St Lary, The Pyrenees
Enjoy great walking in the stunning Pyrenees Mountains that form
the border between France and Spain. The village of St Lary in France is
a wonderful location from which to enjoy guided walks to tumbling streams, peaceful
mountain lakes and impressive summits. At the heart of this high mountain landscape
is the Néouvielle National Park, an area rich in wildlife and stunning
panoramas. The short journey through the Bielsa tunnel to Spain's Ordesa National
Park reveals fascinating contrasting landscapes of dry plateaux and rocky gorges.
We stay in the pleasant village of St Lary, a popular centre for walkers in
the summer and skiers in winter, which has a wide range of amenities including
an outdoor swimming pool and thermal baths.
- Wildlife-rich valleys and peaceful farming hamlets
- Magnificent walks in the
Pyrenean mountains
- Popular 3-star hotel in
attractive village location
Detailed information
| Classic Walking programme details |
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On these holidays there is a choice of two walks for varying abilities each day. For maximum choice we
offer two weekly itineraries - ideal if you wish to book a 14-night holiday or return for a second visit.
ITINERARY ONE:
Weeks of 14, 28 June; 12, 26 July; 9 August 2008 |
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Day 1: arrival day
Day 2: introductory walks from St Lary lead up the side
of the valley to the centuries old farming villages of Azet
and Estensan.
Day 3: journey to the traditional farming village of Aulon
to enjoy walks in the peaceful Lavedan Valley, or onto
the rolling mountain slopes above.
Day 4: travel to the head of the Aure Valley to walk
beneath towering Pyrenean summits, maybe to the
awesome Barroude Mountain Wall.
Day 5: free day - perhaps take a cable car trip to the
summit of the Pic du Midi or visit St Lary’s celebrated
thermal baths.
Day 6: walk from the beautiful lakes of the Reserve de
Néouvielle either over the Col d’Aumar to the Lac de
l’Oule, or to the twin summits of Pic de Gouguet and
Pic de Aygues-Cluses.
Day 7: experience a complete change of scenery on
walks in Spain’s Pineta Valley, perhaps to the summit of
Comodoto.
Day 8: departure day |
ITINERARY TWO
Weeks of 7, 21 June; 19 July; 2, 16 August 2008
Day 1: arrival day
Day 2: walk from St Lary through shady oak woodland to
the small farming hamlets of Cadeilhan and Soulan on the
slopes above.
Day 3: wander through the peaceful Pyrenean villages of
the Arsoué Valley or traverse the high Hitte Monte Ridge.
Day 4: follow a panoramic balcony path along the Louron
Valley or ascend a high valley to the Col d’Esquierry.
Day 5: free day - options include visits to Spain’s Ordesa
Canyon or the nearby historic town of Arreau.
Day 6: walk in the Néouvielle National Park, perhaps
aiming for the Lac d’Aumar or the commanding summit
of the Pic de Madaméte.
Day 7: walk in Spain’s Barrossa Valley to an awe-inspiring
mountain cirque carved out of the border ridge, and
perhaps onwards over a high col back into France.
Day 8: departure day
Please Note: The above programme should give you a good feel for the
walks at this resort but is subject to change. Each year we listen carefully to
the views of our guests and make improvements to our walking programmes. Further
information will be sent to you prior to your holiday; however the final selection
of walks will be made by your walking leaders.
Local transport to and from walks:
Local transport is not included in the cost of your holiday.
Please allow €60 per (approx £42) per week for
transport during the week, excluding your free day. Payable
locally in Euros.
Maps
Your leaders will of course carry all the necessary maps needed
for the walks. However if you would like one for your own
personal enjoyment then the best general purpose maps are
from the French IGN 1:25,000, 'Top 25' series. Sheet 1748ET
'Neovielle, Valee d'Aure' covers the majority of the walks.
Maps can be obtained by mail order from The Map Shop, Tel:
+44(0) 1684 593146. Alternatively all the local maps can be
bought from the tourist office in St Lary.
