Guided walking & cultural holidays FRANCE - Walking in the western Pyrenees The Pays Basque, South West France: Geography The Pays Basque is part of the Pyrenean chain which extends way into the Iberian peninsular. The landscape is complex and varied. Over most of its 400 kilometre length, the Pyrenean chain is formed by a continuous core of old massifs raised up by the collision between Europe and Spain. This occurred long ago in the Tertiary era (up to 70,000 BC), and gave birth to the Pyrenees, hemmed in to both north and south by secondary, folded limestone ranges created by this phenomenon. Needless to say, not all geologists agree about the timing of the creation of the Pyrenees! To the west of the chain, in the Pays Basque, the orderliness of the folded ranges vanishes. The area is split up into a series of isolated distinct areas, which are made up of rocks of very different types and ages. These are separated by valleys with fast-flowing rivers, basins, and depressions. Once the climate warmed up, five or six thousand years ago, people ceased wandering, settled and altered their surroundings for ever. Shepherds destroyed some of the forests to enlarge their grazing lands, blacksmiths plundered it for their fuel, and carpenters and mariners stole its timber. The outcome is long, bare ridges, crests invaded by ferns and wide grasslands that hallmark today's landscapes. Nevertheless, there is no shortage of trees and the area still boasts the largest beech forest in Europe. Oak, birch and sweet chestnut woods also provide interesting and varied walking environments at all altitudes. Towns and villages have grown up over the centuries. The Pays Basque has a very ancient, lived-in feel. The scenery is superb, incredibly varied as a result of the complicated geology, and the number of walks possible is literally limitless. Although the primary focus of the week is on the walking, we will be visiting a number of these small villages and towns during the course of our explorations. At the conclusion of each walk, we will more than likely end up in a village café or bar for a coffee, beer or other thirst-quencher. Every village has its church, pelote fronton and centuries old housing. The historic old capital of the area is Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, set against soaring mountains rising rapidly to 1500 metres and crossed by once much-feared passes. Pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostela had to navigate these bandit, wolf and bear infested areas if they were to attain their objective in far off Galicia in north west Spain. We will be visiting this lovely town during the course of the week. Nowadays the bandits, wolves, and sadly the bears too, have disappeared from the area. Best Travels, 82 Bellevue Street, CAMMERAY, NSW
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