France: East – west along the Pyrénéen foothills

Route: Col d’Ares – Céret – Thuir – Gorges de Galamus – Rennes-les-Bains – Saint-Girons – Tarbes – Pau – Orthez – Donapaleu – Lekunberri -‘Chalet de Pedro’ track

From the top of the Col d’Ares, I had marvelous views towards the Massif du Canigou.  The downhill is a beautiful one, but as I’m descending into the valley, village after village there’s more traffic and immediately you’ll notice the different attitude of French drivers compared to the (much, much better) Spanish drivers.  Luckily, there’s another greenway awaiting, the Ancienne Voie Verte D’Arles à Eine.  

I am following the V.81 Piémont Pyrénéen bicycle route which goes coast to coast from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean.  Just before Foix, I can take the voie Verte Saint-Girons / Foix.  Immediately the old railway line goes over a spectacular bridge.  I can recommend this voie verte.

Arriving in Tarbes, the weather is so bad, and the forecast not promising, that I decide to take a train to Pau.  I bypassed Lourdes like that, but I’ve been there twice before, and it seemed rains were the heaviest here.

Cycling out of Pau is along the Gave de Pau river.  Late afternoon I arrive in beautiful Orthez, entering town over the beautiful vieux pont (old bridge) and have a look at the Saint-Pierre church.

About ten kilometer west of Orthez, I leave the Gave de Pau river and cycle south into the Pyreneen foothills.  I do this again traffic free via the Voie Verte de Salies-de-Béarn à Escos.  Again over some spectacular old railway bridges.  After the voie verte, I’m happy I did my home work well, as I climb further and further up the Pyrenees, but avoiding the main road, passing small hamlets like Zibitze.  

Names of villages give away that I have entered the French Basque Country which is just like her Spanish neighbor a super, super beautiful region.  You just need to be lucky with the weather.  And today, I am lucky.  Highlight of the day is climbing up the (in)famous Col de Burdinkurutxeta.  Infamous, yes, with long sections between 10 and 14%, but totally worth it, especially as you go higher, and the hills become more and more barren.  About three kilometer after Burdinkurutxeta is the Aterbea shelter where you are allowed to pitch your tent right next to the Urbeltza river.  At an altitude of 1.000 meter, it gets cold and humid at night.  I was the only one in a tent.  There were a few motorhomes up here as well.

Next morning it was super cold and it took me some time before I could get going.

I took a small road going west from the Aterbea shelter.  First some more climbing, as the weather got worse.  Some rain and very strong winds.  The small asphalt road turns into dirt.  

The border crossing was on foot, through a little river, an old barrier marked the unofficial border crossing.  This thing cannot be passed by car, so I was happily on my lonely, apart from an old guy fishing in the stream.  It’s goodbye France again for now.  Back to Spain !