Irubelakaskoa circular

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, slightly technical during the ascent on the ridges. Some brambles on the second part, which made trousers a good idea

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Date of your route : Mar 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Trail reserved for experienced hikers who are not afraid of heights

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Date of your route : Mar 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, almost mountainous hike that is not very busy and quite difficult. There are some stunning views, especially at the summit. It is important to follow the route in the direction indicated, as the climb to the summit can be tricky if you go in the opposite direction. I would advise against attempting this route after a period of rain, as the terrain becomes very slippery, particularly after point 4. There are two small points to bear in mind regarding the ease of following the route. At the start, the small path that leads into the ferns is not easy to find, and on the last part of the route between points 11 and 12, the path is not obvious and you can quickly find yourself too low, off the trail, near the stream and in a bit of a predicament . But that's also part of the fun of hiking.
In short, a great hike!

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Date of your route : Feb 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The elevation gain is in the first three kilometres after the descent.

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Date of your route : Nov 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Great hike with beautiful scenery! We did it on a weekend with good weather and completed the circular in 4 hours and 40 minutes (not including our snack break).
Be sure to wear suitable footwear!
The first 3 kilometres are quite steep, with almost no flat sections, and the 900m elevation gain is covered over these 3 kilometres. The climb is quite technical, with lots of stones and rocks, but this helps you climb more easily without slipping. Once you reach the summit (Irubela kasko or Alkaxuri, 954 metres above sea level), there are only 7 to 8 kilometres of descent left to finish the hike, three quarters of which is in the forest.
It is important to follow the direction of the hike indicated on VisoRando because I think the climb in the other direction may be longer and more slippery.
I highly recommend this hike, even for motivated beginners!

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Date of your route : Aug 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very little-used hiking trail; the starting point is not easy to find.
The climb is steep and challenging; the view is splendid and there are many vultures.
On the way back, there are no cairns, just a few markers from old trails (red and orange...).

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Date of your route : Jan 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A physically demanding but very enjoyable hike.
Be careful at checkpoint 11 because I missed the path between 11 and 12 and it was a bit of a hassle.
Do not go on the hike if it has just rained, as there is a risk of slipping.

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Date of your route : Jun 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike, challenging as advertised. Regarding the comments left about the start after the bridge, it is the path that climbs to the left with red and yellow crosses, leaving the track on your right. For the return trip, there is a bridge to cross the river

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Date of your route : Dec 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 30/12/2012.

Done in winter, the path is quite narrow and I don't know what it would be like in summer with the ferns... Be careful not to miss the start by following the directions here and not the red crosses for bikes, as I almost did...
The climb is very steep, but enjoyable if you like to climb quickly without wasting time. That said, some parts of this section of the path are a little damaged (particularly around the peak of Ezquieta towards the pass of the same name) – be careful not to lose your footing. The descent from the forest entrance is very well signposted (it has been re-marked recently). Towards the end, the signs indicate that you should cross the river (even though there is no bridge or stepping stones). It is better to follow the directions given here and continue along the path to the bridge (it is further away) to avoid getting your feet wet. I met two people who were doing it in the opposite direction... in my opinion, this is not a good idea as the climb was very, very steep.
A superb hike with magnificent views!

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Date of your route : Dec 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike, a bit physically demanding but difficult descent because the trail is covered with leaves at this time of year and poorly marked, making it difficult to see.

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Date of your route : Apr 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A week after missing the start, we went back to get our revenge The start is very well marked: after the house, take the path that goes up to the left and head for the ridges! It was worth missing the start the first time to go back a second time: the hike is really nice. Thanks again for the markings and all the directions.

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Date of your route : Apr 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent landscapes, but we missed the start. We were misled by the cycle route marked in red, so we didn't take the starting path. We realised this 500 metres further on and decided to do the circular in the opposite direction: this was a bad idea, as it didn't work because there were few or no signposts. We took the opportunity to climb the neighbouring mountains but were very disappointed to have missed the start of this hike, which looked magnificent. So we have a score to settle with this hike: we'll be back!

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Date of your route : Mar 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

According to a resident of Bidarray whom we met in Basasagar and who is familiar with these hikes, "it's the most difficult in the Basque Country". I agree, because after the descent to the river, the climb up the path is very steep...and remains so until the summit. A 900-metre climb with almost no respite. A strong southerly wind prevented us from staying for a snack and, after admiring the landscape, we began the descent to find shelter from the wind. Then came the descent, which was certainly steep but on a pretty path. The only moment we hesitated was when we arrived at the bridge over the Aritzacun, a bridge we couldn't find... as it had been washed away, probably during the winter. It was impossible to ford the river at this time of year, so we tried to walk on the slippery stones with the help of our walking sticks. And of course, everyone got their shoes and feet wet, which made us laugh... at the end of the hike. Thank you to taboulechat for this superb hike which, as he rightly says, has the feel of high mountains, even without a bridge!

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