnut and hazelnut trees welcome a multitude of birds. In the middle of this nature, the pottoks are the emblematic animals of these mountains, with their small size they adapt to all terrains. You will come across cows mainly in the Soule region. Ewes and their Patou (guard dog of the herds) attention they are not always very "cool" with the hikers... Go to the open sea :)... To the east of Iraty in the early morning with good binoculars, luck will allow you to see chamois. Other animals inhabit these mountains, marmots, snow partridges (very rare), griffon vultures and their 2.8m wingspan, bearded vultures, jackdaws, crows...and I forget...
I hope I have made you want to discover the mountains of the Basque Country... A happy alternative to the sometimes crowded beaches and a breath of fresh air on a day that is too hot to sunbathe :)