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The
Pyrenees mountains, stretching 450km between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean,
form the frontier between France and Spain. In the Haute Pyrenees, the border
is a high ridge of wild peaks, often reaching over 3000m in elevation. This
natural barrier divides the dry, baked landscape of Northern Spain from the
green and fertile hillsides of Southern France. The weather and plantlife also
differ wildly on opposite sides of the border. The
Pyrenees are in many ways an unexploited area in terms of industry, and are
currently growing as a tourist destination. It is still easy to find rare wild
flowers, elusive birds and timid animals, and there are permanent glaciers on
both sides of the border. The beauty of the Pyrenees however, is their accessibility.
The mountains are criss-crossed with seldom-travelled paths, which climb to
even the most hidden lakes and cirques, and the highest peaks. Please read on
for more information and pictures.
The Pyrenees are home to a variety
of unique fauna. One of the most special examples is the Pyrenean 
Chamois,
Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica, or “Isard”. Slightly smaller
than its Alpine counterpart, the isard usually weighs 25-35 kg, stands 70-80
cm at the shoulder, and can reach 110-135 cm in length. The body is a chestnut
colour, with pale underparts and white tail. A dark brown band runs from each
side of the muzzle to the ears and eyes; the rest of the head and throat is
white. The isard has narrow, curved horns, which rise directly above the head
then hook sharply back at the tips. The female is smaller than the male, but
also has horns. The hooves of the isard are excellent for gripping slippery
rock. At the sign of danger, the isard hisses and stamps its feet to warn others.
The Pyrenean chamois likes altitude and steep slopes, and may be seen bouncing
across rocky ledges, or dashing up near-vertical cliffs. Today there are over
5000 individuals, whereas in 1967 there were only 1300 left. They live in herds
of up to 100. The isard is the emblem of the Pyrenees and is used as a symbol
to represent national park boundaries (a red isard’s head on a white background).
The
Alpine Marmot, Marmota marmota, is also making a real come back here.
The Marmot disappeared from
the Pyrenees since the last glacial era, but has been successfully reintroduced.
They live in grazed sub-alpine pastures and higher elevation alpine regions.
Marmots are large, herbivorous rodents, feeding off plants and flowers. Often
heard before they are seen, their noisy warning squeak usually gives them away.
After six months hibernating, they love warming up in the sun. They live in
family groups, usually having about 2-3 pups. You might see them chasing each
other, playing, feeding and digging holes for next Winter. Their favourite spot
is a prominent rock, where they can look down on you, and whistle as you walk
by.
Much
rarer is the Pyrenean Desman, Galemys pyrenaicus, a small insectivore
that lives on river banks at up to 2200m altitude. It is found in clean and
clear mountain streams, spending most of its time in the water, where it stocks
up on insect larvae and small crustaceans. It has a long snout, webbed feet
and a mole-like body.
It is exclusively found in the Pyrenees and in the North-West of Spain.
The Brown Bear,
Ursus arctos, is probably the most elusive of the Pyrenean fauna. A
hundred years ago
,
they were present in all the high valleys of the Pyrenees, but by the 1980s,
the original native bears were almost wiped out by hunting. A group of five
or six bears are thought to exist in the Western Pyrenees, and a reintroduction
programme is currently in operation. Two female Slovenian brown bears (genetically
very close to the Pyrenean bear) were reintroduced in the central Pyrenees in
1996, and a third male bear was released in 1997. Using radio-collars, it was
possible to trace their activity. In the first year, the two female bears had
five cubs. Unfortunately one of the mothers was accidentally killed in 1997.
Although the Pyrenees are still an ideal habitat for brown bears, the reintroduction
programme has met with opposition from local people and farmers, due to concerns
about them hunting sheep. The Pyrenean brown bear is thus hovering on the verge
of extinction.
The
Pyrenean bear is the smallest of the brown bear family, with adult males weighing
120 to 200kg, and females 80 to 100kg. They live between 800 and 2400m. The
bears have a beige to dark cinnamon-coloured coat, and hibernate between December
and March-April. After the age of five years, a female bear can produce one
or two babies of about 300g, every 3-4 years, for 20-25 years. The young stay
with the mother for around one and a half years. Bears have a huge territory,
ranging between 70-300km2 for males, and 15-60km2 for females. Bears are omnivores,
their diet being ¾ vegetarian. They eat berries (e.g. bilberries and
wild raspberries), nuts, tubers, honey and tender plants, as well as insects,
animal carcasses and occasionally small rodents. Very rarely, they may
take a domestic sheep.
