The Rough Guide to The Pyrenees

Rating:
Summary: Looking forward to using this guide in France.
Review: Marc Dubins rough guide is a detailed and interesting book. He concentrates on the areas close to the mountains and gives interesting descriptions of small villages as well as larger resorts and towns. He includes recommended walks and rates the ski resorts. He assumes you will be walking or on public transport and so does not cover many hamlets and villages only reachable by car. Overall a very thorough book that I am sure will be invaluble on our trip there.

Rating:
Summary: Setting the standard, 3rd edition
Review: The Pyrenees are some of the best terrain for outdoor adventure in Europe. As this guide points out, though, while they've often "taken second fiddle" to the Alps, they actually offer a greater variety of things to do -- all levels of hiking, plus whitewater rafting, biking, caving, skiing, horse riding, rock climbing, and just kicking back, not to mention quick access to Mediterranean beaches and "cultured" places like Barcelona and Bilbao. Wildlife is abundant and, unless this excellent guide gets into too many people's hands, tourists are not. What more could you ask for?

Dubin's guide is jam-packed with detail. It's pretty much oriented toward the outdoors -- after all, that's why most people come to the Pyrenees -- but it also includes information about the region's attractive architecture. The guide is divided up into five sections each about 60 pages-long: the Eastern Pyrenées, Andorra, the Vall D'Aran, the western national parks (Parc National des Pyrenées and Parque Nacional de Ordesa), and the Western Pyrenées. Information about accomodations is a little skimpy here and there, but that's not a serious problem. You won't have any trouble finding a place to stay. All the essentials about traveling by train and bus are here, too.

The guide's big strength is its walking itineraries. They make up about half the book. Here's part of one: "For the simpler appraoch to Pedraforca [a peak], head south for forty minutes from the refuge fountain, along a narrow but well-trodden path through pine and box, to the base of the giant scree hully leading up to Forcadura. Turning sharply west up this, guided by a few red-and-yellow paint splodges, brings you to the saddle in just under two hours from the refuge, after a very slippery, mostly trailless climb. At Forcadura, you'll glimpse Gòsol to the west -- and a gentler, distinct trail slithering up the Canal de Gòsol ("canal" meaning ravine in local parlance). From Forcadura it's another 25 minutes north up a reasonable, obvious trail to the top of Pollegó Superior, with its assorted Catalan flags, "mailbox" for dedications and the expected views. Return is by this same route, for a total outing of just under five hours."

Full of interesting anecdotes, the book also includes tables listing the dates of local festivals and, at the end, a section on Pyrenean history, culture, and wildlife. Finally, you'll find a brief Spanish and French glossary and a handful of useful words and phrases from those beautiful "mountain languages," Basque and Catalan.

As for Dubin's maps, you'll need some better ones if you're planning any serious trekking, but for the light walker like myself, they'll do. Again, his descriptions of trails are very detailed and could almost take the place of maps.

For more books on the Pyrenees, check out my Listmania lists.

Rating:
Summary: Setting the standard.
Review: The Pyrenees are some of the best terrain for outdoor adventure in Europe. As this guide points out, though, while they've often "taken second fiddle" to the Alps, they actually offer a bigger variety of things to do -- all levels of hiking, plus whitewater rafting, biking, caving, skiing, horse riding, rock climbing, and taking it easy, not to mention quick access to Mediterranean beaches and "cultured" places like Barcelona and Bilbao. Wildlife is abundant and, unless this guide gets into too many people's hands, tourists are not. What more could you ask for?

Dubin's guide is jam-packed with detail. It's pretty much oriented toward the outdoors -- after all, that's why most people come to the Pyrenees -- but it also includes information about the region's attractive architecture. The guide is divided up into five sections each about 60 pages-long: the Eastern Pyrenées, Andorra, the Vall D'Aran, the western national parks (Parc National des Pyrenées and Parque Nacional de Ordesa), and the Western Pyrenées. Information about accomodations is a little skimpy here and there, but that's not a serious problem. You won't have any trouble finding a place to stay. All the essentials about traveling by train and bus are here, too.

