The hardest hikes in Pyrénées National Park, by the numbers
Of the 37 trails in Pyrénées National Park in our dataset, 21 (57 percent) rate strenuous or very strenuous on the gain-and-distance scale we use and run 3 to 30 miles with at least 1,500 ft of climb; all 21 are listed here, highest rating first.
Variante 16.2 leads with 7,920 ft of gain over 15.2 miles, 521 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 61 percent.
Across the 21, gain runs from 1,986 to 7,920 ft and distance from 3.6 miles to 15.2 miles; the median gain is 3,472 ft and the median distance 9.1 miles.
19 of the 21 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (2).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Variante 16.2 | 15.2 | 7,920 | 521 | 61% | 3,666 to 8,582 | 490.7 | |
| 2 | Variante 17.1 | 10.3 | 5,800 | 563 | 64% | 3,769 to 9,317 | 345.7 | |
| 3 | Étape 17 | 11.1 | 4,726 | 426 | 45% | 4,982 to 8,464 | 323.9 | |
| 4 | La traversée des Pyrénées | 11.8 | 4,024 | 341 | 31% | 2,761 to 6,397 | 308.2 | |
| 5 | HRP Étape 15 | 9.9 | 4,638 | 468 | 49% | 4,506 to 8,650 | 303 | |
| 6 | Étape 14 | 8 | 4,722 | 590 | 40% | 5,973 to 8,961 | 274.9 | |
| 7 | HRP Étape 13 | 10.3 | 3,660 | 355 | 41% | 5,149 to 8,823 | 274.6 | |
| 8 | Étape 12 | 8.3 | 4,371 | 527 | 41% | 4,482 to 8,570 | 269.4 | |
| 9 | Senda de Camille | 10.9 | 3,070 | 282 | 36% | 4,441 to 6,610 | 258.7 | |
| 10 | Tour du Pic du Midi d'Ossau | 10.2 | 3,106 | 305 | 34% | 4,639 to 7,230 | 251.7 | |
| 11 | Voie d'Ossau Est | 8.5 | 3,367 | 396 | 34% | 3,436 to 6,077 | 239.2 | |
| 12 | HRP Étape 10 | 9.6 | 2,822 | 294 | 34% | 4,329 to 6,610 | 232.8 | |
| 13 | Variante 13.1 | 9.3 | 2,784 | 299 | 55% | 6,377 to 8,724 | 227.6 | |
| 14 | HRP Variante 14.2 | 9.1 | 2,071 | 228 | 25% | 4,943 to 7,048 | 194.1 | |
| 15 | Variante 15.1 | 5.1 | 3,472 | 681 | 52% | 6,233 to 8,499 | 188.2 | |
| 16 | Petit Vignemale | 4.2 | 3,897 | 928 | 66% | 6,027 to 9,948 | 180.9 | |
| 17 | Mont Perdu | 5.4 | 2,827 | 524 | 45% | 7,224 to 9,882 | 174.7 | |
| 18 | Haute Route Pyreneennes | 4.5 | 3,374 | 750 | 36% | 5,066 to 8,455 | 174.3 | |
| 19 | Pic de la Grande Fache | 3.6 | 3,765 | 1,046 | 72% | 6,094 to 9,859 | 164.6 | |
| 20 | Cirque de Troumouse | 6.4 | 1,986 | 310 | 35% | 5,013 to 7,005 | 159.4 | |
| 21 | Hourquette d'Alans | 4.9 | 2,464 | 503 | 34% | 5,414 to 7,880 | 155.4 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band strenuous (150 to 200) or very strenuous (200 and over), 3 to 30 miles, at least 1,500 ft of gain, ordered by rating desc, gain per mile desc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Pyrénées National Park" here means the 37 trails in Pyrénées National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Pyrénées National Park.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Variante 16.2.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.