Hiking the GR11: 5 Days in the Pyrenees
Author : Lara Ehmler
1st August 2024
Hiking the GR11 – Let the Adventure Begin
Twice a year, Collett’s offers the opportunity of a week of high level walking on the GR11 in the Pyrenees. We follow five consecutive stages of this world-renowned long-distance footpath – showcasing some of the best hiking in the Pyrenees amidst stunning landscapes dotted with mountain lakes and spectacular views.
This July, Cam and I (Collett’s walking guides) were lucky enough to be those assigned to the trail with a group of eight due to arrive on Saturday evening. We prepared our maps and routes, checked the weather for the week ahead and collected our walk packs, then headed across the Hotel Sabocos (Our base in the Pyrenees) to greet them.
Once everyone had been shown to their rooms and settled in we reconvened on the terrace to share in a welcome drink. As Panticosa became bathed in a soft evening light we perused our routes and began to get to know each other. Soon enough it was dinner time and headed into the restaurant to tuck into our first three-course meal of the week. As usual, Hotel Sabocos didn’t disappoint and with a healthy accompaniment of house wine we reached the end of the meal satisfyingly full. It was time for bed for tomorrow was the start of our GR11 week.
Day 1 - Canal Royal and Ibones de Anayet
The next morning with walking gear on and ready to go we caught a lift to the Valle de Canfranc. An impressive start point the cliffs here are as good an introduction to the Pyrenean landscape as any other. Towering, tiered mountains toy with the nature of a Wild West film whilst grassy plateaus allow for a more alpine angle. At the time of year our GR11 walks run the landscape is just being touched by the first breath of autumn, so as we posed for a team photo and shouldered our packs we started a steady ascent into a golden grassed, glacial valley.We scaled the side of a gentle river for some time, its banks scattered with rosehip, pausing briefly at the overgrown ruin of an old rifugio. The further we climbed the more highly the valley walled us in, building to an impressive crescendo and soon enough we had reached the head of a glacial amphitheatre. It seemed as if, to the untrained eye, that we had reached a dead end. The way ahead was the steep back wall of the murrain so we pressed ahead towards it in order to find our path, passing bell-necked cows and dried up river beds.
The group settled comfortably into their uphill paces and we began to climb an unobvious track amongst the copper green and purple scree to the high point of the day. Steadily we climbed high above the valley, improving our views as time went on. We made sure to take plenty of breathers to make sure the views were fully appreciated. We were rewarded at the top by a dramatic change of landscape. Most noticeably in the distance were the peaks of France, in particular the Pic du Midi D’Osseau (2,884m). The Pic du Midi is a regular in the Pyrenean vista, with a recognisable twin peak and dark rock. It positioned itself behind the wide, shallow Anayet lakes, making for a stunning photo opportunity which we all took advantage of. As we reached the edge of the plateau we left views of the Pic du Midi behind us and were instead greeted by the Infiernos. Picos del Infierno (Hell’s peaks) consist of three peaks, the Western (3073m), Central (3082m) and Eastern (3076m) all of which are joined by an exposed and impressive ridge.
From a distance these mountains seem as if they are home to an enormous snow patch when actually the dark rock is instead divided by a smooth marble slab. These mountains quickly became my favourite view in the area.The path dipped lower into the valley, chasing a stream into the midst of a system of ski lifts. The area is home to a popular ski resort in the winter months and we were heading to base of numerous ski lifts to finish our walk for the day. Back at our lovely hotel, we enjoyed a well deserved dinner and discussed our plans for the next day.
Day 2 - La Sarra to Refugio Repromuso
We snaked our way up through narrow mountain roads in the minivan to our trailhead. We were heading for some hydroelectric works north of Sallent de Gállego. The area is tied together by a network of hydroelectricity plants and pipes stemming from reservoirs, Franco’s stamp on the area. They fit in quite well with the landscape, snaking up the hillsides to water towers and dams higher up the valleys, trapping enormous and beautiful bodies of water. The van dropped us off by the reservoir’s lapping waters. We walked up through the trees for some time, pulling steadily away from the river down to the right. As we gained height we found ourselves above an impressive gorge with steep drops. The trees here were definitely showing the first pulls of autumn and the colours in the canopy were scattering a beautiful light on the path. Eventually our tree cover broke and the gorge opened up with views of a few large waterfalls. This was our turn off point for the Ariel lakes. These lakes aren’t on the GR11 trail but instead provide a lovely detour and addition for what would otherwise be a very short and easy day. For anyone who wanted to head straight to our accommodation for the night (the Refugio Repromuso) they would need to head straight on towards the largest right-hand waterfall. Our whole group turned left however and began our steep climb up to the lakes. It was a long pull up over lose ground and narrow tracks but we took it steadily with plenty of breaks to help ourselves to the wild raspberry bushes that lined our way.
