We are looking for this place: 2022

The place was the cave of Harpea or Arpea, located at the head of the Errobi ravine, at the foot of Mount Errozate and a few metres from the border with Navarre.

There is nothing special about the interior of the cave, which is in fact used to keep livestock. However, its unique entrance sheltered by an impressive anticline, the beautiful surrounding environment and a climate that is always humid, give this place an enchanted aura. So much so that, according to legend, on hot summer afternoons some shepherds have seen lamias (mythological beings of beautiful feminine appearance but with animal feet) here.

The photograph sent to us by Alejandro was taken from El Pueyo de Araguás. The perspective is very similar to the one seen from the bridge in Aínsa, although from here the view is higher. El Pueyo de Araguás, as well as being in a privileged location, has the honour of housing, according to some experts, the oldest monastery in Spain, the Monastery of San Victorián, of Visigothic origin (6th century). A good excuse to visit the place.

The mountain that Pau Grau suggested we find was Maupas or Malpas, so called because of a bad pass that is found when climbing the northern slope, from the Maupas refuge. The photo is taken from the ascent to the peak of Boum, which has the particularity of being the most central three-thousand-metre peak in the whole Pyrenees, the most equidistant between the Balaitous and Pica d'Estats nuclei.

The first ascent of the Maupas, on 22 August 1825, was made by the geodesic officers Peytier and Hosard, who were in charge of carrying out work in the western sector of the Pyrenees for the new map of France to replace that of 1780. The Maupas was not their only first ascent of a great summit and, among others, that same year they climbed the Troumouse Peak, the Balaitous and the Palas on the ridge that came to be called the Geodesic Ridge, the latter by mistake when trying to conquer the Balaitous.

The photograph sent to us by Nicolau Crespí, in which, if you look closely, you can see people crossing the Paso del Caballo, is of the Tuca de las Culebras. A place that many of you probably remember from the cover of Miquel Capdevila's mythical book of impossible times, "Los tresmiles en 30 jornadas" (The three-thousanders in 30 days).

Last week's solution is the Camí de l'Obac, in the Vall d'Incles, which is also the path of the High Pyrenean Route. The Camí de l'Obac is a small path that runs through the Vall d'Incles and is usually combined with the narrow road that runs parallel to it, on the other side of the river, to make a circular route of 6 kilometres. By the way, the flowers that appear in the foreground, in case anyone had wondered, we believe that they are narrow-leaved willowherb or Saint Anthony's laurel.

Last week's photograph, taken from the summit of Perdiguero, is of the Posets massif, the second highest in the Pyrenees at 3,368m. Although most mountaineers choose to climb Posets on the southern slope, from the Ángel Orús refuge, there are other alternatives with shelters on the western slope (Ref. de Viadós) and on the northern slope (Ref. de Estós), which also allow a circular route around the massif or a circular route around the mountain. Route of the three refuges.

This week's place was the Tucarroya hut. The oldest refuge-construction in the Pyrenees with the permission of the observatory hut of the Pic du Midi Bigorre, on the Col de Sencours. The refuge was completed on 30 September 1889 and solemnly inaugurated on 5 August 1890. A large group of personalities, including members of parliament, mayors, presidents of mountain clubs, and famous Pyrenean mountaineers, attended the ceremony. On a curious note, the attendees enjoyed a menu that today would be considered a prison menu: Monte Perdido chamois, Arazas mountain goat or capercaillie pâté, among other delicacies.

The mountain we were looking for was the Tuca de la Renclusa (2,685m). This is the first bastion of a long ridge that continues with the Cresta de los Portillones and ends at the Maladeta at 3,313 metres.

The place this week was the peak of Anayet (2,545m), the remains of an old volcano originating 300 million years ago, long before the formation of the Pyrenees between 85 and 24 million years ago during the collision of the Iberian and European plates.

The ascent to the peak of Anayet is one of the most classic ascents in the Western Pyrenees. The normal route (F), visible in the photograph, is exposed and is equipped with a chain. Climbing routes are not abundant due to the poor quality of the rock, however, the North and the Corredor de los Franceses are two classic winter climbing routes.

