The Izpegi Pass ( French : Col d'Ispeguy , Basque : Izpegiko Lepoa , Spanish : Puerto de Izpegui ) is a 672 m high Pyrenean mountain pass located right on the border between Spain and France , linking the Baztan and Baigorri valleys in the Basque Country . The river Bidasoa , called Baztan on its upper stage, rises close by on the western side of the Iparla mountain range stretching out north to south. The name Izpegi applies also to a stream running on its eastern slopes.
16-598: The population nuclei closest to the saddle are the village of Erratzu (west) and Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry (east, Baigorri in Basque ). A sinuous narrow road that bears witness to a couple of Tour de France stages descends east to Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry , cutting its way through a spectacular grassy and giddy landscape. The pass is frequented by hikers in order to gain access to the neighbouring mountain Hautza (1,306 m / 4,285 ft, waymarking all along) and other mounts of
32-556: A generally higher route through the Pyrenees, from mountaintop to mountaintop, frequently crossing from one side of the border to the other. The best time for hiking on the GR 10 is late spring/early summer and late summer/early fall. In the middle of the summer the heat can become a problem, though some of the ski stations on the route open their lifts for summer walkers, providing opportunities for hikers to avoid some ascents and descents. In
48-418: Is a hiking trail, and there is no actual mountain climbing involved. The trail covers a distance of 866 kilometres (538 mi), with 48,000 metres (157,000 ft) of ascent and, given the coast-to-coast nature of the route, the same descent. Lodging along the route that cater to walkers include hotels, gîtes d'étape , and very basic mountain refuges. Camping is only necessary for two or three nights in
64-577: The Ariège section. Some walkers walk one section of the trail at a time, completing the route over several visits. The trail is well marked with red and white painted blazes . It appears on all regional maps, including on Michelin roadmaps. The route is within the area shown by the Editions Sud-Ouest Rando éditions range of maps (numbers 1–11), which are based on French Institut Géographique National 1:50,000 scale maps. Parts of
80-572: The Army of the western Pyrenees , suffered an unknown number of casualties. This Pyrénées-Atlantiques geographical article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Saint-%C3%89tienne-de-Ba%C3%AFgorry Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry ( French pronunciation: [sɛ̃.t‿etjɛn də ba.iɡɔʁi] ; Basque : Baigorri ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France , belonging to
96-518: The Bay of Biscay to Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean Sea , but it can also be traversed east to west. Hiking the entire route is estimated to take around 52 days for hikers who are physically fit and used to mountain hiking. Some stretches involve a lot of ascending and descending, including a few one-day sections that can climb and then descend 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), but the GR 10
112-739: The War of the Pyrenees on 3 June 1794. A 2,300-strong republican French brigade led by General of Brigade Lavictoire attacked the 1,000 Spanish and French royalist troops and drove them from the pass. The defenders, one battalion of the Spanish Zamora Infantry Regiment, three companies of the Aldudes Rifles, and the Légion Royal French Émigré battalion, lost 94 killed and wounded, plus 307 captured. The French brigade, part of Jean Mauco's division of
128-643: The communauté d'agglomération du Pays Basque ("Consortium of communes of the Basque Country "). It is part of the former province of Lower Navarre . It borders the municipality of Baztan to the west (Spain, access via the Izpegi Pass ). It is the main access to the Aldudes valley, having nearby the Castle, Château d'Etchaux [ fr ] , the river through the place being known as
144-633: The GR 10. These are published by the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre (French Hiking Federation). These guide books can be purchased at most large sports stores in the region, and in a few of the largest sports stores in the major cities in France. English guides are also available. The Spanish GR 11 is a similar route on the Spanish side of the border, while the only-occasionally-marked Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne (HRP) follows
160-627: The Refuge Baysellance, Gavarnie, Gedre and Pragneres, and offers more spectacular mountain scenery. Another notable section is near the village of Etsaut , where the route follows the Chemin de la Mâture , a track carved into a sheer cliff face. This path was created in the 18th century to facilitate the transport of tree trunks destined to be made into masts for French warships. There are four very detailed guide books (in French) describing
176-582: The canton was merged into the new canton of Montagne Basque . Set in a mountainous area, Baigorri is communicated by departmental roads D15 and D948, with a coach line offering service to Ossès (Basque Ortzaize ) within TER Aquitaine 's network. The Area as a part of the French GR10 , French footpaths ,(Grand Randonnée 10) The meaning in Basque is the “red bank of the river”, in this case
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#1732783332266192-599: The fall mountain storms become more frequent, making conditions dangerous. In winter most of the GR 10 is impassable due to snow. The first high pass walking from the Atlantic Ocean is the Hourquette d'Arre (2465m). Walking from the Mediterranean Sea , the equivalent high pass is the Coma d'Anyell (2450m). Both are normally snowed up until about 14 June (in 2013 two weeks later). These are about 14 and 9 days in from
208-412: The ridgeline (Mount Iparla ). Since the mid-2000s, a modest txalaparta festival is held at the spot on the first Sunday of September, which has become a meeting point for the instrument's players, especially locals. Money raised at the food stall arranged was destined in 2009 to helping the Basque language school of the neighbouring small town of Baigorri . A battle was fought at this location during
224-545: The river Nive des Aldudes. The town is home to the renowned Day of Navarre ( Basque : Nafarroa Eguna ), a festival attracting a massive turnout (by thousands) from the Spanish and French side of Navarre in early May intended to strengthen ties between both Navarrese territories and affirming their common Basque identity. Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry was the chief town of the former canton of Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry . Its 11 communes had some 5,727 inhabitants on some 311 km in 2006, with decreasing population. In 2015,
240-577: The river Nive , flowing through Bayonne and discharging the waters in the 324 km long Adour River. GR 10 (France) GR 10 is a French GR footpath , or hiking trail, that runs the length of the Pyrenees Mountains . It roughly parallels the French–Spanish border on the French side. Those attempting the entire trail often choose to walk it from west to east, from Hendaye on
256-515: The route, especially around towns and villages, change from year to year, so walkers should carry the most recent editions of the maps and guides. A number of sections include alternative routes of a less demanding nature. Some alternatives offer more scenic choices, for example the alternative route from Cauterets to Luz-Saint-Sauveur takes in Pont d'Espagne, the Refuge Oulettes de Gaube,
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