The last part of the climb reminded me of the landscapes seen in the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich. Great shards of rock clung together to create an epic entrance to the lakes. The rock was the colour of rusted iron and cadmium yellow. We had lunch by the first lake on a grassy outcrop jutting out into the water. We were walled in on all sides by scree slopes and boulders and some derelict buildings on the far side of the basin suggested old mining works in times gone by. It was very peaceful and a gentle breeze rolled across the water to meet us. After we’d eaten and enjoyed the sun for a while we climbed up to the next two lakes, each one more beautiful that the last. Pico de Pallás (2974m) provided an impressive backing for the last lake where we had the place completely to ourselves. In fact we didn’t see another soul until we arrived at the reservoir Repromuso. We approached on a high mountain track, well above the valley below. We were at eye level with many of the great peaks for a good amount of time and then dropped height towards the dam where we watched a helicopter delivering supplies by winch.
It was mid-afternoon by the time we reached Refugio Repromuso. Its triangular red roof was recognisable from quite a way off. Cam had skipped ahead to sort out our keys and room so we met him there and then enjoyed some afternoon nibbles with a well-deserved beer. Repromuso was a real hub, people from all over the mountain spilling in from outside. Mountaineers, climbers and hikers all together, from all over the world, sharing their day’s experiences. It was great! Cam and I got chatting to a couple of French guys sharing our room who had been ticking off a number of peaks in the area. They had some amazing photographs to share and we muddled through with our basic French and their better English.
Day 3 - Refugio Repromuso to Baños de Panticosa
Our fourteen man dorm room had been an experience. By the time we had returned to the room and clambered up into our bunks it was already pretty toasty and the whole thing was authenticated by a couple of snoring Frenchmen. It was just that though, authentic, and the group were all in good humour the next morning as we emerged sleepily for breakfast. Then gathering outside on the refugio decking to put our walking boots on. The air was crisp and clean and the bowl was still in shadow, perfect walking conditions. Cam and I had already been up for hours as we had returned to our hill spot to watch the sunrise, forgetting we were in a bowl and that it wouldn’t make an appearance for ages. It was lovely nevertheless. We watched the mountaineers’ head torches wander off up the various paths from Repromuso in the dark and wondered what plans they had for the day. The sun finally appeared after we’d been walking for twenty minutes or so but we were using that to our advantage as we had all of our ascent for the day to do in one, starting straight away. The sooner we could get it done before it got too hot the better.
We were lucky in that mackerel clouds began to gather as we climbed, creating further shade for the long trudge up, although they were worth keeping an eye on in terms of incoming weather. The weather never arrived though, or at least it didn’t catch up with us. Our climb took some time, zig-zagging our way up through grassy slopes, passing small lakes and snow patches. The snow was too much of a temptation for some and a snowball fight broke out during a snack break at the base of the final climb. We then pushed on up a long scree slope. The path was narrow and lose and the dark, dusty rock reflected the light back up at us making it pretty tough. The only redemption was that the view back down towards Repromuso was stunning. One of the mountain ranges in view reminded me of a glacier-less Marmolada (a familiar sight for visitors to the Italian Dolomites). Finally we were making the final scramble to our highpoint. Again the ground was lose but we all made it to the top safely.
We were greeted by a sapphire lake surrounded by the charcoal down slopes of the Infiernos. It was amazing that on that first day they had seemed so far away and yet here they were right in front of us. The snow like marble slab up close was even more impressive and the climber in me began to wonder how one would even begin to get up there. We took in the view and then began our descent to find a suitable lunch spot. What started as a moonscape of rock and scree soon became green again and we found the perfect place for lunch at the Azules lakes. I could have stayed there for a very long time. The sun was out, the water was clear and a cool breeze moderated the temperature. I took off my boots and dipped my toes in the icy water whilst I ate my sandwich. The group spread out across the flat, grassy banks at the water’s edge. It was definitely one of my favourite lunch spots I’ve had in the mountains.
We packed up and continued our long descent towards Baños de Panticosa, passing the Bachimaña lakes with their enormous limestone islands and glacial scarring. The sun had been steadily burning off the cloud and the afternoon was turning hot and hazy. By the time we reached refugio Bachimaña everyone was happy to have a number of cold drinks in the shade. We still had around 600m of descent to go so we made sure to rest our knees there for a while.
