The area of Béarn includes the ranges at North of the Spanish area of Canfranc and both areas are connected across Somport and Portalet.

In this area are included as well some mountains of the East whit frontier with peaks of Spanish Belagua-Hecho and French Pays Basque as the Cirque de Lescun. This mountains are linked to both areas but the description is in the area of Spanish side.

At West the limit is the area of Bigorre with the massifs of Argeles-Gazost and Cauterets-Lutour.

Lurien

At South-West the limit is not precise because the frontier turn to North in the massifs over Formigal and it's better to include this peaks as Arriel, Pallas or Balaitous in the next valley of Spanish side to West, the area of Tena, but it has some routes as well in French side across Port de Lavedan or Col Noir. The westernest Vignemale Massif has some route in Spanish side (Ordesa-Gavarnie) but the most importants summits and routes goes across the French side. Like others area in Pyrenees I've included the peaks of the border zone in both areas, because they have routes and trailheads in France and Spain.

The two most important valleys of this area are Aspe and Ossau but many peaks of this area are very unknow, specially among the Spanish mountaineers, with one important exception since this area has one of the most beautiful mountains of the Pyrenees, the Pic du Midi d’Ossau.

Getting There

North:
It's possible the entry of the area from N.W. across Oloron-Ste. Marie. The Gave (Valley ) d’Aspe has the main village in Bedous and the gave d’Ossau in Arudy and Laruns.
From Tarbes and Lourdes the entry goes across Argeles-Gazost crossing the col of Aspin and col of Aubisque to Laruns.

South:
From Spain you must go to Canfranc to cross the tunnel of Somport, or to Sallent de Gallego to cross the Col du Portalet.

Red Tape

The South is in the National Park of the Pyrenees with rules about camping and some restricitons of access (detailled description about it in each peak if it's necessary).

Cirque de Lescun-Lariste-Arlet

Anie

Ansabére

Cirque de Lescun

Lariste

Arlet

Ibon de Acherito

Though the mountains of Cirque de Lescun as Anie (2507m), Mesa de los Tres Reyes (2444m), Ansabère / Petrechema (2371m), are included in Belagua-Hecho as well (it has generally the easiest and normal routes).
It exists some massifs in the border at S.E. of Acherito (2358m), peak in Spanish side, with many routes in French territory as the massif of Lariste and the massif of Arlet.

-Massif of Lariste: the peaks of Ibon de Acherito and the peaks of cirque de las Foyas. The massif begin at S.E. of Pic Petragème or Sobarcal over the ravine of Acherito and it goes to the col de la Cuarde where's begin the massif of Arlet.

-Peaks: Trois Dent of La Chourique (2141m), Chourique (2084m), Pic du Lac de la Chourique (2138m), Laraille (2147m), Mallo de las Foyas (2312m), Mallo Cristian (2075m), Pourtet Barrat (2101m), Pourtet Ouvert (2131m), Lariste (2169m), Bacqué (2093m), Marmida (2076m), Cotdoguy (2019m), Burcq (2105m), O Risté (2109m).

-Trailheads:
-Spanish side: Guarrinza (Selva de Oza).
-French side: Pont Masousa, Pont Lamary, Lamarché.

-Massif of Arlet-Acué
With some nice red peaks over green valleys and small lakes.

-Peaks:Pic Rouge / Pico Royo (2177m), Aillary (2218m), Arlet (2207m), Acué / Gabedaille (2258m).

-Trailheads:
-Spanish side: Pista de Aguas Tuertas (from Selva de Oza-Guarrinza).
-French side: Forges d'Abel.

Gave d'Aspe

Little and nice valley, traditional pass of the bears (a few actually in all the Pyrenees).

-Valley of Aspe-West: Trone du Roi (1266m), Saraille (1242m) or Layens (1625m)
-Valley of Aspe-East: Mail Arrouy (1251m), Roumendarès (1646m).
-South of Col de Marie Blanque: Ourlène (1814m), Mailh Massibé (1973m), Montagnou (1973m).

Gave d'Ossau

Sesques

Peyreget

Midi d'Ossau

Cézy

The valley of Ossau is the most important of the area with the highest and most beautiful mountains. A lot of peaks over 2000 meters surround the omnipresent Midi d’Ossau (2884m) but another great peak is in the zone, the Pic de Sesques (2606m).

-Valley of Ossau-West: Bergon (2148m), Montagnon d’Iseye (2178m), Montaut (2016m), Permayou (2344m), Isabe (2463m), Sesques (2606m), Soum de Moundaut (2526m), Capèran de Sesques (2410m), Las Sérous (2386m), Gazies (2457m), Aule (2392m).