The guide's big strength is its walking itineraries. They make up about half the book. Here's part of one: "For the simpler appraoch to Pedraforca [a peak], head south for forty minutes from the refuge fountain, along a narrow but well-trodden path through pine and box, to the base of the giant scree hully leading up to Forcadura. Turning sharply west up this, guided by a few red-and-yellow paint splodges, brings you to the saddle in just under two hours from the refuge, after a very slippery, mostly trailless climb. At Forcadura, you'll glimpse Gòsol to the west -- and a gentler, distinct trail slithering up the Canal de Gòsol ("canal" meaning ravine in local parlance). From Forcadura it's another 25 minutes north up a reasonable, obvious trail to the top of Pollegó Superior, with its assorted Catalan flags, "mailbox" for dedications and the expected views. Return is by this same route, for a total outing of just under five hours."

Full of interesting anecdotes, the book also includes tables listing the dates of local festivals and, at the end, a section on Pyrenean history, culture, and wildlife. Finally, you'll find a brief Spanish and French glossary and a handful of useful words and phrases from those beautiful "mountain languages," Basque and Catalan.

As for Dubin's maps, you'll need some better ones if you're planning any serious trekking, but for the light walker like myself, they'll do. Again, his descriptions of trails are very detailed and could almost take the place of maps.

For more books on the Pyrenees, check out my Listmania lists.

Rating:
Summary: Setting the standard, 3rd edition
Review: The Pyrenees are some of the best terrain for outdoor adventure in Europe. As this guide points out, though, while they've often "taken second fiddle" to the Alps, they actually offer a greater variety of things to do -- all levels of hiking, plus whitewater rafting, biking, caving, skiing, horse riding, rock climbing, and just kicking back, not to mention quick access to Mediterranean beaches and "cultured" places like Barcelona and Bilbao. Wildlife is abundant and, unless this excellent guide gets into too many people's hands, tourists are not. What more could you ask for?

Dubin's guide is jam-packed with detail. It's pretty much oriented toward the outdoors -- after all, that's why most people come to the Pyrenees -- but it also includes information about the region's attractive architecture. The guide is divided up into five sections each about 60 pages-long: the Eastern Pyrenées, Andorra, the Vall D'Aran, the western national parks (Parc National des Pyrenées and Parque Nacional de Ordesa), and the Western Pyrenées. Information about accomodations is a little skimpy here and there, but that's not a serious problem. You won't have any trouble finding a place to stay. All the essentials about traveling by train and bus are here, too.

The guide's big strength is its walking itineraries. They make up about half the book. Here's part of one: "For the simpler appraoch to Pedraforca [a peak], head south for forty minutes from the refuge fountain, along a narrow but well-trodden path through pine and box, to the base of the giant scree hully leading up to Forcadura. Turning sharply west up this, guided by a few red-and-yellow paint splodges, brings you to the saddle in just under two hours from the refuge, after a very slippery, mostly trailless climb. At Forcadura, you'll glimpse Gòsol to the west -- and a gentler, distinct trail slithering up the Canal de Gòsol ("canal" meaning ravine in local parlance). From Forcadura it's another 25 minutes north up a reasonable, obvious trail to the top of Pollegó Superior, with its assorted Catalan flags, "mailbox" for dedications and the expected views. Return is by this same route, for a total outing of just under five hours."

Full of interesting anecdotes, the book also includes tables listing the dates of local festivals and, at the end, a section on Pyrenean history, culture, and wildlife. Finally, you'll find a brief Spanish and French glossary and a handful of useful words and phrases from those beautiful "mountain languages," Basque and Catalan.

As for Dubin's maps, you'll need some better ones if you're planning any serious trekking, but for the light walker like myself, they'll do. Again, his descriptions of trails are very detailed and could almost take the place of maps.

For more books on the Pyrenees, check out my Listmania lists.

Rating:
Summary: Setting the standard.
Review: The Pyrenees are some of the best terrain for outdoor adventure in Europe. As this guide points out, though, while they've often "taken second fiddle" to the Alps, they actually offer a bigger variety of things to do -- all levels of hiking, plus whitewater rafting, biking, caving, skiing, horse riding, rock climbing, and taking it easy, not to mention quick access to Mediterranean beaches and "cultured" places like Barcelona and Bilbao. Wildlife is abundant and, unless this guide gets into too many people's hands, tourists are not. What more could you ask for?

