Guided Walks and Treks

– Group size of eight or less, guaranteed departure from four people

- Private group possible from four people, discounts for 5 or more

– All logistics and accommodation included and organised by Pyrenean Odysseys

- Explore the flora and fauna, culture and history of the Pyrenees as you walk

- Enjoy quiet day trips or trek to remote peaks, on isolated footpaths, miles from roads and far away from civilisation

- Come on your own, as a couple or with friends or family

Walking in the Pyrenees, with a trained mountain professional is both fun and a learning experience. All our guided trips leave you some time to do your own thing while allowing you to benefit from your guide’s safety and mountain experience when you need it.  Years of walking, working and living here mean your guide chooses the  best route for each day, can improvise if the weather changes, knows where to look for birds, animals and plants and is on hand for any emergencies.  These are not group ‘tours’ but days out with other people interested in the mountains and an expert on hand to tell you about the natural environment, local history and culture.  Our guides can transform your walking experience from one of simply admiring the scenery to one of walking through and beginning to understand the landscape, beautiful and dangerous as it can be.

Walking in a Group

Some people are wary of joining a group walk, thinking they may end up with others they do not like and will not enjoy the experience.  We have never found this to be the case.  Walking in a group is a relaxed experience – you walk together when necessary and can spread out and find your own pace on other sections.  Everyone is doing something they enjoy and are interested in.  During each day there are opportunities for time on your own, rejoining the group when necessary to cross a tricky section or when a landmark is reached.  Walking in a group has huge benefits – information and understanding, security in the mountains, help should you need it and the opportunity to go into places you otherwise might not.

You will be made welcome whether you come as a single person, a couple or a pre-existing group. The supportive bonds that build up in a walking group can be very strong with everyone helping each other out.  You don’t need to worry about whether you will manage to “keep up” with the group – everyone walks at their own pace so those who want to can push ahead with others making a more steady pace.  We will discuss your walking experience with you before you come, and once in the Pyrenees itineraries can be adapted to suit the group.

Maps

You don’t need to do any map reading or navigation but we find that most people joining these guided holidays are interested in having a look at the map each day in order to see where the group is headed.  If you would like to have your own maps the IGN “Carte de Randonnée” 1:25000 scale are the best on the French side of the Pyrenees. Your guide will show you where you are on the map or, on treks, will plan each day’s walk with you ahead of time over a drink at the refuge. You can learn a lot about map reading from them so take advantage of their experience and knowledge.

Local Transport

Transport arrangements vary depending on the trip, its start and finish points and what is required in between. None of our guided holidays require for you to have your own car, and where public transport is possible at the start and end of a trip you will be encouraged to use it.  Your guide will organise all transport during the week whether it be mini-van or public bus services (which we are using more and more for both convenience and environmental reasons). We can also, by arrangement, collect you from Pau or Lourdes for the transfer to Luz St Sauveur but equally the SNCF bus service takes 55 minutes from Lourdes train station to Luz, runs every few hours and is extremely efficient.  See the current timetable on our How to Get Here page.

Which Trek is for You ?

Some walks return to the comfort of Hotel Les Templiers at the end of each day, others have a mix of hotel and refuge accommodation, and others are all refuge based. Treks traverse the high passes of the Pyrenees – often passing between France and Spain. Choosing the right walk for you depends on a number of factors, such as how fit and used to walking in the mountains you are, whether you would rather stay in a village setting or hike miles away from the roads and stay in refuges, whether you are more interested in flora and fauna, culture or high mountain landscapes and peaks.  The guided walks you will find on this site are very varied in feel and challenge. Some are relaxed day walks where the emphasis is on enjoying the scenery at a comfortable pace, stopping regularly for photos and learning a bit more about these magnificent mountains (e.g. Discover the Pyrenees, Pyrenees Biodiversity). A local catchphrase is ‘the mountains are for everyone’ and you certainly don’t have to be an Olympian to enjoy walking here. However, other holidays are much more demanding physically and you’ll end the day with that pleasurable feeling of having really given your all. These guided walks involve elements of climbing or scrambling and long hard days. So do make sure that you ask us about what you are looking to do and we’ll help you pick the right holiday.

Pyrenees Walking/Trekking Program Summer 2012

May Bank Holiday Val d’Azun Trek

We stay in a B&B in the foothills around Argeles and tackle three wonderful spring itineraries: the Pibeste Nature Reserve, the ridge walk above the Val d’Azun and the Hautacam ridges.  All offer stunning views over the still snowcapped Pyrenean peaks.  Date: 26-28 May.  Maximise your time by taking the night train on Friday 25th May from Paris-Lourdes and again on Monday 28th for the return.

August Bank Holiday Marcadau Trek

We head into the Marcadau Valley and sleep in Refuge Wallon for three days high in the mountains.  What better way to end the summer?  Date: 25-27 August.  Maximise your time here by taking the night train on Friday 24th and again on Monday 27th.

Discover The Pyrenees

We have all lived in the Pyrenees for a good number of years now and this trip introduces you to the highlights.  From your accommodation in Hotel Les Templiers your guide will take you out for four days of easy walking to discover the Neouvielle Nature Reserve, the World Heritage listed Gavarnie and Troumouse Cirques and the famous Pont d’Espagne and Lac de Gaube above Cauterets.  Laurent will take you for an excursion over the Col du Tourmalet and up the Pic du Midi cable car for panoramic views from 2877m.  As a day off you’ll have a morning wandering around the market and exploring the history of some local villages.  Your accommodation is in Hotel Les Templiers in Luz St Sauveur.  Dates: 2-9 June, 23-30 June, 21-28 July, 11-18 Aug, 29 Sept-6 Oct, 6-13 Oct, 13-20 Oct.

Foothills to Summits

This trek is out of the ordinary.  We’ll spend the first part of the week climbing and traversing a range of foothill peaks and ridges, enjoying the spring pastures full of flowers and views up onto the still snowcapped high summits.  At the end of the week we head up to Pont d’Espagne to begin our climb up to the highest summit in the French Pyrenees, the Vignemale (3298m).  After sleeping a night in the Baysellance Refuge we climb over the glacier to the summit (with Mandy + a high mountain guide), before descending into the Ossoue valley, Gavarnie and returning to Luz for our last night. Date: 9-16 June

Pyrenees Biodiversity with Jon

Neouvielle Nature Reserve Trek

A superbly flexible trek, the multitude of refuges in this area allows us to offer shorter walking days with options for climbing higher passes or summits for those who wish.  Those who are happy with short days can have a swim in the lake and relax until the group returns.  You also have the choice of camping, if you come equipped, or sleeping in the refuge each night.  Fabulous lake filled high mountain scenery – this is unique in the Pyrenees. Date: 15-22 Sept.

Tour of Mont Perdu

The Pyrenean Odysseys equivalent of the Tour of Mont Blanc, but on this one you get to climb the summit! A hut to hut trek full of spectacularly varied high mountain scenery, entirely within the Mont Perdu-Tres Serols World Heritage Area and the French and Spanish National Parks.  Dates: 18-25 Aug and 8-15 Sept.

The Pyrenean High Route

In 2011 we began our great adventure: traversing the Pyrenees along their spine on foot, keeping close to the border between France and Spain, and walking through some of its most spectacular landscapes.  This continues in the summer of 2012, where we offer the first four of the nine total weeks.  Staying in refuges along the way these treks along the Pyrenean High Route introduce to you another world.  Dates: 1-7 July, 28 July – 4 Aug, 8-15 Sept, 15-22 Sept.