Although you are very unlikely to ever see a bear, you may spot some evidence of their presence. A typical footprint has five toes, with claws visible. The front footprint is 15-25cm long and 8-16cm wide. The back footprint is typically longer (12-25cm), narrower (7-15cm) and resembles a human foot. It is quite easy to confuse the prints of a badger, and a young bear cub. You may also see excrement, typically shaped like a short, fat sausage, with a compact, granulated structure. Other evidence includes scratch-marks on trees. Situated between 1 and 1.70m above the ground, these consist of 3 or 4 parallel marks.
Bears can be dangerous, especially if they are injured, are guarding young, or are surprised whilst feeding off a carcass. You can avoid accidents by staying on marked paths and keeping dogs on the leash.
Other mammals that you might see in the Pyrenees include the Red Squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris, Wild Boar, Sus scrofa, the Pine Marten, Martes martes, Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes, Badger, Meles meles, Otter, Lutra lutra, Stoat, Mustela erminea and Weasel, Mustela nivalis. Amphibians include the black and yellow Salamander, and the natterjack toad. There are several different reptiles, including the common lizard, Asp and the Pyrenean or Seoane's Viper, Vipera seoanei. The latter is very rare and restricted in range, and is found in the Neouvielle Reserve.
BIRDS
There
are a number of large bird species in the Pyrenees. These include vultures -
the rare and majestic Lammergeier, the Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, kites
– Red Kite and Black Kite, and eagles - Booted, Short-toed, Bonellis and
Golden Eagle. Alpine choughs are also a common sight.
INSECTS
With
so many flowers and grassland, butterflies are seen throughout the Summer. Two
restricted butterflies occur here; the Glandon Blue, Agriades glandon
and Gavarnie Blue, Agriades pyrenaicus, as well as more widespread
species such as the Apollo Parnassius, Apollo and Swallowtail. In September,
the beautiful Hummingbird Hawk Moth can be seen hovering around flowering thistles.
The
spring months of June and July are a spectacular festival of wild flowers in
the central Pyrenees. The pastures and mountainsides are completely carpeted
with purple Pyrenean irises, wild blue aquilegia, indigo blue gentians, giant
yellow gentians, maroon fritillaries, pink orchids, white asphodels, white Pyrenean
buttercups and scented narcissi, and tiny clusters of pink saxifrage and thyme.
There are several uniquely Pyrenean species such as the Pyrenean saxifrage,
the Pyrenean iris, the Pyrenean blue thistle, and the ramonda.
GEOLOGY
The Pyrenees are a relatively young mountain belt, being part of the Alpine
mountain chain, but contain much older rocks than the Alps. The oldest rocks
in the Pyrenees are about 500Ma old, dating from the Hercynian Orogeny (when
a huge mountain range covered much of central Europe). Over the next 200Ma,
these ancient mountains were eroded away, and the rocks of the Pyrenees were
covered by a shallow sea. Younger, 
sedimentary
rocks were laid down on top. Around 220Ma ago (probably coinciding with the
collision of Africa with Europe), a change in direction of plate movement occurred,
leading to closure of the ocean between the Iberian peninsula and what is now
the South of France (similar to the gradual shrinking of the Pacific ocean that
is occurring today). Eventually, the two continental plates collided, leading
to the uplift of the Pyrenees (as is currently taking place in the Himalayas).
Initial mountain-building is thought to have commenced in the Eocene period
(30-40Ma), with most uplift and deformation occurring during the Oligocene (20-30Ma).
The Pyrenees are a product of collision of the Iberian peninsula with Europe,
while the Alps were formed contemporaneously by collision of the Italian peninsula.
Since the Pyrenees are such a young mountain range, numerous thermal springs
still persist in the central Pyrenees, and are used locally for their healing
properties.
