Continents

Hiking the Eastern Pyrenees from Andorra

Here is another installment in our continuing series of adventure experiences that focus on being young at heart.

Stretching 267 miles between the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the Pyrenees are the geographical boundary between France and Spain. About 10 miles of the eastern part of the range lies within the tiny Principality of Andorra, an independent state since the eighth century when Charlemagne granted a charter to the people of Andorra as a reward for their assistance in fighting the Moors.

A prosperous nation, Andorra earns most of its income from tourism.
As you approach Andorra from Spain, the road leads into a canyon formed by the massifs of Fontaneda and Canolich on one side and La Rabassa on the other. Ahead and stretching in an arc across the horizon are dozens of majestic summits, snow-capped for much of the year. They mark Andorra’s boundaries to the west, north and east, and include more than four dozen classified peaks that together provide the finest mountain hiking in the entire Pyrenean chain. Marked trails lead past translucent lakes, alongside streams, through forests and flower-strewn meadows.

Unlike many climbs in the central Pyrenees, the six hikes presented here require neither experience nor special equipment. If you are fit, agile and determined, you will be able to complete them and return to base within eight hours (less for Canigou and Casamanya, nine for the Prat Primer). These mountains are the highest in their sector; climbing them will reward you with a thrilling sense of achievement as you reach the peak, gaze around, and find yourself standing on top of your world.

Pic du Canigou

9,134 feet (height of the peak)
vertical 2,080 feet (height to be climbed to reach the peak)

Mount Canigou dominates southern France’s Roussillon region with a peak that seems to float magically above its surrounding massif. Plan to overnight in the town of Vernet-les-Bains (see page 16), then join an early-morning Jeep-taxi for the 90-minute ride up to the Chalet des Cortalets, the starting point on the massif.

Leaving the Chalet, you skirt a small lake to the left, climb gradually along a ridge first to the Pic Joffre (named after France’s WWI Field Marshal), then ascend to the actual peak, much higher, along an increasingly steep and rock-strewn trail. Although the summit is in French territory, the flag that flies there is the red-and-yellow emblem of Catalunya. This entire region, as far east as Perpignan, was once part of the Catalan Empire and became part of France in 1659, after the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees with Spain.

Pic de Casamanya

8,989 feet; vertical 2,493 feet

Casamanya offers spectacular panoramic views from its summit because of its position, almost precisely in the center of Andorra. Start from the popular park area on the Coll d’Ordino, where the trail ascends gradually through forest before emerging onto the slopes of the mountain.

The hike is not difficult, although something of a teaser as you climb two ridges in succession, only to find yet another in front of you. This is a pastoral area and nearing the summit with its impressive stone cairn, don’t be surprised if you are greeted by a reception committee of sheep.

Pic de la Serrera

9,557 feet; vertical 3,389 feet

Start from Portell de Sorteny. At the end of the Sorteny valley, a steepish climb to the right will bring you into the Serrera valley with its shepherd’s stone cottage and meadows carpeted with anemones, forget-me-nots, daisies and blue gentian.

An hour’s gradual ascent ends at the foot of the Collada dels Meners with its notable black and red rocks. After shepherds had discovered the area in the 17th century, miners excavated the ore-bearing rocks, bringing them down by mule to the operators of the famous Catalan forges in the region. At the peak, there are magnificent views of the surrounding summits and down into France.

Pic de Font Blanca

9,524 feet; vertical 3,445 feet

This is a longish climb, but one of the most rewarding because of exceptional views during the ascent. You may need to deviate from the trail to avoid marshy terrain, particularly early in the season.

Start from the bridge (Pont Castellar) on the road to Arcalis, about a mile past the village of El Serrat. From the parking area on the right-hand side of the road, the trail rises at the left side of a stream, eventually bringing you to open meadows where you follow the stream to the foot of a steep bank. Keep to the left and continue to climb.

After an hour or so, the trail skirts cliffs where you veer to the right and start the steepish and quite long hike to the pyramidal summit. Exercise care as you arrive at the final section.

