Bizkarra (Baigura) from Hélette

From Hasparren, follow signs for Saint-Palais and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (D22). At Bonloc, leave the road to Saint-Palais on your left and continue straight ahead towards Mendionde, then Hélette (D22) for about 8 km. At the roundabout before Hélette, turn right towards the Baigura leisure centre (D119). Further on, turn left onto a secondary road and park near the intersection (recycling point).

(S/E) From the intersection with the D119, follow the small road opposite that passes through the houses of Etxegoienea. It bends to the left and reaches an intersection. Take the dead-end road on the right and pass the Saint-Vincent Chapel to reach the end of the tarmac road and the dirt track.

(1) Take the left-hand path. After a small stream, it climbs up alongside a hedge. At the ruins between three oak trees, continue straight ahead through the ferns on a well-marked path (ignore the side paths) until you reach the top of the meadow.

(2) Leave the path on your left and continue straight ahead along a fence (small wood). At the upper corner of the wood, keep right along the edge and continue on a grassy path (at the start). It then climbs left up a ridge covered with gorse (view of Erregelu) to cross a path on the left.

(3) Keep right on the shared section. Skirt a first pass and continue on the correct path signposted "Bizkarra", which avoids a bump on the right (view of Ursuia and Mendionde). Below a ridge strewn with boulders, continue right on the grassy path to reach a panoramic pass with tables and an orientation panel.

(4) To the left of the ruined barn, take a path along the hillside. After a short descent, the path branches off to the right and reaches a grassy plateau with a view of the southern cirque of the Baigura massif, which suddenly becomes more mountainous.

(5) Climb the straight, rocky path on the right, which gradually approaches the eastern ridge of Pic Erregelu. When the path reaches the Kurutze ridge (772 m), follow it easily to the left until you reach the summit. Only the last section is a little steeper.

(6) From the windbreak of Erregelu (860 m), descend near a building and walk along a grassy ridge. Climb up this ridge (cromlechs), leave the Baigura road below and pass the orientation tables (new cromlechs). Afterwards, pass to the right of the fenced transmitters, then follow the road and path to the last antennas. Climb to the right, then to the left for the few metres separating you from the summit of Baigura.

(7) The descent is via the same route. From Baigura (897 m), return along the ridge to the orientation table, then continue towards the summit of Erregelu, which you can avoid climbing by taking a path on the right that crosses at its foot. Then rejoin the long, fairly flat Kurutze ridge ( visible as far as Soule), then turn right onto the path leading uphill to return to the starting point via the same route you took on the way up (S/E).

Hiking tip

Check the weather forecast before setting off
Wear suitable footwear
Bring enough water
Park your car in designated parking spaces
Take all your rubbish with you
Follow the marked trails
Keep your dog on a leash
Close gates behind you
For more information on how to behave, visit www.reussirmarando.com

(1) St Vincent's Chapel (Bixintxo in Basque)

Set apart from the village of Hélette, the Saint-Vincent Chapel may surprise you with its isolation, but it remains linked to an adjoining spring. Its origins date back to^{the 12th century} , and it has been restored many times. The cult of Saint Vincent is linked to New Year's wishes and children's walking.

(4) Break at the Col de Borda

La Borda (barn) is no longer in use, and all that remains here are ruins and the remains of a cattle enclosure. However, the view is unspoilt, overlooking the Irissarry valley, and in the distance you can see the Pic du Midi d'Ossau, the Pic d'Anie, the Pic d'Orhy, the heights of Ronceveaux, the Jara and the Munhoa in the Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port valley.

Griffon vultures

Perched on a rocky outcrop or gliding through the sky, griffon vultures are large birds of prey that accompany you on the Baigura. Exclusively scavengers, these rock birds glide on warm air currents. They are flight advisors to paragliders, indicating the warm air columns that allow them to climb and glide up to 2,000 metres above sea level. This large bird (2.40 m to 2.80 m wingspan) is sociable, always in groups, sharing the carrion provided by nature (pottok, sheep, etc.).

(6) Cromlechs

In Baigura, as on many peaks in the Basque Country, there are cromlechs, which are circles of stones. These are 3,000-year-old funerary monuments where the shepherds of the time deposited the ashes of the deceased. They were probably built by shepherds who cremated their dead there. Excavations were carried out at Baigura in 1984, and in some of the cromlechs, a central chamber was found containing traces of charcoal and burnt bones.