The
landscape of the Pyrenees, as we see it today, is a product of glacial and fluvial
action, which has been occurring throughout the Quaternary period (1.6Ma to
the present day). The curious U-shaped troughs, waterfalls spewing from
hanging valleys, sharp knife-edge arêtes, and majestic, towering cirques
(such as the famous Cirque de Gavarnie) typical of the Pyrenees, are all products
of glaciation. Today there are a few small glaciers left in the Pyrenees, but
these are retreating every year. The largest glacier in the French Pyrenees
is the ‘Vignemale’, a bowl-shaped mass of ice sitting stranded above
its own moraine, and long U-valley – once filled with ice.
HISTORYof
the area and the town of Lourdes
Prehistory
At the end of the last glaciation, the climate in the Pyrenees changed, becoming warmer and more hospitable to men and animals. Prehistoric man first settled in the caves of the lower slopes of the Pyrenees around 13000 years ago, leading a hunter-gatherer lifestyle hunting wild horse, reindeer and bison. Later he began to make tools from flint, reindeer antlers and carved mammoth tusk ivory. The evidence of Prehistoric man is abundant in the Pyrenees, one of the most famous sites being the 'Grottes de Gargas', where strange mutilated hand prints can be seen amongst animal paintings on the walls of the cave. Many theories exist regarding the origin of these prints, which are often deformed - with one or more fingers missing. It is thought that fingers may have been lost to leprosy, frostbite or as a ritualistic sacrifice - with the mutilated elders being worshipped amongst the group.
As the climate continues to warm, the daily life of the cave-dwelling men was modified. They began to clear the ground, cultivate and raise animals. Masters of fire, the first Pyrenean shephers used metal for their tools and weapons.
Roman times
The land of Gaul was conquered by
the Romans, but the social and economic life of the mountain dwellers was little
changed. The 3rd century tour guide, Antonin, recorded that a fortified site
existed on a Roman Road linking Toulouse and Bordeaux. This was the new settlement
which would become known as Lourdes several centuries later. Most of the Roman
history in Lourdes has been buried under successive developments, but an excellent
site can be visited East of here at St Bertrand de Comminges, where a Roman
city has been excavated. The remains of several baths and the central market
square are wonderfully preserved.
The Middle Ages and the Renaissance
In 778 the fort at Lourdes, then occupied by the Saracens, was attacked by Charlemagne and put under seige. Legend has it that an eagle dropped a fish at the feet of Mirat, the chief of the Saracens, who offered it to Charlemagne to make him think that the castle was still well-stocked with food. Eventually, on the advice of the bishop of Puy-en-Velay (a friend and companion of Charlemagne), Mirat surrendered to the Blessed Virgin, rather than the king. Mirat was baptised under the name of Lorus - giving his name to the town of Lourdes.
In the 11th and 12th centuries,
the fortified site at Lourdes was the principle residence of the Counts of Bigorre.
The fortress was continually developed - with the main keep being constructed
in the 14th century, to dominate the three other towers.
16th century and the war of religions
During the conflict between Catholics and Protestants, Lourdes is pillaged and burnt. The Lourdais stayed protected in the castle. In 1590, peace returned and Henry IV formally attached the Bigorre region to France. Lourdes becomes an important stop on the roads to St Jacques de Compostelle.
French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars
From the end of the 17th century, the castle at Lourdes is used to imprison dangerous criminals. The medieval towers, except for the keep, are demolished. On the eve of the French revolution, the fortress is saved from demolition by a plea to the king from the Lourdais people. From 1792 the castle is once again used as a prison for the insurrectionist royalist chiefs.
19th century
Lourdes castle is again rearranged by Chausenque, commandant of the stronghold. The keep is reroofed and military engineers improve the entire stronghold. The castle is used as a barracks until it is bought by the town in 1894. In 1858 the history of Lourdes radically changes, when Bernarde-Marie Soubirous sees 18 visions of the Virgin Mary. The visions are recognised as a miracle by the church, and a new town grows as a centre of Christian pilgrimage.
In the mountains, the Pyreneist movement develops. Keen mountaineers conquer the peaks and discover the romantic charm of the villages and spa towns. Victor Hugo writes avidly of the mountains and the picturesque castle of Lourdes.
Spanish Civil War
Second World War
Since the War
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