The final descent followed a section of one of our most popular day walks in the Pyrenees. The track passed numerous waterfalls and plunge pools, winding in and out of the trees. It was pretty unrelenting for the knees and I think everyone was ready to put their feet up as soon as possible but the views out in the direction of Panticosa were remedying. Finally Baños came into view. A bizarre mixture of almost every form of architecture mankind has ever experimented with all in one place, all in varying forms of dereliction. We finally arrived there weary from the day to be greeted by the Pyrenees team who had come to pick us up and take us back to Panticosa for the night.
Staying out in the mountains for two days had really felt like a mini adventure and the group had bonded over our experiences. It was now time to get back, shower and change, have a pre-dinner drink, chat and then enjoy the meal! The next day we were all being treated to a rest so we discussed what our various plans were and in the most part that involved not a lot. Very sensible indeed.
Day 4 - Baños de Panticosa to San Nicholas de Bujaruelo
We returned to the front porch of Hotel Sabocos early Thursday morning. In the most part we were rested and ready to go for the final two days of the GR11. Many people in the group had taken the opportunity to visit the local outdoor pool, mooch around the shops or go for short strolls in and around Panticosa. There were two exceptions: one being one of the chaps who had sustained an injury on Tuesday and was still in need of rest and the other being Cam who had decided to summit Monte Perdido (3355m) on his day off. This wasn’t enough to stop Cam from setting a good pace and taking on our rather immediate 1000m climb from the Baños carpark without a problem. Unfortunately our guest’s injury meant him dropping out for the day with the hope of re-joining n Friday.
Finally the group arrived and we started walking. Baños is steeply walled in on almost every side so the only way to go was up! We could see our path from Tuesday afternoon snaking its way up through the trees. Our aim was to climb higher than the lakes of Bachimaña too so I think many people in the group were less than looking forward to gaining so much height in one go. Cam reassured us that the path was extremely well graded and when this turned out to be true everyone seemed reinvigorated. We climbed steadily away from Baños for a long time but at no point was the climbing incredibly strenuous. Eventually we reached a series of lakes where we took a break. Once again it was near deserted, the air was still and the water was like glass. Over our shoulder, back in the direction of Panticosa, a cloud inversion had been steadily forming throughout the morning and from this height is was more or less at eye level. The familiar sight of Telera was making an appearance over the cloud bank.
We pushed on to our high point for the day and finished the last part of our 1000m climb on a gently ascending traverse through a lakeside boulder field. It was pretty scrambley and everyone was careful to watch their feet but finally we reached the col. The col saddled two beautiful views: the cloud inversion one way and Vignemale (3298m) the other way. Vignemale is a stunning peak and one of many that marks the border between Spain and France. Imposing and enormous it seems to have every aspect of a mountain all in one! Glaciers, sharp ridges, pinnacles, smooth marble slabs, rolling grassy shoulders, long scree slopes and boulder fields. Basically it looks impenetrable. Lucky it wasn’t on our agenda for the day however. Instead we were to descend and skirt beneath it, joining a wide valley leading down to Bujaruelo.
We enjoyed a long lunch at the col sharing the sunny spot with a group of French ladies. One of our group produced an umbrella and shaded himself from the sun which made me smile. Moments like that must cement our reputation as English and I was in no doubt that the ladies knew from where we hailed!
The walk down from the col crossed more boulder fields as it followed the river down. This proved quite tricky and the group moved more or less in single file, concentrating on their feet. Each time we paused to sneak a look away from our shoes Vignemale was becoming more and more dramatic, rolling in and out of cloud. We were keeping an eye on the weather with still quite a way to go. We had only just started our 1200m of descent to reach our pick up point and nobody was keen for the rain to put in an appearance.
As we crossed the increasing river and joined the valley however the sun broke through, lighting the place in an autumnal glow. The dry grass was soft and golden and the grassy lower slopes of the surrounding peaks were a dampened mossy colour. The gradient almost levelled too, continuing to descend only slightly. This was a relief for everyone’s knees!
The path changed lower down, skirting through trees and into impressive gorges. At one point we were walled in for hundreds of meters above and below as the path became cut into a gorge wall. By this time in the day the light was aging and the clouds slowly pulling over. Everyone was tired and about ready to reach the end. Every now and again we’d be greeted by a new and beautiful sight which would rekindle the enthusiasm, for example the long shadows of autumn trees over a grassy shoulder above us. With the charcoal sky and the fiery trees it looked quite surreal.
We dropped into a flat basin just above Bujaruelo. The wide path allowed everyone to group together and chat as we walked, although such a wind picked up that the gusts made it tricky at times. The river water ran silver beside us below a mackerel sky. Enormous limestone cliffs watched us as we passed. We crossed a few final bridges and arrived in the sleepy collection of buildings where we were to be picked up from and sure enough Ric was there with the van. Everyone piled in, happy for a seat and were driven down to our hotel for the night in Torla.