This week several of you have written to us with the correct answer, the ibón de Acherito. The truth is that it is one of those places that you have to visit and of which some time ago we shared with you a circular route fully signposted (5h; 11kms; +/-750m). A good excuse to visit the Valles Occidentales.

The place we were looking for was the Gran Astazu or East Astazu. Next to it, from left to right we can identify the Astazu pass, the Pequeño Astazu (3,013m), the Swan pass and the Gran Astazu (3,071m). This is a totally different perspective to the one to the north, and to the other side they show the appearance of twin peaks that plunge into the valley with a 500-metre wall, interrupted only by the famous Swan corridor.

The place we were looking for last week was the Chistau valley. More specifically, in the photo taken near the Pico de la Montañeta/Veteranos, we could see in the foreground the Pala ravine with the Cinqueta de Añes Cruces valley below, and how it joins the Cinqueta de la Pez in the forest area to form the Cinqueta. With a bit of imagination we could also see the Biadós farms and the refuge itself, the starting point for many of the mountains in the area and an obligatory stop on the Pirenaca Trail.

Last week's place was the Ibón de Bernatura. One of the most accessible excursions in the Bujaruelo area and which can be completed by climbing the peak of the same name, from where the photograph is taken.

The mountain we were looking for last week was the Pico Balsera, also known as Hombro de Escarra. It is located between the valleys of Aragón and Tena, closing the cirque of Ip to the East, where some time ago we brought you a route to climb it from Canfranc next to its best known neighbour, Punta Escarra.

This week's peak was Casco de Marboré (3,006m), a mountain well known for being next to the famous Rolando Gap. The name Casco comes from the description of the mountain by Count Russel, the first known person to reach its summit together with Killough in 1865, who described it as a mountain with a military appearance, with a steel helmet. Although it seems that in France our mountain did not have a name at that time, in Aragon it was already known as "Corral Ziego".

This week's photograph was of the summit of Bisaurín (2,670m), the giant of the area. It is a very well-known and popular mountain all year round, ideal for climbing on skis in winter or for beginners in the "two-thousanders" in summer. The most common routes start from the Lizara refuge and the Gabardito refuge, following the GR11.1 variant to the Foratón pass.

The peak we see in the image is Petit Peric (2,690m). The photograph is taken from the ascent to Puig Peric (2,810m) with Estany Gros and Estany del Mig in the background. The place is located in the Eastern Pyrenees, to the north of the Carlit massif, in an outstanding area of lakes, damp forests and arid ridges...

Last week's spot was Pala de Ip (2,783m), one of the most beautiful climbs in this part of the Pyrenees and yet one of the least frequented. If it is still on your list of mountains to climb, we advise you to choose an itinerary that goes along the easy ridge that joins it with La Moleta, like this one here, with ascent through the Izas canal and descent through the Elvira spring.

This week's location was the Kakueta Gorges or Gorges de Kakouetta, located in the French Basque Country, near the village of Santa Grazi. The route through the interior is very easy (2kms one way) and can be done with children. If you want to visit them, you should know that they are open from March to November and you have to pay an entrance fee.

The place we were looking for was the Plans de Sotllo peat bogs. A site of high ecological value in which the masses of sphagnum trees stand out, a rarity that is difficult to see in the Pyrenees, more typical of Atlantic and northern European areas.

In 2017, to protect this place from the more than 5,000 visitors who each year climb the Pica d'Estats following the route from the Vallferrera refuge, wooden walkways were installed as part of the project LimnoPirineus of the European Union's LIFE programme.

This week's photograph was of Mendaur (1,131m), in the Atlantic area of Navarre. Although it is undoubtedly a mountain of very modest height, its proximity to the Cantabrian Sea means that we can find a difference in altitude of 900 to 1000 metres on any of its normal routes. At its summit there is a hermitage dedicated to the Trinity from 1963, built on top of the previous one from 1693, which is reached after climbing 60 steps.

This is the Perramó Needles, one of the most iconic mountains in the Benasque Valley. The needles are made up of two main peaks, the eastern one, the most slender and difficult (AD+) and the western one, the highest and easiest (F). In any case, even if we don't climb, visit the lake environment of Batisielles and Perramó is a highly recommended excursion.

