Pitare lepoa walks

A beautiful loop that climbs up to Xoldoko Gaina, then descends to the Col d'Osin (Osingo Lepoa), passes through the Col des Poiriers (Pitare), an area rich in monoliths, and returns along the side of Xoldo, skirting the lake.

The border winds peacefully along the waters of the River Bidasoa, then rises abruptly up the ridge of the Pyrenees, towards the Col d’Ibardin and on to the Rhune massif. Numbered boundary markers were erected in the mountains to demarcate this administrative line, and patrols of vigilant customs officers had to be deployed to curb the night-time smuggling and trafficking of goods in days gone by. This walk partly follows in the footsteps of these border guards; you will notice that the job required a certain level of physical fitness at the time, as the climb to border marker No. 3 is quite challenging, though fortunately shaded by a beautiful oak grove. In these forgotten corners of the Basque mountains, provided you are not put off by steep slopes, the circular route becomes a splendid ascent towards the first Pyrenean peaks.