Hiking Cirque de Gavarnie

This 6 mile hike took me 6 hours, including snack breaks and the many stops to take in the unbelievably beautiful surroundings. I gained a total of 355 meters in elevation during this trek up to the base of the waterfall and the constant walking uphill along with the careful and agile steps from boulder to boulder, over tree roots and rocks, and through little streams, reinstilled my great appreciation for training in and outside of the gym. I hope you enjoy this online adventure of mine and that it inspires you to take action in the real world to plan an adventure of your own.

Gavarnie Falls, Cirque de Gavarnie

My partner and I were recently on a search for our next adventure abroad. Knowing we both wanted to focus on satisfying our craving for hiking and surfing, we started looking at the Pyrenees, a mountain range that straddles the border of France and Spain. Not only did they offer some of the most beautiful hiking in Europe, they were also located a convenient three hour drive from the coast where you can find some of the most fun and easily accessible surf. When researching top hikes in the Pyrenees, the Cirque de Gavarnie came up again and again, described as an easy 6 mile long there-and-back hike. We added it to our list of activities for the trip, booked a flight to Toulouse, France, organized a camper van for the two-week long stay, and packed our bags with anticipation. Nothing could have prepared me for the absolute jaw-dropping beauty I was about to experience.

We began our hike in the small village of Gavarnie, passing by cafes, small hotels, and quaint shops selling souvenirs and fresh fruit. As the close-knit arrangement of buildings began to disperse, we found ourselves walking along a river. On either side of us, horses grazed upon grassy hills that quickly rose up into mountains, getting higher and higher as we continued our stroll.

We crossed a few more bistros and residences before our path veered off over the river and into wilderness. From here was a steady uphill trek through meadows, forest, and along cliffs. The sound of bells could be heard around corners and across valleys, signaling groups of wandering sheep as we continued our slow climb towards the falls.

Gavarnie Falls, now a faint glistening thread of water in a sea of rock far away, looked like a mirage; too ethereal and heavenly to be this tangible to humans. We noted it as our destination and kept walking.

Victor Hugo called it “the Colosseum of nature”. Resembling a gigantic amphitheater, Cirque de Gavarnie’s sheer walls rise to a height of 1500 meters above its floor. Within these walls sits Gavarnie Falls, the second highest waterfall in all of Europe, descending a dazzling 422 meters.

A few hours later, we came upon the Hôtel du Cirque et de la Cascade, a boutique hotel and restaurant that sits just under a mile’s walk from the base of Gavarnie Falls. We made a note to sit down here for a snack, which would be a much needed and much appreciated break, but we could now clearly see the base of the waterfall from where we stood and decided we didn’t want to waste any time getting there. We soldiered on.

We made our way across the rocky and hilly terrain until we found ourselves at the foot of a steep and gravelly slope, the water from Gavarnie Falls hitting the top of it and running down into a stream to our right. The gravel was extremely loose and we clocked people all around us slowly and carefully making their way up, some stopped in their tracks clearly contemplating if the endeavor was even worth it. We relished the challenge and began our ascent, focusing attention on every step as to not twist an ankle or skin a knee.

Victory. We made it to the top and spent a few minutes taking in our surroundings. It’s impossible to fully grasp the enormity of this place, but this might help: if you take a look at the below photo, you’ll see people in the bottom left corner. Note that what’s captured in this photo is just the bottom third of the waterfall. Yeah, it’s massive.

Now that we were at the highest point of elevation on the entire hike, we were provided with a new vantage point, and were once again confronted with intense beauty everywhere we looked.

Below is one of my favorite photos from Gavarnie Falls overlooking the valley where Hôtel du Cirque et de la Cascade can be seen at the base of the mountains.

We carefully made our way down the steep gravelly slope returning to the hotel and replenished a bit of our energy with some gelato and espresso before heading back along the same path through the valley and into the town of Gavarnie.

The sun was setting behind the mountains and the air was crisp and cool as we walked back to civilization. My feet ached tremendously but it was paired with feelings of accomplishment and absolute thankfulness for the incredible day spent out in perfect nature. Cirque de Gavarnie will remain forever in my mind as one of the most impressive natural sights to ever behold.

The knowledge that my physical capabilities were what made it possible for me to experience such an adventure and get up close and fully immersed in such out of this world beauty made me that much more thankful for my strength, resilience, and determination - qualities that I have worked hard on developing through exercise and that I will continue to see leaps and bounds in throughout my fitness journey. I can’t wait for the next opportunity to put them to the test.