hard
Distance: 110km Unevenness: 2900m
Artzaiak... Shepherds... it is a simple recognition, homage would be saying much, to this social group which during thousands of years has been interacting with the environment, creating the landscape we now see. Past and present, be taken into account, as for bikers (who is those to whom these routes are directed), this present can materialize in form of a white Citroen C15 followed by a dog (sheepdog, of course) suddenly emerging in any travel curve. For all that, Artzaiak (which means shepherds in basque).
We have included under the name of Artzaiak a series of routes that are developed in the same geographic space and that in a nutshell are modifications of the same idea so in this way it is possible to choose the difficulty of each different route.
For a better understanding of the possibilities, we have used the diagram of clothing sizes that more or less everyone understands; S, M, L and XL.
In general, the aim is to go over the Arbailles massif, which we will ascend by Ahüski, and the northern slopes of the Irati forest where we will place ourselves either ascending by Burdinkurutzeta or Artaburu. The closing will be through the ramps that touring the Valley of Sainte Engrace will end up leading us to Arette by Issarbe.
Itinerarie: Arette D918 - Tardets-Sorholus D247 - Altzai D117 - Ahuski - road without nº - Bagargi - Larrau (village) D26 - D113 - Sainte Engrace - Suscousse D632 - Issarbe - Barlanes - D918 Arette
If you want to see the route on wikiloc website click on the green icon on the map.
Alrededores de Arette. El campo base perfecto para practicar cicloturismo en el Pirineo Atlántico.
Los favoritos en la general descienden el puerto de Inharpu/Ahuski hacia Altzai -Vuelta a España 2016-
Puerto de Bagargi en su vertiente hacia Larrau. Al fondo, el Pico de Ori con el paso de Erroimendi a su izquierda.
Pueblo de Larrau, en las laderas del puerto del mismo nombre. Esta vez nos dirigimos cuesta abajo.
Dejamos atrás Sainte Engrace con sus espectaculares Gorges de Kakueta. -Cicloturista Pax Avant 2013-
Issarbe por St Engrace. Un alto en las sombras del camino. Cuando el calor aprieta el puerto puede ser temible. -Cicloturista Pax Avant 2013-
Issarbe por St Engrace. Zona media del puerto. Los pueblos quedan ya atrás.
Issarbe por St Engrace. Duros tramos al 13 y 14%. Nos acercamos ya al cruce de Suscousse donde la cosa se suaviza. -Cicloturista Pax Avant 2013-
COL de Issarbe, nos tiramos hacia Barlanes -Cicloturista Pax Avant 2013-
We are where we are, in the Atlantic Pyrenees, with a plain to the North with localities at very low altitude and ports that are close to the 2000m range.
The southern slope is more "human", towns are in a higher altitude and the slopes are not so important.
The vast majority of the routes cover the ports of the "greats": Issarbe, La Piedra de St Martin, Laberouat, Bagargi, Artaburu, Arnostegi, Ahuski, Larrau...with slopes ranging between 1000 and 1700 meters. Some routes ascent one of these ports, others 2 or 3 and even more.
We anticipated this so the criteria are clear for each 6 levels that we have chosen for the ranking of the routes.