SELF-GUIDED CYCLING IN STAGES ROUTE
BASOAK Pamplona - Irati - Pamplona - MTB
BASOAK Pamplona - Irati - Pamplona is a proposal, which squeezes to the maximum the overflow potential for the MTB of the Navarro Pyrenees in the area between the city of Pamplona and the Irati Forest.
The tour is round trip between Pamplona and the Selva de Irati, but it has a carefully chosen track so as not to repeat geography in the return stages. It crosses the almost unbroken forest mass that begins in the Selva de Anué - in the 2nd half of the 1st stage - and then chains the forests of Quinto Real, Roncesvalles and Irati - already in the 3rd stage -.
After riding for a while - 4th stage - on top of the Pyrenean chain we drop down the northern slope to the "depth" of the Basque-French territory in Urepel. Then the route ascends again to the forests of the Quinto Real and returns to Pamplona in a final stage through the Esteribar Valley.
On a technical level, we can say that the route pivots on the MTB Centers that are in this area of the Pyrenees, that is; Irati and Eremua. All stages take advantage of different tracks segments of the modern and careful lines of these centers at different times. This factor clearly permeates the philosophy of the route and results in a set of stages that we can say without fear of exaggeration that maintain the level and "tension" from beginning to end.
The PIRINEOS PUNTO BIKE proposal to pedal the route is in broad strokes, a Self Guided Pack which includes the Half Board Accommodations, the Tracks of the route and the Luggage Transport from hotel to hotel.
read more...
- less -
To get the idea of what you can find if you decide to know BASOAK Pamplona - Irati - Pamplona MTB, click and browse below in any of these tabs.
The complete route
Distance: 289 km Unevenness: 8.465 m
The prairies of the Ultzama Valley end abruptly in the forest front of the Quinto Real. We could say that here we enter the Pyrenees.
Typical "carpeted" trail of the Navarrese Pyrenees.
Descending the route "Carboneras" on "cencellada" day.
End of day at Eugi lake.
Up
If we had to choose a Queen Stage for BASOAK MTB we would surely decide on this stage C.
"Camouflaged" in the green line of the profile we find 2 descents of type "Eremua". The 1st deposit us in the vicinity of Zilbeti, and the 2nd, the so-called Balseta, on the equator of the stage in Sorogain. On the way we will have left behind the almost disappeared "Gernika de Picasso" painted on the trees, the bunkers of P Line - built during "Franco's Spain" to repel a possible Allied attack after World War 2 - and all the almost "magical" environment of the northern slope of the Adi Peak that we will have bordered while we contemplate - if time permits - the small rural cores of the Basque-French Pays at our feet.
We leave the territory "Quinto Real" and we go into "Roncesvalles" territory. The P Line keeps emerging sporadically, the information panels and QR codes that also arise sporadically in specific places, interpret the "Archeology of war" and tell us about the battles that developed on these same slopes during the French withdrawal in the War of Independence - slopes in which we, fortunately in our own bike way, also fight -. The sheep, which have been where you see them for more than 5,000 years, tell us about the shepherd past. Roncesvalles, which also appears there, tells us about centuries of pilgrims and battles between Franks and Vascones.
The descents are here more "flows" than in the 1st part and after descending the "avenue" that suddenly deposits us in the Weapons Factory of Orbaitzeta, we have almost finished the stage and we can to go back in time again and imagine the frantic activity that developed between those now old walls during the years in which the cannonballs came out of their furnaces and workshops and made it possible to create an empire "where the sun never set".
Forest roads, usual in valley bottoms
"Fauna" typical and abundant in the environment. With us we are all already.
Cencellada, bunker of the P Line and Pirineum Navarrorum flow. Magic at BASOAK MTB
Col de Aratun, geographical reference of the Adi massif.
Path along the eastern slope of the Adi. We are at the highest point of the route.
Demanding climb between the Sorogain Lodge and the Txasperro summit-
Spectacle under the slopes of Mendiaundi.
The descent to Roncesvalles begins on the slopes of Mendiaundi Peak.
The Colegiata de Roncesvalles in its environment.
We leave Roncesvalles and head back towards the Irati Forest, crossing the southern slopes of the Pyrenees.
Sections of "flow" on the descent to the old weapons factory of Orbaitzeta.
Weapons Factory of Orbaizeta, we are very close to the end of the stage, so we can "get lost" for a while between its ruins and its history.
Up
Stage D of BASOAK MTB is the "SELVA DE IRATI" stage, the icing on the excess of forest that we have already accumulated from the previous stages.
A tarmac road helps us quickly get into the heart of the "matter." The pace slows down while we perimeter the Irabia Swamp along the technical paths of its southern slope, and it is accelerated again by the succession of pistes and wide paths that define the track as we go forward "crossing out" objectives.
Casas de Irati, The Cubo Fall... a wall that makes us stand up, and we enter the Irati of the northern face, the Basque-French, where the asphalted roads reprint rhythm to the track.
The character of total forest and wood environment predominant until now begins to combine with areas of pastures and livestock environment culminating in the wide top of the Okabe. This, if the fog does not prevent it, will become a practically unforgettable 360º viewpoint only blocked to the east by the imposing mass of the Ori Peak - the first 2000, on this side, of the Pyrenean mountain range - which we almost seem to be able to touch.
The megalithic complex of Hilarrita appears on the side of the road, which with its waste of 26 cromlechs constitutes one of the most important funerary groups - if not the most - of Pyrenean prehistory.
