Gorospil - Mondarrain circular via the three ridges

A lovely ridge walk with the Mondarrain as a bonus.

Details

19867554
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.58 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,012 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,003 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 746 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 81 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the cul-de-sac that leads to a small bar-restaurant.

(S/E) Retrace your steps a few metres to a crossroads and turn right, crossing a cattle grid (Xarako bidea). Walk along the Lapitxuli River and follow it until you reach an iron footbridge.

(1) Cross the river and take the path that climbs to the right. After about 100 metres, take a small path on the left that also climbs, marked with yellow signs.
Pass in front of a shed, come out onto a road and go up to the right. Shortly before reaching the Arotzenborda farms, you will come to another crossroads.

(2) Take the path uphill on the left. Follow the yellow markings. At the top of the hill, at a three-way junction, keep right and you will come to a track.

(3) Cross and continue straight ahead to climb the Haizagerri ridge. Continue alternating between ascents and descents to reach the summit of Gorospil.

(4) Descend on the other side to the Gorospil Pass, then climb straight up to reach the ridge of Mount Bizkailuze. Follow it to the left. You will arrive at a large crossroads at the Zuharretako Lepoa Pass.

(5) Continue straight ahead on a well-marked trail along the same ridge to the peak of Mundarrain.

(6) Continue along the same path for a few metres, then turn right to descend off-trail, but within sight, and join the GR®10 at the Mendiko Borda barn-shelter.

(7) Take it to the right and arrive at the Gainekoborda crossroads.

(8) Continue along the GR® trail, then quickly leave it on the right to take the path and reach Pic Soporro. Descend opposite to the Col des Trois Croix.

(9) Cross the GR® here and descend the yellow-marked path. Pass below a pidgeon hunting hut. At the Erramuntenborda farm, join a wide track.

(10) Continue along the track, passing Peruertegikoborda farm. Stay on this track until you reach its end at the Perlaenborda crossroads.

(11) Turn right onto a path after the shed and before the farm. Overlook the Dantxaria quarries. Ignore the path on the right that leads down to them. Climb up and then descend quite steeply to the right into the forest. Reach a flat area and take the old pidgeon hunting hut path opposite (there is an old wooden ladder on the left), then descend to the Venta Pantxo car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 81 m - Car park Impasse
  2. 1 : km 1.51 - alt. 105 m - Iron footbridge
  3. 2 : km 2.01 - alt. 181 m - Arotzenborda crossroads
  4. 3 : km 2.49 - alt. 278 m - Track junction
  5. 4 : km 4.88 - alt. 656 m - Summit of Gorospil
  6. 5 : km 7.27 - alt. 566 m - Zuharreteaco Pass (566m) - Zuharreteaco Pass (566m) - Col de Zuharreteaco (566m)
  7. 6 : km 8.97 - alt. 738 m - Pic du Mondarrain (749m) - Pic du Mondarrain (749m) - Mondarrain
  8. 7 : km 10.44 - alt. 467 m - Mendiko Borda
  9. 8 : km 11.18 - alt. 436 m - Gainekoborda
  10. 9 : km 12.78 - alt. 514 m - Col des Trois Croix (512m) - Col des Trois Croix (512m) - Col des Trois Croix (512m)
  11. 10 : km 13.69 - alt. 352 m - Erramuntenborda
  12. 11 : km 15.23 - alt. 287 m - Perlaenborda
  13. S/E : km 16.58 - alt. 81 m - Venta Pantxo car park

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
Seblonjou
Seblonjou

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 05, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The descent from Mondarrain is through fields and streams. It is feasible but requires waterproof footwear. The ridges are magnificent. We covered 17 km in 5½ hours, following the normal route.

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Mameta
Mameta

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike. Original route, but you'll need a GPS as some sections are not clearly marked (lots of ferns)
Recommended time and distances are accurate.
I recommend this hike.

