This 6-day 90km (55mi) backpacking trip will bring you along the most beautiful parts of Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park in Spain and Parc national des Pyrénées in France. The best way to experience this loop is by tent, but it is also possible to stay in refuges along the way. Too much for one go? You can also shorten the loop to 4 days (50km (30mi)) and still see all the highlights.

What this guide includes:
- day-by-day itinerary with the unique route, distances, elevation gain, overnight options and the best campsites (or refuges);
- custom Google Maps with all the important locations (campsites, grocery stores, view points, trails, refuges);
- gpx-track of the route;
- all the practical information: how to get there, trail conditions, weather, geography and more.

Get an impression on Youtube/harmenhoek.

Backpacking The Pyrenees (Ordesa y Monte Perdido) in 4-6 days

I hope you have a great time exploring this area. You can read about my experience in my travel itinerary: 

Duration: 6 days, 5 nights (short version: 4 days)

Distance: 90km (50mi) (short version: 50km (30mi))

Elevation gain: 7200m (24,000ft) (short version: 3600m (12,000ft))

Route: Torla to Ibón Helado via the Ordesa Valley and Refugio de Góriz (part on GR11)

Camp site: Pequeño Lago Helado N42° 40.8497' E0° 001.4776' (2939m | 9643ft)

The route follows the well maintained and easy trails of the GR (main routes through the Pyrenees) as well as some unmarked trails that require crossing a glacier and mountaineering.

The itinerary is made for a 6-day loop starting and ending in Ordesa in Spain. Alternatively the route can started and ended in Gavernie in France or cut short to 4 days. For every day of the intinerary a location for camping is given, as well as a refuge in case you don't want to camp. Below you find information about how to get there, trail conditions, climate and more.

Day 1 starts of hard with a lot of climbing! From the restaurant follow the main trail deeper into the valley. The wide trail, also the GR11, one of the main routes through the Pyrenees (more info below), follows the river Río Arazas. The valley floor is covered in forest for the first kilometers with several waterfalls along the way. The trail is well maintained, quite easy and therefore also busy.

Our starting point of Torla-Ordesa is basically only accessible by car. The closest international airports are Barcelona (3.5 hours), Bilbao (4.5 hours) and Madrid (5.5 hours).

Car rental in summer months are about 250-400 EUR for 8 days.

Route:  Ibón Helado to Ruisseau de Pailla via Monte Perdido, Lago Marbore and Refuge des Espuguettes [ES-FR]

Campsite: Ruisseau de Pailla, N42° 43.0207' E0° 000.3881' (1,774m | 5,821ft)

If you have the time and energy, I highly recommend ascending the last 400 meter (1,300ft) to Monte Perdido. If you are in peak season or on a weekend, do it as early as possible. A lot of people stay at Refugio de Góriz and make a day hike ascending Monte Perdido, so it can get quite busy later in the morning. It is an out-and-back to top, so you can pack your tent later.

Route: Ruisseau de Pailla to Lac d'Ossoue via Cirque de Gavarnie (part on GR10)

Backpacking the Pyrenees Map - Google My Maps

Route GPX file

Camp site: Camp Lake Ossue | N42° 45.4659' W0° 42.9333' (1831m | 6008ft)

Alternative overnight: Refuge de Bayssellance

Route: Lac d'Ossoue to Barranco de Ordiso via Refuge de Bayssellance, Refuge des Oulettes de Gaube and Col du Mulets [FR-ES] (part on GR10 and GR11)

Camp site: Camp Río Ara | N42° 43.2961' W0° 08.3242' (1,567m | 5,142ft)

Route: Barranco de Ordiso to Camino Carriata via Bujaruelo, Puerto de Bujaruelo Forquete de Gabietou, Collado Escuzana (Part on GR11)

Camp site: Camp Ordesa | N42° 40.6265' W0° 03.9993' (2376m | 7796ft)

Today is the final day of climbing. Follow the gravel road along the river to Refugio Bujaruelo. Grab a snack here, take some pictures of the Romanesque bridge of Bujaruelo from the 18th century and enjoy the first cell phone reception or free wifi in since Gavarnie.

My trail experience 

Route: Camino Carriata to Torla via Faja de las Flores

The final day of the loop already ... There are multiple ways to get back to the start. The fastest way is to follow the trail straight down into the valley, which gets you back to the restaurant (6km (3.8mi), 1,050m (3,500ft) down).