-Valley of Ossau-South: the zone of Pic du Midi d’Ossau (2884m), the most important mountain of the area, an spectacular rocky peak with impressive walls and chimneys. Near of the peak exist another easiest mountains with marvelous views of the great peak: Ayous (2288m), Casterau (2227), Peyreguet (2487m), Gradillère (2271m).
The mountains over Astun-Formigal as Pic des Moines and the peaks around the Portalet as the Cirque d’Anèou are included in area of Canfranc but all have spectacullars view of valley of Ossau.

-Valley of Ossau-East: Gourzy (1917m), Cézy (2209m).

Gourette

Grand Gabizos

Pic de Ger

The ski-resort of Gourette, in the North-East of valley of Aspe, it's a zone with important peaks. The wild enviroment of peaks as Grand Gabizos, a great rocky ridge over the grassy plains, it contrast with the expansion of resort in the Pic de Ger, spectacullar rocky peak. At north is the famous Col d’Aubisque (1709m), important port of Tour de France (bicycle race).

-Mountains:
Soum de Grum (1870m), Pène Sarrière (1944m), Pène Médaa (2488m), Pic de Ger (2613m), Amoulat (2594m), Géougue d’Arre (2619m), Latte de Bazen (2472m), Esquerra (2453m), Petit Gabizos (2639m), Grand Gabizos (2691m), Sanctus (2482m).

P.Sarrière

Sanctus

Le Lurien

Lurien

At South of Gourette exist a little massif before the peaks of massif Soques-Arriel(included in Tena), it's the Lurien, important peak with spectacular panorama. This massif begin in the N.W. with the Pic de la Sagette (2031m), with the popular station d’Artouste-Fabreges, cable-way and little train to Lac d’Artouste, and it contain another peaks as Ormièlas (2240m), Petit Lurien (2358m), Le Lurien (2826m), Arrious (2826m), Tourettes (2771m), La Lie (2673m) or Artouste (2816m), just in the ridge North of Pallas (2974m). The massif of Pallas-Balaitous is included as well in area of Tena.

Artouste

Sagette

La Lie

Pallas-Balaitous

Arriel

Balaitous

At South-West of the area the frontier goes just across the summits and it begin the big heights of the Pyrenees. The point of entry of the French normal routes goes across the Port de Lavedan or the Col Noir to walk in the Spanish side where's the normal route of the peaks generally.

Peaks: Arriel (2824m), Pallas (2975m) or Balaitous (3144m). All had routes in the spanish side in the area of Tena.

Trailhead of French side: Caillou de Soques
Refuges: Refuge Larribet (C.A.F. 2060m), Refuge Ledormeur (free, 12 places, C.A.F. 1917m), Refuge d'Arremoulit

Arrens-Estaing

The valleys of Arrens and Estaing are in the South of the village of Arrens-Marsous with mountains like Midi d’Arrens (2267m), Bassia du Hoo (2571m), Maleshores (2703m), Grand Barbat (2813m), Arrouy (2785m) or Bernat Barrau (2592m).

Marcadau

Facha

Picos de Marcadau

The valley of Marcadau have its culmination in the impressive Gran Facha (3005m) in the border with Spain (area of Tena). It contain the route to this peak across the refuge Wallon.
The Port of Marcadau, at S.E. of the Facha, is an important col to cross to Spanish side. Another peaks of the ridge of border are: Cambales (2955m), Picos de Marcadau (2676m), Gran Pic d’Aratille (2900m).

Refuges: Refuge Wallon (1812m).

Aratille

Valley of Gaube-Vignemale massif

Vignemale

The valley of Gaube has the culmination in the great massif of Vignemale but it have another peaks as Peyrot (2703m), Chabarrou (2930m), Pic d’Estibe Aute (2815m) or Pic de la Séde (2976m).
The Vignemale massif it's in an important confluence of areas and the hazard have created routes in maps of three areas of normal use as Béarn, Tena and Ordesa-Gavarnie. For this reason is a massif in different areas on summitpost.
The list of full peaks is in Pyrenees 3000m peaks, but really the main summits are Tapou (3150m), Montferrat (3219m), Central (3235m), Cerbillona (3247m) Clot de la Hount (3289m), Grand Vignemale (3298m), Punta Chausenque (3204m) and Petit Vignemale (3032m).

Refuges: Bayssellance (2651m)

Camping

Many lodges, campings and hotels and a lot of villages.
The main villages with hotel and camping are: Bedous, Arudy, Laruns, Eaux-Bonnes, Arrens-Marsous, Aucun, Argeles-Gazost,...

External Links

Bearn some routes in french with pictures.
Bearn on line information of villages and tourisme (french). Visit the section sports->Randonnées.
Le Bearn information of the area(french/spanish).

Images



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