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| Footpath information |
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Easier Walks: 5 to 8 miles on good waymarked paths with some steep gradients. 500ft to 2,000ft of ascent in a day. |
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Harder Walks: 8 to 11 miles with some steep and rough ascents to summits and cols. 2,300ft to 3,500ft of ascent in a day. |
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| Dates and prices |
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| Sat 7, 14 June 2008 |
£685 |
£465 |
£995 |
£775 |
| Sat 12, 19, 26 July; 2, 9 August 2008 |
£685 |
£465 |
£995 |
£775 |
| Sat 16 August 2008 |
£685 |
£465 |
- |
- |
Single room supplement: £11 per night
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| Climate Information |
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| June |
23°C |
11°C |
9 |
80mm |
| July |
26°C |
14°C |
10 |
52mm |
| August |
26°C |
13°C |
9 |
80mm |
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| Travel to resort |
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Transfer from airport - If you book this holiday 'with flight' you will arrive at Toulouse airport. The onward journey to St Lary by coach takes around
2hrs.
Latest HF Holidays Flight Information - updated 22/08/2007 (provisional)
British Airways
Gatwick - Toulouse
Out 13:40 - 16:45
Return 17:05 - 17:50
Connecting flights from Manchester and regional
airports: £120
Airport Parking: To book secure airport parking throughout the UK visit Purple Parking or Holiday Extras to book on-line.
Airport Hotels: To book airport hotels throughout the UK visit Holiday Extras to book on-line.
Airport Lounges: To book airport lounges visit Holiday Extras to book on-line.
Making your own travel arrangements
Flights to Toulouse: Toulouse has the widest range of flights from the UK. If you are making your own arrangements then you may want to consider one of the following options:
www.easyjet.com flights from Bristol & Gatwick.
www.jet2.com flights from Manchester & Leeds/Bradford.
www.flybe.com flights from Birmingham.
www.ba.com flights from Gatwick.
• Reach the hotel by joining the
HF Holidays' transfer (supplement £20 single). Contact our Reservations Team to book your place and find out the latest times.
• Alternatively take the train to the nearest
station at Lannemezan and then on by bus to St Lary
- see below.
Flights to Pau: The airport at Pau is slightly closer, but only served by a limited number of flights:
www.ryanair.com flights from Stansted.
If arriving at Pau an airport bus will take you to the railway station (cost €5). However this only runs once a day so you may need to take a taxi to the station at a cost of around €25 - details are at www.pau.aeroport.fr. From Pau station catch the train to Lannemezan, and then on by bus to St Lary (see below). Alternatively you can book a direct taxi transfer at www.resorthoppa.com.
By Rail and Bus to St Lary: The nearest station is at Lannemezan which lies on the main line between Toulouse and Biarritz. Trains to Lannemezan take around 1hr 30 from Toulouse and 1hr 15 from Pau (may involve a change of train at Tarbes). From Lannermezan a bus service, run by SNCF, the French national rail operator, will take you up the valley to St-Lary. These buses connect with the trains from Toulouse. There are currently 5 buses per day with the journey taking around 50 minutes. Alight at the terminus in St Lary and from here it is a 2 minute walk to the hotel. Train and bus times are available on the French railways website: www.sncf.com.
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| What the holiday includes |
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- Return economy class air travel - 'with flight' option.
- Airport transfers - 'with flight' option.
- 7 or 14 nights' accommodation in en-suite rooms.
- Half Board - Breakfast & evening meals.
- Services of 2 HF Holidays' leaders.
- 5 or 10 guided walks.
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| Other walking holiday ideas |
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For those of you who prefer to take things more gently, our Alpine
Rambles holidays allow you to enjoy the mountain scenery at a more relaxed
pace. Anyone who wants to gain a greater appreciation of the flora and fauna of
a country, while walking, can join our Discover the Natural
World holiday. Alternatively, if you want something more challenging we offer
a High Routes holiday, with excellent high level walking through some of Europe's
best mountains.
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