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David, Sophie et Ulysse 🐕
David, Sophie et Ulysse 🐕

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The area is absolutely beautiful. There are lots of animals, the view from the ridges is breathtaking... and the climb is easy. This side of Mondarain is very pleasant. The disappointment comes from the GPS track and the description, which is not very useful, so much so that I am very surprised that it is hardly mentioned in the comments. It ruined the day, and luckily I'm an experienced hiker so I was able to find the GPX track again. The GPS track downloaded to my Garmin is the opposite of the description and the Visorando GPS on my phone. So the GPS became completely useless. But the phone is reliable up to Mondarain, then it's an absolute disaster. The GPX track was designed by Google Earth behind a PC screen; it couldn't be otherwise because in reality, on the ground, it was a complete mess, and we lost our nerve.
The start is completely inaccurate.
So follow this precise correction to enjoy the day.
I should point out that I lived in Ascain for several years and am no novice when it comes to the Basque Country.
La Venta Pantxo is none other than the first Venta Peio from France. That is the old name.
Don't look for anything else.
As soon as you cross the border post and the Lapitxurri river, park in the Venta's covered car park. Leave the ventas behind and return to the Lapitxurri bridge, heading towards the village. Turn right onto the village's main street and take the marked "horse" path in the alleyway that climbs to the right. This is followed by a climb up a shady, stony path. Continue to the quarry. Take the small path that descends on your right directly down to the quarry. You will come to a small tarmac road which you follow downhill for a few hundred metres. On your left, a cattle grid will finally give you access to the hike. The path is flat for two kilometres in the shade. Then, on the right, an iron footbridge will take you to the mountain you are going to climb. You are finally on the right track. Follow the signs to Mondarain. On the way back from Mondarain, things get tricky after you turn around to complete the circular route. You will need to find the path that is not visible below. Stay close to the ridge you descended from to reach Mondarain, and above all, do not follow the completely bogus GPX or GPS tracks provided by visorando. Don't panic, if you're reading this you're fine because you'll find it again, whereas if you follow the route you'll stray irretrievably and be forced to turn back because you won't be able to get back to your vehicle.
At the end of the path, you will come to a large, fairly modern sheepfold below, which you should not go to. Hop, keep left on the path on the heights. This path leads to a country house. Turn right and follow it to return to the marked trails. At the end of the circular route, there are two options at a trail junction leading to a paved road. Left: return to the quarry. Right: simpler and easier: take the steady concrete descent that will bring you to the departmental road, which you will take to the left for 500 metres towards Les Ventas.
These directions will save you a lot of trouble. We covered 22.5 km instead of 17 in bright sunshine. Fortunately, we've been doing this for a long time and we carry plenty of water with us.

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domaniale
domaniale

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent hike, well-marked trail, beautiful view from Mondarin, a bit windy on the ridges for us, lots of animals along the route (cows, horses, sheep, vultures) – very beautiful to see.
16.5 km, 960 m total elevation gain, 6 hours of walking without breaks!

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Appert
Appert

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with magnificent views from the top of each peak.
I would recommend descending the Mondarrain via the same route to the Zuharretako pass junction (point 5), as the route indicated to reach point 7 is not at all obvious.
A beautiful discovery of Soporro, with a dozen vultures perched below and very close to the hiking trail at the summit.

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matthieu.lepine
matthieu.lepine

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

First hike for my eldest son and myself. We had a great time.
A little less than six hours, including breakfast and lunch breaks.
We enjoyed the scenery in the sunshine and warmth of late July.
I was glad to have a GPS watch with mapping, as some paths are completely covered by ferns and can be difficult to see. Fortunately, the alarms quickly put you back on the right track.
Next time, I'll opt for better shoes. I had old, worn-out trainers and the lack of studs could have played tricks on me
Fortunately, the previous days had been dry. Otherwise, the end of the route would have been perilous.
I will obviously remember the magnificent views, which are goals to be achieved, the many horses roaming free, the hordes of vultures and the calm.
It made me want to repeat the adventure.

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Ducrum
Ducrum

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Best done in good weather, as the final descent is very slippery in wet conditions.
Reserved for experienced hikers as you will encounter rollercoaster-like terrain, with lots of ups and downs.
17 km and 1,000 m elevation gain

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thua00
thua00
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with stunning 360° views.
Before Gorospil, there is an interesting historical reminder of the role played by unsung heroes during the Second World War.
No water sources along the route, except for streams.
Not many people: a few on the GR10 and at Mondarin.

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Agnès P.
Agnès P.

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful panoramas. From point 658, it is easier to climb straight up to the ridges than to take the small path on the right.

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thibrando
thibrando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this very nice route, very few people apart from on the GR10 section and on the Mondarrain.

(Just a little extra info: there is a drinking trough on the trail west of the Pic d'Ourrezti.)

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sedno
sedno

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Mondarrain frequented by other access routes. Not by the route: very good.

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