We are already going down. Until the end of the stage - except for a slight comeback to "relocate" - everything will be down or flat. Grassy hills ... stretches of "singletrack" ... tracks and pastoral shepherds, maybe some boring dog ... Bridge of the Question ... Swamp of Irabia again ... more trails along the sometimes uncomfortable Channel Betolegi, through which the waters that begin to give shape to the Irati River are channeled ... and we have finished another day inBASOAK.
Daily scenes on the slopes of Okabe Peak.
One of the most impressive megalithic complexes of the Pyrenees. The 26 cromlechs of Hilarrita in the vicinity of the Okabe summit.
Some technical trails bordering the lake of Irabia.
The route alternates wooded areas with others of a more pastoral nature.
We reached the top of the Okabe without getting off the bike. When the fog does not prevent it, its 1466 meters of altitude and its location in the center of the Pyrenean axis make up a spectacular viewpoint.
Descent of the Okabe Peak.
Dam of the Irabia reservoir in the heart of the SELVA de IRATI.
Up
Collegiate church of Roncesvalles, one of the most important places in the history of Navarre.
Ibañeta Mountain Pass between Orreaga-Roncesvalles and la France. Its condition of natural passage used since prehistory between the two slopes of the Pyrenees make it the collective imaginary in a place linked to the Battle of Roncesvalles.
Ascent to Col de Lindus from Ibañeta. We move away from the Way of St. James...
... and we continue through our "deep" Navarrese Pyrenees.
Between the Col de Lindus and Aldaparri the landscape will not be wasted.
Descent of enduro style on the slopes of Aldaparri.
We enter the forests of the Quinto Real
Sections of "flow" in the Txasperro meadows before the long descent to Urepel, one of the stars of the day.
Powerful descent towards Urepel
Interiors of the northern slope of the Basque / French Pyrenees. Paths of the territory known as Quinto Norte.
Epic finale through the marked traces of the Nafar-Whistler route of the Eremua btt Center. For those who prefer to avoid this demanding section, we have another, more relaxed alternative.
Up
La etapa F de BASOAK es la que devuelve a los ciclistas que realizan la ruta, desde los Bosques del norte de Navarra a su capital en Pamplona.
La etapa esta claramente diferenciada en 2 mitades con diferentes ambientes. En la primera se mantiene la "tensión escénica" de los interminables bosques de hayedo que caracterizan BASOAK. La ruta se interna por los rincones de la Selva de Anue, un entorno más conocido como los Montes de Belate y tras un descenso cuidado por los bikers locales por el antiguo sendero de las Minas de Lantz, desciende primero a esta localidad y después a la de Aritzu, ya en el fondo del valle.
En la 2ª mitad de la etapa, el paisaje cambia bruscamente. Entramos en el Valle de La Ultzama, atravesando inicialmente una sucesión de prados y pueblos de carácter apacible y domesticado. Sorprendentemente el ambiente se torna más agreste según abandonamos el valle y nos acercamos a la ciudad. En los últimos kilómetros encadenamos diferentes sendas de las utilizadas por los ciclistas locales en sus salidas rutinarias desde Pamplona.
Variante Valle Esteribar: La etapa F dispone de una opción de ruta (F9) orientada prácticamente en su totalidad hacia el sur. Esta variante aprovecha las nuevas sendas recuperadas por el Centro de BTT y Trail EREMUA en la zona sur del Valle de Esteribar y se dirige hacia Pamplona encadenando una serie de ascensos y descensos que podemos combinar de diferentes maneras para reducir o alargar la dureza de un recorrido que en su versión completa alcanza los 43 kilómetros con un desnivel acumulado de 1.470 metros.
Es esta una opción muy utilizada cuando los ciclistas están finalizando BASOAK MTB y desean realizar el viaje de vuelta a sus lugares de origen el mismo día en que realizan la etapa.
Ascenso por la ruta Sugea en las laderas del Monte Burdindogi.
La loma de Goitiko Gaina hace de frontera entre los hayedos del norte de Navarra y los prados y bojedales que colonizan el territorio más al sur.
Rincones de la ruta por la Selva de Anue.
Bocas de antiguas minas. El descenso a Lantz, en el Valle de la Ultzama, se realiza por la antigua senda -rehabilitada por bikers locales- utilizada antiguamente por los mineros.
Lantz, emblemática localidad navarra conocida principalmente por sus famosos carnavales.
Secuencia de valles y montañas entre el Pirineo navarro y la Cuenca de Pamplona.
Ambiente de prados y bosque bajo si elejimos la opción de ruta por el sur del Valle de Esteribar.
Últimos kilómetros de la ruta por el Paseo Fluvial de la Comarca de Pamplona.
Fin de etapa, habitualmente fin de BASOAK MTB en Pamplona.
Up
If you have doubths, do not hesitate and use some of the buttons below, we respond quickly.
The base of PIRINEOS PUNTO BIKE in Iruñea / Pamplona is located in the HOTEL VILLAVA, a comfortable 3-star establishment located in the town of Villava, with Bikefriendly category and perfectly prepared for our cycling activity. The hotel is in a privileged situation for the practice of our sport, at the foot of Mount Ezkaba and on the road to the Pyrenees.
Up
Up
BASOAK Pamplona - Irati - Pamplona
5 Stages / 5 Nights
560 € Price per person for groups of 6 or more people
586 € Price per person for groups of 4 or 5 people
640 € Price per person for groups of 2 or 3 people
Single room supplement: 152 €
When the group is made up of an odd number of people, will be equally necessary an odd number of requests to access this supplement
And you can add a Night with Breakfast at the end of the route -in the same hotel where you started it- - for 37 € per person in a double room or for 60 € in a single room
Transport of luggage between hotels
1 bag or package of a maximum of 20 kg per person
If not needed, the cost of this service will be deducted from the proposal
Up
Up