Pic del Pia de l’Estany

9,380 feet; vertical 4,199 feet

Start from the parking area at the end of Arinsal village beyond the two avalanche tunnels. Cross the shallow water course and follow the track, keeping right at the fork. Shortly after the refugi (shelter) at 6,800 ft., you climb steeply to the right, following a waterfall, then through boulders, up a gully, a longer, more gradual section to a metal hut and beyond that, to the higher of the two scenic Montmantell lakes.

For a faster return, descend from the peak directly to the lower lake and pick up the trail there. At Port Arinsal, below the peak, a plaque set into a rock memorializes an elderly British expatriate resident of Andorra who, with a companion, undertook this hike late in the season. The weather deteriorated quickly, and while trapped in a sudden snowstorm, one of them suffered a heart attack. Cell phones being relatively uncommon in Andorra at the time, his friend had no alternative but to descend to get help, but the rescue party arrived too late to save the other climber.

Prat Primer, Collada de la Maina, Madriu Valley

8,193 feet; verticals 3,799 feet and 745 feet

The most strenuous of the six hikes, this is also the most scenic and most varied in terrain. The final section is down the exceptionally beautiful Madriu Valley.

Starting near the picnic area known as Punt de la Berenada de la Comella, on the road above Escaldes, you climb up, past the Refugi Prat Primer then, more steeply and veering to the left, to the Col de Mort Bou. Descending from the col, the trail leads through meadows where the landmarks are Refugi Claror, a small lake (Estany de la Nou) and the Refugi Perafita.

Climbing becomes strenuous again with a 745 ft. hike to the Collada de Maiana. In the final section of the descent into the valley, the trail follows the international GR7/GR11 hiking routes along the Riu (river) Madriu through old forest. At the fork, take the GR7 left and emerge on the road about a mile east of your starting point.

To avoid having to walk back to your car (unless you have access to two vehicles or arrrange delivery/pick-up by taxi), check with the Andorra Tourist Office about possible public transit between the Berenada and the GR7 exit point.

Accommodations

In Andorra, you can stay almost anywhere in the country and, other than in the tourist season, still be at the starting point of your climb within about 45 minutes. (See our archive of Andorra lodging reviews.) The place to stay in Vernet-Les-Bains is Le Mas Fleuri. www.hotel-mas-fleuri.com.

When to Go

Mid-late June, the first week of July and all of September are prime time for climbing, with good weather and not many tourists. The outer limits are from mid-May when the last snow and ice has melted, up to late October when the temperature drops and there is a risk of sudden snowfalls.

Much depends on the severity of the preceding winter and the temperatures of spring. I have hiked Font Blanca early in June and found the higher sections inaccessible because of ice.

If possible, avoid the European holiday season from mid-July to the end of August, not because of the number of hikers on the mountains ? you will see only a few ? but because of the intolerable road traffic, which can transform the usual 10-minute drive into a two-hour gridlock.

Trail Notes

Wear hiking boots, not tennis shoes, and take leather gloves for rock scrambling. In your backpack, include an Andorra topographic map, compass, first-aid kit, sweater, flashlight, binoculars and matches or lighter. A cell phone is indispensable should you encounter difficulty. One with built-in GPS is even better.

Ask the tourist office for phone numbers of the Andorran Red Cross, Emergency Medical Service and hospital. With Andorra’s minimum altitude almost 3,000 ft., and averaging more than 6,500 ft., you might consider acclimatizing for a couple of days before tackling the higher peaks.

There are 26 huts, marked “Refugi” on maps, throughout the mountains with bunks (no bedding), firewood, drinking water, candles and first-aid kits. Signs mark the destinations at the start and at forks in the trail. Yellow paint dots on boulders or tree trunks confirm the routes.

For Shorter Hikes

Ask at a local tourist office for brochures describing easy walks. We recommend three scenic hikes up to the Fontargent, Juclar and Siscaro lakes. All start from the Incles Valley and can be completed within four hours. The verticals range from 1,300 to 1,900 ft.

Date: 02/19/2009