UKC

I have a week's holiday in mid-August (can be extended by a few days) and wondering about going to the Pyrenees for some walking. Does anyone have any recommendations for good areas to go for walking, and any particularly good campsites? (I've been up the Pic de la Serrera and Pic du Taillon with my family when I was younger, so something along those lines would be good)

I’m afraid I don’t have any recommendations, but from the blog linked in this post there are two refuges which you should maybe avoid:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/hill_talk/a_return_to_the_pyrenees-772925

Lescun is a lovely centre   for the Aspe Valley and the campsite is great, but a bit of a trek from the village.

We've done trips to Laruns / Vallee d'Ossau and Cauterets, plus a chunk of the HRP through Northern Catalonia and Andorra. They were all fairly great.

I can't recommend specific campsites but one thing that I would recommend is planning to spend nights out in the hills, either camping or in unmanned or manned refuges. Unless you're super-fit, there's a bit of a tendancy on a day walk to find that you're just getting to the good stuff when you have to turn around and come back.

Ooh yeah, thanks!

Thanks, I'll have a look!

I was assuming by this point that most refuges would be booked for this August? But maybe I'll do some camping

Camping Rio Ara on Torla is a fantastic site.

Probably depends where you go? We've always just turned up on the day, but our only trip in August was the section of the HRP that we did, and that was in one of the quieter bits of the central Pyrenees, probably the more popular huts in the areas around Gavarnie and Cauterets would be more booked up at that time of year. Camping is good, though.

Yes, I've been there a couple of times (Rio Ara) - nice campsite, amazing scenery and Torla is a delight.  The Ara valley is really pretty.  

Years ago I camped at Lac D'Estaing - a nice community feel, and evening bbqs done by the campsite for residents.  The Grand Barbat is close by and a super peak.

Ooh thanks. I've stayed at Camping San Nicolas de Bujaruelo before, further up the valley and that was a great location

Good to know that they're not all booked up everywhere then

Yeah I really enjoyed Torla when I was there before. Lac D'Estaing looks great too, thanks!