Top 14 Mountain Passes around Orbara

One of the most inhospitable and spectacular mountain passes in the eastern Pyrenees, with several slopes, all of them very difficult. The landscape is wild and wonderful. You can breathe absolute tranquility and you can dedicate yourself exclusively to enjoying the views, the horses, the sheep, the cows and the suffering on the bike. The summit is on the border with Spain, although there is no road that crosses the border, so the pass runs entirely in France. I have climbed it on 2 of its slopes. The first time I climbed it on the slope that crosses the Col d'Orgambide, on the D428 road, which starts from Estérençuby. The first 3 km are very easy, until you cross the detour to go up to Artaburu, where the road begins to have slopes of more than 10%. From there, to the summit, the climb is very hard, around 9%, on a very rough and bumpy road, with a lot of humidity and crossing a wonderful beech forest. Once you reach the top of the Col d'Orgambide, you turn right and continue climbing for another half kilometre with a gradient of 11%. There comes a small descent, to face the last 3 kms, the first 2 very hard with several 13% gradients. The last kilometre is very easy and has panoramic views that are simply wonderful. The second time I climbed it on the side that starts from Arneguy and Ondarolle. This side is harder than the previous one, with a central section that is hellish, being 6 kms at an average of 10%, and a very hard km at 12% and 18% gradients!!! The final part is more gentle. You cross the Croix de Thibault in the penultimate kilometre of the climb. The final kilometre is very gentle and with beautiful and exciting panoramic views.

It is a beautiful border pass between Spain and France, well known for being part of the most traditional route of the Camino de Santiago. Sportingly, the climb on both sides is easy, although on the French side it is much longer as it starts at a lower altitude. The Spanish side is just 6 km from Burguete, the last being the most difficult with an average gradient of 7%. On this side you pass the famous and well-known monastery of Roncesvalles. The French side is 18 km from Arnegui and an average gradient of 4%. The hardest part is 5 km from the summit, with one kilometre at 7%. The landscape on this side is of lush vegetation going up a very closed valley that hardly leaves room for views of the surrounding mountains. The road is very twisty. It is a port with very good asphalt and a lot of traffic in general... so, be careful!

The Ibañeta Pass, also known as the Roncesvalles Pass, is a scenic mountain pass in the Pyrenees, near the border between France and Spain. At an altitude of 1,057 metres, it offers breathtaking views and a rich historical background. The pass is best known for the Battle of Roncevaux in 778, a legendary event sung about in the epic poem “The Song of Roland”. A menhir marks the traditional site of this battle, emphasising the historical significance of the location.

A great climb up to the pass. Once you reach the top you get a great view. There is a small church at the top and also a monument. There has always been a hospital up here. However, only the foundations of it remain

Roland, who is commemorated here, died in 778 as part of the rear guard of Charlemagne's Frankish army. He himself was Margrave of Brittany and was the victim of a Basque revenge campaign against the Frankish conquerors who were retreating from a failed Saracen campaign. Those were complicated times, but things were not to become any less complicated in the Basque Country in the centuries that followed. An epic/song was later sung about Roland, which is part of world literature. The monument itself is simple and rough, exposed up here in the wind of the weather, and can therefore have an immediate effect, without pomp and splendor. Great! https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlacht_von_Roncesvalles

The views from the top are wonderful. You have to stand quietly to enjoy the beauty, especially on sunny spring and summer days.

It is a beautiful port of about 8 - 9 km for each of its slopes that connects Ochagavía with the sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves in the Irati Jungle, one of the entrances to the forest. It is highly recommended to try both slopes because, although similar in length and hardness, they are very different in terms of landscape. The southern slope of Ochagavía is very open, with views of the valley and the surrounding mountains at all times, crossing mountain meadows. On the other hand, on its northern slope, the climb runs through the Irati Forest surrounded by beech trees. The final part of this slope is clear, although you are inside a very charming gorge. The views from the top are simply wonderful. It is worth stopping carefully, observing the views and taking some photos. It is usually windy, so a windbreaker is essential.

Before reaching Irati there is this hill with a magnificent viewpoint. If you're lucky you'll see the area's semi-wild horses up close. It is a port with a constant slope, it is long and it is beautiful