Four Passes in the Pyrenees

[yokehead]

On our family summer holidays in France I try to get at least one day in the mountains. Last year it was a wonderful but long trip to Mont Pelat, this year we were staying a bit north of Bagneres de Luchon so it was an easier journey. I saw this route in the Cicerone book Walks and Climbs in the Pyrenees, it seemed a fine circuit even though there were no peaks climbed.

The route starts at the Hospice de France and ascends clockwise up to and along the border with Spain, culminating in the dramatic pass of Port de Venasque before heading back down to the start.

Route shown in yellow

The start is already high at 1385m and it is steeply uphill straight away, ascending 500m on a zigzag path over 1km as the crow flies, to a plateau. Marvellous view from here of the wonderfully-named Pic de la Pique.

Start at the Hospice de France

Pic de la Pique

The path ascends gently, 200m over the next 2 km, to the first pass Pas de la Montjoie. Along the way I was privileged to meet one of Roger Federer's roadies.

RF gets everywhere

looking back to the start

Beyond the pass, the path follows the France/Spain border, marked by concrete posts, again climbing gently.

the border

The next pass is the Pas de l'Escalette at 2398m, here the path enters Spain, turns to the west and the ground becomes rocky. Views open out to the south, to the glaciers of the Maladeta massif.

After the Pas de l'Escalette

the high peaks and glaciers

The path descends for a while, then rises again to the pass Puerto de la Picada at 2477m. Views open out further, to the west, and the 4th pass comes into view.

view to the west

Port de Venasque is the v on the right, the peak is Pic de Sauvegarde

The path descends a little over the next 1km where you arrive below the climb to the pass. The path zigzags up, views to the south are superb - except for the awful mess on the plateau where folk have used rocks to spell out names of all sorts. Such a shame.
Having seen the attractive looking Pic de Sauvegarde I had intended to climb it, but changed my mind as the day was wearing on and the weather was looking to deteriorate from the south. A wise move as it turned out.

looking up to the last pass

the mess spoiling the view beyond

The pass is a narrow and dramatic gap between the rocks, at 2444m. The view each way is quite contrasting.

into Spain

marker for the pass

into France

Steeply down at first then the path traverses above a lake before dropping down to the Refuge de Venasque. Here I had an absolutely awful coffee, with bits of god knows what floating in it.

lake below the pass

refuge

From just after the refuge the whole of the rest of the route is in view, it goes steeply down descending 900m in about 3km. A zoomed view of the required zigzgs shows it off well.

the route down

A bit of rain came on as I zoomed down, but I was able to stay ahead of most of it as it came down the valley behind me. It wouldn't have been much fun if I'd done that peak with the rain to follow!

just beat the rain

all done, brollies out