The two lakes in the photograph were the lakes of Aubert and Aumar, located in the Neouvielle nature reserve. Both lakes are at the foot of the Pic de Neouvielle (3,091m), which, although it is not the highest, is the best known and most visible of the three mountain peaks in the reserve and the one that gives its name to the massif. The name Neouvielle comes from the Occitan nèu vielha, i.e. old snow. Today, the name no longer does justice to this place where the glacier has been reduced to a more or less persistent snowdrift...

This week's venue was the Anayet lakesone of those "obligatory" places to visit and a must for those who come to make the Pyrenean Path / GR11. The ibones are located at the foot of Pico Anayet (Buscamos#49), an ancient volcano that originated 300 million years ago, long before the formation of the Pyrenees between 85 and 24 million years ago.

The peak that we proposed to find out about last week was the Lustou (3,023m). The Lustou forms part of the Culfreda-Batoua group, within the sector of the Great Bachimala, but separated from them to the north of the Pyrenean axis. The most common route starts in the Rioumajou valley and is relatively unfrequented, bearing in mind that we are talking about a three thousand metre climb of some importance in an area, St Lary, which is very busy.

The two summits we were looking for in this week's photograph sent to us by Nicolau Crespí were the Tuca de las Culebras (3,054m) and the Ballibierna (3,060m). This is the best viewpoint on the southern slopes of the Maladeta massif. The photo is taken from the Llauset reservoir, from one of the most common access points to climb these peaks. We also told you on the slopes that both were joined by a very singular cornice, we were referring, of course, to the famous Paso del Caballo (Horse Pass).

This is the Izagra dolmen, located in the Aísa valley in the upper part of the Igüer cirque. Archaeologically, it was discovered in 1990 and is the largest construction of its kind (a gallery with a diameter of 11.5m and a chamber formed by large blocks of reddish sandstone and a lid measuring 2.2 x 2.7m) in the valley.

The place we were looking for was the Ibón de Cregüeña, the largest lake of glacial origin in the Pyrenees. It is located at an altitude of 2,593m, sheltered by the highest mountains in the Pyrenees, to the southeast of the Maladeta massif, in the Benasque valley. It is 1,500m long and 500m wide, with an extension of 45.4 ha and a depth of 96.9m. It is not for nothing that it is called the gingante of the ibones.

The peaks we saw in last week's photograph, taken on the ascent to Serrato (2,888m), were the Picos de las Argualas and the Picos del Infierno. In this small mountain area between Sallent de Gállego and the Balneario de Panticosa we can count up to 10 three-thousanders. From left to right the Argualas (3,042m), the Garmo Negro (3,064m), the Pico de Pondiellos (2,917m), the Arnales (3,001m) and the Infierno Oriental (3,079m) stand out.

Last week's photograph was taken from the summit of Acherito or Mallo de Acherito (2.374m), from where some time ago we brought you this one. circular route from Linzahighly recommended.

The peak in the centre of the photograph was the Pic de Ger (2,613m). The photograph is taken from the Gourette ski resort, which is accessed by the road leading to the famous col de l'Aubisque (1,709m). In the photograph, from left to right: Rognon de Ger (2,571m), Pic de Ger (2,613m), Salon de Ger (2,611m), Turon de Ger (2,533m) and the sharp spur of Les Coutchets (2,256m).

This week's photograph was of the Ansabère huts in the Lescún valley. A beautiful place that we never tire of admiring and which, as we said on the slopes, is sometimes compared to the Dolomites, the Wider Kaiser and whatever else it takes. The peaks that appeared behind us were from left to right: two of the three peaks of La Chourique (2,079m and 2,022m), the Mallo de Acherito (2,374m), Sobarcal (2,257m), the Petite Aiguille d'Ansabére (2,271m) and the Grande Aiguille d'Ansabère (2,377m).

Last week's photograph was of the Ateas de Belabarze pass, located just over two kilometres from the Navarrese town of Isaba. At this point the GR11 divides in two, crossing the two crags it follows the main route through the Belabarze valley, going up to Ezkaurre, the GR11.4 variant continues..