The weather in the mid-Pyrenees is generally good. Summer temperatures average from 18-21°C (64-70°F) during the day, and at 2000m elevation the low is about 6°C (43°F) during the night. It is generally sunny, with over 2000 hours of sunshine every year, making it actually one of the sunniest places in France. However, due to the distance to the sea it can feel quite muggy in the summer. The Pyrenees, especially the mid-Pyrenees, are infamous for late afternoon thunderstorms that develop really quickly and can be quite severe (as I experienced myself). But they last only several hours, and you are very likely to wake up to a cloudless sky the next morning. Winter temperatures average around 5-6°C (41-43°F), but snow at higher elevations is not uncommon.

About Ordesa y Monte Perdido & Parc Nacional des Pyrénées

Through the Pyrenees run 3 long-distance routes, the GR (Grande Randonnée or Gran Recorrido, meaning long distance) routes GR10 (French side) and GR11 (Spanish side), and the HRP, the high altitude route traversing the peaks and ridges. It is common for people traversing the Pyrenees to switch back and forth between the two. The GR routes are well maintained, and a relatively easy way to traverse the mountains, running through valleys or on mountain sides as much as possible. Most of the interconnecting trails from the GR10 and GR11 are also well marked, but more difficult (steeper gradients, more difficult terrain). Then there are the unmarked trails, for which you'll need good maps, for example on maps.me. These trails are mostly very quiet, much more technical (hands and feet at times), but also a lot more enjoyable in my opinion.

In the park lies Monte Perdido, the 3th tallest peak in the Pyrenees at 3355m (11007ft), just behind Aneto (3404m, 51km east) and Pico Posets (3360m, 33km east). The mountain is a popular destination for hikers, especially with the overnight stop at Refugio de Góriz. The climb is hard, but technically not really difficult.

The route I took crosses from the Ordesa Valley into the Pineta Valley at Pequeño Lago Helado. This requires descending the Monte Perdido glacier and climbing down a near vertical 50m wall. There are other trails from Refugio de Góriz and Pequeño Lago Helado to Gavarnie, but I don't know how difficult these are. From Faja de Flores down to the Ordesa valley floor (see day 6 above) there is a vertical wall with at least a 50 meter drop that needs to be traversed. There are some pins in the wall and a loose cable. Many people use ropes. There is an alternative trail called Camino the Faja Canallores, which continues along the ledge towards Refugio de Goriz. Do not undertake this route without proper experience and/or extra gear (ropes and crampons).

Ordesa y Monte Perdido consists of four valleys. In the west the most famous one, Ordesa valley accessible via Torla. To the south Añisclo, and to the east Escuaín and Pineta. Just outside the park on the north lies Valle de Bujaruelo.

Parc National des Pyrénées is about 3 times the size of the Spanish one, but also stretches far more into the foothills of the Pyrenees. The south eastern part of the park touches the Spanish park. The main valley in this area is Cirque de Gavarnie (a cirque is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion).

There are several mountain passes connecting the two parks (and countries), some well knowns ones (from west to east): Col de Mulets (2591m), Port du Pla d'Aube (2433m), Col de la Bernatoire (2338m), Col des Espécières (2334m), Puerto de Bujaruelo (2273m), Brèche de Turquerouye (2668m).

During my trip I started in the Ordesa valley and crossed to the Pineta valley via the Cuello el Cilindro (3071m) mountain pass. At Lago Marboré I crossed into the French park in the Circo d'Estaube valley via Puerto de Bujaruelo (2273m). I then crossed to the Gavarnie valley via Hourquette d'Alan (2430m). From Gavarnie I walked west in the Vallée d'Ossoue valley and crossed Hourquette d'Ossoue (2734m) to the Vallée de Gaube valley. Then over Col de Mulets (2591m) back into Spain. Here I walked east in the valley Valle de Bujaruelo (Valle de Ara) and back into the national park. I again climbed up to the border at Puerto de Bujaruelo (2273m), but stayed on the Spanish side and crossed Forquete de Gabietou (2515m) and Collado Escuzana (2728m) to get back into the Ordesa valley.

Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido (or Lost Mountain) is a Spanish national park located in the Pyrenees. Although the park lies across the border from the French Parc National des Pyrénées, getting from the Ordesa Valley to Gavernie on the French side takes a 5-hour drive.

The park stretches 20 kilometers north to south and east to west, but with the surrounding mountainous Pyrenees included more like 50km north to south and 400 kilometers east to west.