Dubin's guide is jam-packed with detail. It's pretty much oriented toward the outdoors -- after all, that's why most people come to the Pyrenees -- but it also includes information about the region's attractive architecture. The guide is divided up into five sections each about 60 pages-long: the Eastern Pyrenées, Andorra, the Vall D'Aran, the western national parks (Parc National des Pyrenées and Parque Nacional de Ordesa), and the Western Pyrenées. Information about accomodations is a little skimpy here and there, but that's not a serious problem. You won't have any trouble finding a place to stay. All the essentials about traveling by train and bus are here, too.

The guide's big strength is its walking itineraries. They make up about half the book. Here's part of one: "For the simpler appraoch to Pedraforca [a peak], head south for forty minutes from the refuge fountain, along a narrow but well-trodden path through pine and box, to the base of the giant scree hully leading up to Forcadura. Turning sharply west up this, guided by a few red-and-yellow paint splodges, brings you to the saddle in just under two hours from the refuge, after a very slippery, mostly trailless climb. At Forcadura, you'll glimpse Gòsol to the west -- and a gentler, distinct trail slithering up the Canal de Gòsol ("canal" meaning ravine in local parlance). From Forcadura it's another 25 minutes north up a reasonable, obvious trail to the top of Pollegó Superior, with its assorted Catalan flags, "mailbox" for dedications and the expected views. Return is by this same route, for a total outing of just under five hours."

Full of interesting anecdotes, the book also includes tables listing the dates of local festivals and, at the end, a section on Pyrenean history, culture, and wildlife. Finally, you'll find a brief Spanish and French glossary and a handful of useful words and phrases from those beautiful "mountain languages," Basque and Catalan.

As for Dubin's maps, you'll need some better ones if you're planning any serious trekking, but for the light walker like myself, they'll do. Again, his descriptions of trails are very detailed and could almost take the place of maps.

For more books on the Pyrenees, check out my Listmania lists.

Rating:
Summary: Setting the standard, 3rd edition
Review: The Pyrenees are some of the best terrain for outdoor adventure in Europe. As this guide points out, though, while they've often "taken second fiddle" to the Alps, they actually offer a greater variety of things to do -- all levels of hiking, plus whitewater rafting, biking, caving, skiing, horse riding, rock climbing, and just kicking back, not to mention quick access to Mediterranean beaches and "cultured" places like Barcelona and Bilbao. Wildlife is abundant and, unless this excellent guide gets into too many people's hands, tourists are not. What more could you ask for?

Dubin's guide is jam-packed with detail. It's pretty much oriented toward the outdoors -- after all, that's why most people come to the Pyrenees -- but it also includes information about the region's attractive architecture. The guide is divided up into five sections each about 60 pages-long: the Eastern Pyrenées, Andorra, the Vall D'Aran, the western national parks (Parc National des Pyrenées and Parque Nacional de Ordesa), and the Western Pyrenées. Information about accomodations is a little skimpy here and there, but that's not a serious problem. You won't have any trouble finding a place to stay. All the essentials about traveling by train and bus are here, too.

The guide's big strength is its walking itineraries. They make up about half the book. Here's part of one: "For the simpler appraoch to Pedraforca [a peak], head south for forty minutes from the refuge fountain, along a narrow but well-trodden path through pine and box, to the base of the giant scree hully leading up to Forcadura. Turning sharply west up this, guided by a few red-and-yellow paint splodges, brings you to the saddle in just under two hours from the refuge, after a very slippery, mostly trailless climb. At Forcadura, you'll glimpse Gòsol to the west -- and a gentler, distinct trail slithering up the Canal de Gòsol ("canal" meaning ravine in local parlance). From Forcadura it's another 25 minutes north up a reasonable, obvious trail to the top of Pollegó Superior, with its assorted Catalan flags, "mailbox" for dedications and the expected views. Return is by this same route, for a total outing of just under five hours."

Full of interesting anecdotes, the book also includes tables listing the dates of local festivals and, at the end, a section on Pyrenean history, culture, and wildlife. Finally, you'll find a brief Spanish and French glossary and a handful of useful words and phrases from those beautiful "mountain languages," Basque and Catalan.

As for Dubin's maps, you'll need some better ones if you're planning any serious trekking, but for the light walker like myself, they'll do. Again, his descriptions of trails are very detailed and could almost take the place of maps.

For more books on the Pyrenees, check out my Listmania lists.