Introduction
Africa may or may not begin at the Pyrenees, but my first real mountain experience began there, on the border of France and Spain, some 50 years ago. Since then I have crossed the range several times, but I have only had a few opportunities to hike and climb in them.
Torla, Spain
1969
One of my retirement projects will be to walk the Haute Route, hut to hut where possible, so I can travel light and get plenty of rest days, and knock off as many easy summits as I can. Most of the peaks named below are in the central part of the range. I have added Canigou because of its unique location at the eastern end of the range. Close to the abbey of St. Martin, it is situated in an area that I have wanted to visit since I discovered Romanesque architecture, hitchhiking years ago through the southwest of France.
Pic du Midi d’Ossau is clearly visible
Pic du Midi d’Ossau
When you walk along the Boulevard des Pyrénées, two summits are distinctly visible, Pic du Midi d’Ossau, directly south, and standing detached, and Pic du Midi de Bigorre, site of a famous astronomical observatory.
Some easy routes