Mondarrain and Artzamendi from Itxassou

At the Itxassou pelota court, follow the signs to the car park 200 m away. Take the small road that passes in front of the Bonnet pelota court hotel/restaurant and, further on, turn right to park in the car park.

(S/E) Leave the car park and turn right onto the road. At the three-way junction, take the road opposite and, further on, turn right at the three-way junction. Cross the bridge and keep left. At the end of the road, turn left and continue along a track that winds through the undergrowth until you reach a junction.

(1) Take the first path on the right, which climbs uphill. Initially wide, the path narrows and passes through meadows before entering the woodland. Follow a low stone wall on the left until you reach a road at a hairpin bend.

(2) Head up to the left, then take a faint track through a meadow on the left. Continue along this track, which winds its way up, to reach Orkazberroko Borda.

(3) At a small chestnut grove, ignore a path on the left and continue along the track to the right. On the climb, ignore a path branching off to the left and continue straight along the track. Reach a hairpin bend and continue along the track, ignoring a grassy path branching off to the right. Continue, then turn right at a gate before following a hedge of thuja trees. Continue until you reach the Col de Legarre.

(4) Cross the road and take a wide path behind a gate. Climb this stony path until you reach a copse of conifers at the Col d’Amezketa. Go round the trees to the right, then follow the edge of the copse towards the summit of Mondarrain.

(5) Continue up the steep climb leading to a beautiful beech forest. The path through the undergrowth is not easy to follow. Keep an eye out for the yellow markings so as not to stray from the path. Cross the forest to reach an open area dotted with boulders. The path leads to the foot of a steep climb between rocky faces. You’ll reach a plateau below the summit and head towards imposing boulders on the left. Walk along a rock face on the right before starting a short climb towards a beautiful hawthorn bush. A few dozen metres further on, you’ll reach the summit of Mondarrain.

(6) Enjoy the view from the summit, then continue the hike on the opposite side to where you arrived. Pass to the right of the cross before beginning the descent. Stay alert on the fairly steep initial section. Continue to the left of a rock face and follow the path as it winds through large boulders before descending a grassy slope leading to a pass.

(7) Pass to the right of a corral (enclosure for livestock) and follow a very well-marked path along the mountainside. Cross an area dotted with hawthorn bushes that descends towards a grassy ridge. Continue down to reach a track. Follow it to the right until you reach the Col de Zuharreta.

(8) There are several paths at this pass. So stay alert and take the dirt track that climbs to the right of^{the GR®10}, along the mountainside, towards the Bizkailuze ridge. The route is then clearer. Continue along the ridge line without straying too far from it. Shortly afterwards, the ridge widens. Take care to follow it closely along the upper section to reach a tarmac track.

(9) Turn left, heading due south. Reach the first hairpin bend and continue along the track to the left.

(10) Join the^GR®10and follow it straight ahead, heading due east, ignoring another path branching off to the right. Continue the descent and pass close to the Ezteben Borda lodge and restaurant. Further on, take a path on the left that runs alongside a fence, sharing the route with^{the GR®10}. Once back on the road, follow it to the Col des Veaux.

(11) Cross the road and take a wide dirt track. Follow it for about a hundred metres, then turn left, ignoring another track branching off to the right. Continue in this direction until you reach a small plateau with two entrances to meadows. Turn left onto the path, which is still shared with^{the GR®10}. The climb continues through gorse and runs alongside a fence on the right. Continue to the end of the meadow.

(12) Turn left onto a path until you reach the Col de Mehatse.

(13) Leave the^GR®10. Continue until you reach a road and follow it to the summit of Artzamendi.

(14) Pass to the right of the radar between two low walls. Keep a close eye on the markings, as they are the only way to find your way at the start of the descent. Follow a grassy path with very few markings, then pass close to exposed rocks where the path becomes more visible until you reach another rocky outcrop. Take care to follow the markings closely.

(15) Walk along the left-hand side of a rocky outcrop formed by stacked strata, following the main gully. Pass two ruins on the left whilst continuing down the gully. At a third ruin, join a wide grassy path and pass to the right of a rocky outcrop. Follow a grassy path before starting the descent to the left.

(16) The path heads towards a layered rocky outcrop before passing through an area of gorse and descending steeply. Continue along a flat section on the mountainside. Cross a scree slope then pass by an oak tree at the side of the path. Once out of the valley, the path turns left.

(17) Just after the bend, ignore a path leading down to the right and continue straight on along the flat path. Reach a ridge and descend it to reach an enclosure. Turn left and follow the path along the hillside. Initially on earth, it continues over a section of pink sandstone boulders. Once past the scree, the path descends towards a ridge and passes a large blackthorn. The slope steepens through small buckthorn bushes before reaching the undergrowth.

(18) Continue along the path until you reach a wide track, where you should turn right. Descend to a three-way junction, where you should turn left, leaving a wide track that climbs to the right. Further on, a new path branches off to the right. Ignore this and continue to the road.

(19) Turn right onto the road and follow it until you reach the Laxia district, ignoring the paths to the right and left. Pass a pediment on the left and continue along the main road. After a left-hand bend, the road continues through the beautiful Nive Gorges, home to the famous Pas de Roland.

(20) Continue along the river to the crossroads in the church district.

(21) Turn left, then take the first road on the left. Pass close to a car park and leave it on your right before turning left, then further on, reach a track through the woods.

(22) Follow this track until you reach a junction you passed on the way there.

(1) From there, follow the route back in the opposite direction to return to the Ateka car park (S/E).

Markings: Yellow.
Facilities and services: food supply point (grocery shop, catering).

(7) Summit of Mondarrain
Situated at an altitude of 749 m, the summit of Mondarrain offers, on a clear day, an exceptional view over the whole of the province of Labourd and part of Lower Navarre. From this viewpoint, where the ruins of an ancient fort remain, walkers can see the mountains of Navarre, catch a glimpse of the ocean and make out the start of the Pyrenees mountain range stretching to the high peaks of Béarn.

(12) The cromlechs
Funeral monuments dating from the Iron Age (800 to 300 BC), cromlechs are circles of stones set vertically into the ground. At the centre of this burial site lies a chamber known as a ‘cist’, in which the cremated remains of the deceased were placed. Cromlechs bear witness to the very ancient occupation of the Basque Mountains. At the Mehatse Pass, information boards provide detailed information on this type of monument.

(14) The millstones of Artzamendi
Quarried since 1771, the pink sandstone of Artzamendi was used, amongst other things, to make millstones, roofing slabs, paving slabs, lintels, whetstones, wine press stones and boundary markers. Transported from the site by ox-drawn carts, these products were shipped from Cambo-les-Bains to mills in Bayonne and Dax. The current remains (150 millstones currently recorded) are mainly found on Mount Artzamendi and in the commune of Itxassou.

(20) Roland’s Pass
Located on the path running alongside the turbulent waters of the Nive towards Artzamendi, the Pas de Roland, named after Charlemagne’s knight who fought against the Saracens. In 778, as he was heading for the border, a rock blocked his path on the banks of the Nive. With a kick from his horse’s hoof, Roland cleared the way to continue southwards.