The Zarkindegi loop from Les Aldudes

A lovely hike, taking in part of the western ridges of the Aldudes valley, which guarantees magnificent views.

Details

4269815
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.28 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 570 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 566 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 860 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 369 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the church in the village of Les Aldudes.

(S/E) Take the road heading west and after 200 m, turn right to climb up a small road that turns into a track further on.

(1) At this intersection, take the hairpin turn to the right. Further on, the track emerges from the woods.

(2) After walking for about 400 metres in the open, at a three-way junction, turn right to enter the forest and reach the Col de Berdaritz (685 m).

(3) From this pass, do not take the track heading south-west, but follow the west-bound path that runs alongside the fence, marked in yellow. Further on, you can follow the "circuit 4" markings. Then join the wide track that we did not want to take from the pass and follow it to the right for about a hundred metres

(4) Turn right and continue following the red and white and yellow and white markings.

(5) Further on, on the climb, after passing a large rock smeared with red paint, leave the track and take a path on the left that climbs to the summit of Zarkindegi (860 m).

(6) From the summit, continue south-west. Do not climb to thesecond summit (the aztegi) but take a small path on the left, overlooking the track, which joins the red and white marked trail that we left to go to the summit.
Follow the markings, pass to the right of a large drinking trough and continue southwest to reach the Eihartzeko Pass (854 m) more than a kilometre further on.

(7) Take the road downhill. 500 m further on, when the road bends to the right, take a path that branches off to the left (north-east). Further on, pass below the large watering hole you crossed earlier and continue downhill to join the HRP trail.

(8) Follow it to the left for 150 m, then turn right. You will come to a T-junction.

(9) Turn right, then, in the right-hand bend, leave the road and turn left onto a path. Do not go to the antennas, but turn left to follow a path that descends to the edge of the forest. Follow this edge to the right.

(10) At "post no. 4", take the path on the right that enters the forest. Continue to follow this path, which will lead you to the road on the right to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 369 m - Car park - Église Notre-Dame (Les Aldudes)
  2. 1 : km 0.79 - alt. 509 m - Fork to the right
  3. 2 : km 1.41 - alt. 620 m - Three-way junction - Go right
  4. 3 : km 2.48 - alt. 688 m - Col de Berdaritz (691m)
  5. 4 : km 3.21 - alt. 757 m - Fork
  6. 5 : km 4 - alt. 815 m - Ascent to the left
  7. 6 : km 4.23 - alt. 859 m - Summit of - Zarkindegi
  8. 7 : km 6.15 - alt. 850 m - Col d'Eyharza (854m)
  9. 8 : km 7.79 - alt. 652 m - HRP trail junction
  10. 9 : km 8.72 - alt. 550 m - Descent to the right
  11. 10 : km 9.29 - alt. 493 m - Marker 4
  12. S/E : km 10.28 - alt. 369 m - Notre-Dame Church car park - Nive des Aldudes (rivière)

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 27174755

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very well signposted and well shaded during hot weather

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User 3732522

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route with lovely views. Varied paths with no difficulty. Well marked. Peaceful as there are very few people. Thank you for this walk.

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PA12
PA12

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant, varied walk with no particular difficulties (apart from a slightly steep road at the start to warm up...). Beautiful views over the Aldudes valley and the Spanish side of the mountains. The climb up to Hargibel offers a final stretch along the ridge before the descent. Thank you!

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Alouette Lulu
Alouette Lulu

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

In the unanimous opinion of the four septuagenarian hikers from the Paris region who did this hike today, it deserves five stars! Beautiful, varied, easy. You quickly forget the first two kilometres, which are a little steep, because the paths are often grassy and comfortable. We really enjoyed it. Thank you for this gem, which is not to be missed.

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Pignada
Pignada

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Easy route (with a warm-up at the start along the fast road) with beautiful views of the Aldudes valley and the surrounding peaks

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Vincent Lafori
Vincent Lafori

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike. Note that the first 2 kilometres are tough 😊👍👍

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Malvrick
Malvrick

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Superb hike with magnificent views over the Aldudes Valley. Well-maintained and signposted route. No major difficulties. Plenty of places to stop for breaks during the hike.

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domi40
domi40

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with lovely views and very few people.
The trail is very well marked.

Thank you.

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Gilbert0
Gilbert0

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk. Easy to reach by car. Perfect signage. Some beautiful scenery. The path is a little steep at the start but nothing too difficult. No dangerous or dizzying situations. Recommended for a family hike.

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clairon
clairon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful loop. No difficulties, easy to find.

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Guy Omar
Guy Omar
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant loop, completed as a family (with two children aged 9 and 13) in good weather. The climb is very enjoyable with beautiful woodland and some initial views of the Aldudes valley. The journey along the ridge is also very beautiful and offers splendid panoramic views of the surrounding area. We did it in the company of horses and griffon vultures, which are numerous here, as on the other Basque hike we did. As mentioned in another review, it is quick and easy to complete the loop via Hargibel (allow an extra 30 minutes). The descent to Aldudes is a little less interesting but not unpleasant. There were few people on the trail when we were there (a Thursday in August).

Thank you for this route.

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PASCOUAU
PASCOUAU

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very interesting circuit with the option of going as far as Hargibel

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Claudine Wattrelot
Claudine Wattrelot

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with stunning views and a very pretty route... but you need to be in good physical shape because the climb is tough right from the start... even though you're warned, the slope is steep for the entire 2.5 km climb to the pass... after that, it continues at a gentler pace but in the sun, and in August it was still very hot.
You can shorten the hike by cutting across at point 7. Follow the trail 4 signs on the descent

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GERMAINY
GERMAINY

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike from the peaceful village of Les Aldudes at the bottom of the stunning valley of the same name. The route is well shaded on the way up, which is welcome in the late May sunshine. The view from the ridge path is superb.

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taboulechat
taboulechat

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello
After several days of rain, the weather was fine on Monday. It was the perfect opportunity to go for a walk in Les Aldudes.
A very pleasant hike with magnificent views along the ridges. No warm-up required, as the climb to point one is steady. From point two to point three, Col de Berdarit, you cross a magnificent beech forest on a path that is practically a balcony. The only downside is that it is better to have a GPS to find point 5 and reach the ridge, as I did not see the red-stained rock at the location. That said, without a GPS and in clear weather, it is easy to reach the summit from several places.
A pleasant return journey, and always well explained. Thank you for this beautiful and easy hike.

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