Day 5 - Faja de Pelay and Ordesa Canyon
The final day! It had come around surprisingly fast as these things have a habit of doing. We had reached our final section of the GR11 which was to be a walk along the iconic Ordesa Canyon. Ordesa is a must when visiting the Pyrenees. Around 15km in length the gorge delves 1000m deep in places and its enormous limestone walls provide incredible views throughout.
We had planned to walk the Faja de Pelay, an impressive balcony that runs high above the canyon floor before descending and returning alongside the river itself. Unfortunately we woke up to grey skies and foreboding weather forecasts. The majority of weather sites Cam and I checked predicted some form of thunderstorm at some point in the day but none of them could quite agree as to when it was going to happen. Now the last place one wants to be in a thunder storm is 800m above the valley floor on an exposed ledge without an escape route, so I was keen not to make the wrong decision. We all agreed that we would get the bus up to Ordesa all the same and reassess when we arrived.
The weather in the Canyon was perfectly undecided. Moody grey clouds were collecting overhead but equally warm shafts of sun and blue sky were escaping through them regularly. We checked the forecast again and it remained determined that there was likely to be some form of storm mid-afternoon. After a fair amount of discussion and division in the group it was eventually decided that we would walk the canyon floor route up to the valley head. This way we would stay nice and low and we could turn tail if the weather changed its mind at any point.
The valley floor route was very beautiful. Silver birch trees lined a well-kept path and their canopy was a kaleidoscope of reds, yellows and oranges. The sun kept popping out, teasing us and there were plenty of looks skyward throughout. I wondered if we’d made the wrong choice backing off of the Pelay at times too but the valley walk was lovely. We stopped at plenty of viewpoints and waterfall plunge pools. Apparently in early season the water is quite ferocious due to melt water and heavy rain. We climbed steadily but it was easy going in comparison to our previous days.
The lunch spot was excellent. By a waterfall terrace a series of rocks similar in style to the Giant’s Causeway turned on their side jutted from the bank. These made amazing seats and the group spread out finding their own rock benches to have lunch on. The water was clear and cold but that didn’t stop us from dipping our hands in.
It was only a little further to reach the head of the valley. The narrow river track opens out suddenly into an enormous glacial bowl at the foot of Monte Perdido -The lost mountain (Known as that because of the way it is obscured from view to the French side). It really did become the lost mountain when it suddenly became obscured by a heavy, black cloud. We kept an eye on the cloud but celebrated the official finish of our GR11 trail, enjoying the moment.
When we turned back down the path big, fat drops of rain began to bounce off of the dusty path. They carried on just long enough for us to stop and put our coats on, then stopped, giving way to warm sunshine a little further on. Many of the group stopped again to remove their waterproofs again but sure enough it began to rain again five minutes later. This went on for around half an hour before the decision was made by a loud rumble of thunder off in the distance. Coats went on and stayed on as the shower built into a downpour. We put our heads down, sheltered slightly by the tree canopy but soon it was torrential and the thunder seeped into the valley sending shattering bouts of sheet lightning clattering off of the Ordesa’s high walls. By the time we got back to the refugio and bus stop everyone was soaked through.
It was a dramatic end to the GR11 walk but we all agreed that we had done well to escape bad weather throughout the week, only getting caught on our last afternoon. I for one was also pleased that we weren’t up on the ledge when that storm came over… We caught the bus back to Torla and got picked up by the Pyrenees team, heading back to Panticosa for a very much deserved warm shower, drink and dinner.
Earlier in the day one of our couples had announced their 49th wedding anniversary so over dinner the bubbly flowed with an atmosphere of twofold celebration. The group was all back together a week later after walking a considerable section of one of the world’s best walking trails. The five days had seen us travel approximately 76.2km/47 miles, climb 4200m of ascent and descend 3850m. Not bad at all.
Departure Day: Celebratory Tapas
The next day we all met for some pre-departure tapas. How else would you finish a holiday in Spain? It was lovely to see how the group had bonded over the week and lunch was a lovely affair of easy conversation and a great relaxed atmosphere. Cam and I were both very sad to wave off our group of walkers as they climbed into the van heading to the airport.
It had been a fab week and one that we’d do again in a heartbeat.
Has this article inspired you to hike the GR11?
Join us on one of our upcoming guided walking holiday dates to the Spanish Pyrenees to experience the dramatic, high-level routes through rugged wilderness, steep paths, and stunning landscapes for yourself.
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