Country:
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Access by car: take the D918 road towards Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. At Bidarray, turn right onto the Pont Noblia bridge which crosses the Nive river. After the bridge, turn right. Cross a second bridge and continue, ignoring the road that branches off to the right towards Pas de Roland. Further on, at a three-way junction, do not take the road on the left that goes up to a farm selling cheese, but continue straight ahead. After a few kilometres of winding road, the road ends at the Arouchia farm, where you should park about a hundred metres before it, without obstructing the passage.
(S/E) Take theGR®10before the farm. It is clearly marked at the entrance to a path that climbs up a staircase. It's already quite a climb. After about 15 minutes, you will find a handrail that climbs to the right to the Grotte-du-Saint-qui-Sue (Harpékosaïndoa Cave), a place of pilgrimage for over 3,000 years. The stalagmite believed to represent this saint is at the very back of the cave.
(1) Continue along the path, which becomes very uneven from this point onwards. Crossing various scree slopes does not make things any easier. Reach the French-Spanish border.
(2) Leave theGR®10and take the path on the left that goes around Pagamendi and leads to the Penas d'Itsuchi cliff at Martikoenea.
(3) Follow the path that runs along the vulture cliffs to the crossroads above Lartezarreko Borda.
(4) Leave the path and turn right towards the west onto a faint track through the ferns, which climbs gradually and then joins a path that descends and leads to theGR®10at the Iguzkiegi border pass.
(5) Do not follow theGR®10but take the path on the left that leads under the Col des Veaux and onto the track that descends to Lesetakoborda. Do not descend, continue to the junction signposted Venta Burkaitz.
(6) Head towards the car park and take the path. Turn right immediately and descend along a path through an oak forest, crossing small streams. Follow the yellow markings. You will then arrive at the Aritzacun river. Follow it to reach the abandoned village of Borda.
(7) Continue for about 200 metres and turn left onto a small bridge that leads to the Bastan track. Turn left and follow the track. You will come to a crossroads with a new track.
(8) Continue straight ahead. Leave the track leading to Lesetakoborda on your left. Continue along the track. Admire the Penas d'Itchusi and the vultures that were circling in large numbers this afternoon. You will reach a new crossroads at the confluence of the Erreka and Ariztacun rivers at the Berekoetchéa lodge.
(9) Take the track again and follow the right bank of the Erreka. You will reach the confluence with the Urritzateko.
(10) Leave the track, turn left and descend via a small path towards a mill. Cross the Aritzacun via a recent footbridge and climb up a small path in the forest. Join a path that leads to a farm. Take the signposted path that goes around it and return to the road and the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Very difficult 
Moderate 
Association / Club / Walk leader
Easy 
