Mendieder and Mendaur from Arantza

We set off at 8:25 a.m. from the car park at the entrance to the village of Arantza (255 m). Beautiful pink hues caused by the south wind lit up the morning sky. We began our walk by passing near a remarkable cemetery where rows of identical gravestones stand, dominated by an elegant chapel. Further on, the grassy track becomes steep as we climb to the top of the ridge at the Bulatxiki pass (563 m). After a short break, we continue southwest along the ridge, passing several drinking troughs. The track becomes less distinct but is marked with red and white posts (GR®11 and GR®12) and narrows. We pass Zipuru (725m), which can be identified by the cross at its summit. As we climb, the wind intensifies and we have to leave the ridge (which is narrow in places) for a while as it is difficult to keep our balance. We leave the path and climb up the hillside to reach the Mendieder ridge. The gusts become particularly violent, and several of us are even blown over. While the first members of the group have already reached the summit of Mendieder (1071m, 10:35), two "lightweight" hikers in the group are unable to continue, and we have to help them (two people holding them on either side). We manage to reach the Col de Bustiz (932m, 11:40 a.m.) below, where we take a break to recover. The group showed particular courage and solidarity during this tricky passage, and no one complained... We then climb up to Mendaur via the less exposed normal route. This is the highest point of the hike (1130m, 11:35am). We take refuge inside the chapel (built in 1692 and restored in 1963). There are several people at the summit and on the massif, as it is a public holiday in Spain (Immaculate Conception). We have a picnic in a room adjoining the chapel, five of us brave the wind to reach the summit itself, where only a shred of torn Ikurina still flutters on the flagpole. The splendid panorama is there, under a clear, cloudless sky, but we don't have the leisure to enjoy it fully. We return by almost the same route, except for the Bustiz/cote 832 section, where we take the path on the eastern flank of Mendieder. Once past Zipuru, the wind dies down as we descend, becoming nothing more than a gentle zephyr below the Bulatxiki pass, and not even a breath of wind further down: what a contrast to the previous two hours! We finish the hike in T-shirts... Back to our starting point at 2.20pm.

Follow the route carefully, even if the paths are not clearly marked on the maps

Anglet Accueille hike (guide Richard)

(report of the hike carried out on 8/12/2025)