UKC

Me and my partner are looking to head to the Pryenees in July for a campervan trip. We are planning to stay in either Torla-Ordesa or Gavarnie.

We are hoping to do some hiking, Climbing, Via Ferrata and maybe some cycling

Neither of us have been to the area before so any suggestions/recommendations for the above activities would be greatly appreciated

We are both very experienced hikers and are comfortable climbing up to 6a+.

Also any guide book recommendations would be great

Thanks

I don't know much. Ordesa is stunningly beautiful. In July you need to take the shuttle bus from Torla in to the park. The climbing in Ordesa itself is serious with steep loose rock and little fixed protection. I have done one route and bailed of another when we were to slow in face of an incoming storm.

Was last touring this area in August 2019, hopping from French to Spanish sides with family in our van (Spanish side can get very hot lower down).

Went up and around Ordesa way, but don't go into main park.

An hour to the SE you've got Ainsa for world class mountain biking trails (ride very early and you should miss the heat if its hot).

Did an easy via ferrata here (50 mins to west): https://goo.gl/maps/xPcrcqU98GC96mu27

Also some sport climbing just north around the Bubal reservoir area (and a zip wire that our kids did).

And if you are in that part of Spain, you HAVE to at least go look at Riglos (about 2 hours from Ordesa); but may be too roasting hot for climbing in July.

We also stayed around Gavarnie on that trip.

Stunning area (but very busy), the Cirque is breath-taking.

Fairly tough via ferrata here: https://goo.gl/maps/fYTB3nT9xvXCdLc47

Also worth the drive up to Col de Tentes for a walk: https://goo.gl/maps/SHvocNCT1akZA5p48

We also MTB'd with uplift here (40 mins north): https://goo.gl/maps/cTEkNwbLRuTPuC8f8

And MTB uplift at Cauterets

Kev Reynold's guide 'The Pyrenees' is very useful for both the French & Spanish sides, although I don't know if it been updated since the first edition which is dated 2004. From Torla you would be well placed to visit the nearby canyon d'Añisclo (https://www.turismodearagon.com/en/ficha/canon-de-anisclo/ )

meant to say: Went up and around Ordesa way, but didn't go into main park.

We also went to the to the Gavarnie area last year. The Breche de Roland from Col de Tentes is a great walk with some easy scrambling. It looked like you could potentially get the peak to the right from the Breche if you have time. 

That via Ferrata is very good, although it is there only one I've ever done. Graded TD whatever that is meant to mean on VF, but my kids did it and thought it was the best thing ever. There is single pitch 6a sport at Pont Napoleon (might have been Pont d'Espagne), but we didn't go there.

The via ferrata was good indeed (and fairly hard in the scale of the VF we've done) - our kids also had a good time on it.

The various VF Grading schemes explained here: https://theuiaa.org/mountaineering/via-ferrata/

That peak is Le Taillon (circa 3100m) & its an easy walk from the breche with good views from the summit. The breche can also be reached from the Spanish side via the Refugio de Góriz, most easily approached via the canyon d'Ordesa. When I was there some 20 years ago there were cables on part of the approach to the breche but they didn't seem necessary (may have been different if it had been wet or icy).

I have this item in decent condition for sale if you’re interested. I don’t think we’ll be going again - that kind of walking is beyond us now, sadly.

PARQUE NACIONAL DE ORDESA Y MONTE PERDIDO, RED DE SENDEROS (GUÍA CASTELLANO+2 MAPAS)
It’s a guidebook to walking routes in the area and comes with two 1:25,000 maps. Not up to IGN or OS standards but quite good. Unfortunately it’s in Spanish but stll useful. You can have it for a tenner postage included. I paid £15.50 for it about 3 years ago

forgot to add that you can see maps at various scales (to something like 1:10 000) at https://idearagon.aragon.es/visor/ (helps to be able to understand a little Spanish). The 'topografica' is probably the best place to start

I've spent 3 of the last 4 summers in that area of the Pyrenees and would agree with what's been said above. Ordesa is stunning but get an early shuttle bus as the number of visitors per day is capped, once it's full you can't get in. There is some via ferrata in the valley, it's on a steep walk out of the valley in the direction of the Breche Roland, can't remember what it's called off the top of my head.

The VF mentioned above in the Gavarnie valley is quite short, you can do it in not much more than an hour but it is quite technical as VF go but if you can climb 6a+ it's nothing to worry about, unless you don't like exposed, wobbly suspension bridges.

I think there's another, shorter more technical one still lower down the valley but I'd have to check.

There's probably much more climbing to do at your grade on the French side. This is the book to get

https://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Books-Media/Guidebooks/France/Plaque...

It's in French and Spanish but it's pretty user friendly for non speakers. There's everything from long multi pitch Alpine style rock climbs to single pitch, almost roadside sport cragging with everything in between.

If you're staying in the Gavarnie valley vehicle access to the village itself is restricted, with multiple car parks on the edge of the village, not free but not expensive. The later you arrive the further you have have to park from it. Lots of camper vans overnight there so can keep your space but its not the nicest spot to stay. Further up hill on the road to the Col des Tentes there's another camper van spot but with no facilities (perhaps a toilet waste disposal site?). There are several camp sites strung out down the valley, probably the best is Camping Toy in Luz. It has the facilities you want without being being flash and it's pretty cheap. It's just off the town centre square so all the town's facilities are walkable. Luz has a decent supermarket, banks, gear shops, bars etc without being too big and its very central for getting out in multiple directions.

One thing I've found whilst there is that in general the weather is a lot better than the Alps but there are a lot of cloud inversions. If the forecast for the mountains is good but you seem to be stuck in misty clag, don't be put off. Drive uphill and at some point you'll emerge above the clouds and into the sun.

If the weather in the mountains really is bad, drive downhill (north) until you escape it. The guide book has crags all the way to Lourdes so something should be dry.

If you want any more specific advice, just ask.

I also have a copy of the guidebook mentioned which the OP can have for £12 +postage (large letter).

Hiya. Thanks. I will take that book off your hands. Let me know how you would like this to be arranged

Can we continue using the ukc emails? Just let me know which you want, the walking guide and maps or the climbing guide.

Easiest maybe using bank transfer.

Rog