![]() The sun slowly emerges, illuminating the first forested peaks as the canyon road follows the river upstream. Cycling again, I begin the ascent as the cool air keeps me fresh. I’m awakened by a troupe of cows passing, their bells clanging out tuneless early-morning alpine jazz. ![]() As dusk falls, this hostel-bar-restaurant is brimming with a fantastic assortment of characters: scruffy Spanish climbers carrying boxes full of nylon ropes and carabiners, touring German motorcyclists, a handball club in for some pre-match team building, a lone mountaineering guide eating dinner in flip-flops and a handful of retirees demanding off-menu bananas flambé. Thankfully, I come across La Caverne, a standalone establishment full of activity – and my ideal base camp. Besides the Wes Anderson–esque spa complex, there isn’t much else here – just a few seemingly deserted houses. This curious village is perched on the side of a ravine, the waters of the Gave d’Ossau tumbling loudly below. When it has, I thread under overhanging cliffs into a gorge to start the climb up to my first stopover: an old-school thermal resort called Eaux-Chaudes. Reaching Laruns, I take shelter in an old public washhouse, waiting for the worst to pass. (Anyone looking to minimize their saddle time can join the route at Buzy-en-Béarn station, reached by a different train from Pau.)Īs the path turns to gravel, a shroud descends on the valley ahead, then the rain falls. After 12 miles (20km) I take the dedicated path leading to the Ossau Valley. ![]() As the sun emerges, I head off on the small roads that wind up toward the hills where the Jurançon grapes grow. I soon reach the unmissable winery Cave de Jurançon at Gan – and the chance to sample the local sweet white wine. La Caverne was a welcome hub of activity in a remote part of the Pyrenees © Christopher GJ Cooley / Lonely Planet Cycling on to Artouste FabrègesĪfter disembarking from the train, I get on the bike path leading south from Pau and pass a hedge trimmer, getting hit with the intense smell of freshly cut grass and wild mint: a small but memorable experience you’d never get in a car.
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