French Pyrenees

The Pyrenees, which straddle the Franco-Spanish border and take in the tiny independent state of Andorra, stretch from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the east to the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic Ocean in the west.  The chain extends in a relatively straight line from east to west to a total distance of 435 km.  It reaches a maximum width of c.130 km.  Its total area is 55,374 square km.  Two thirds of this area lies within Spain. 

The range was thrust up in the Tertiary Period (66.4 to 1.6 million years ago).  It consists of three parallel lines - a ‘sandwich’ of softer rocks, with a very tough granite centre in between.  The high uplands consist of exposed crystalline rocks, while folded limestone composes the lower slopes.  These features give rise to flat-topped massifs and folded linear ridges.  The range was extensively glaciated in earlier times, giving rise to impressive glacial valleys and cirques, particularly on the French side.  The glaciers have now nearly gone, but permanent snow can often be found above c.1800m (6000 ft) on north-facing slopes.

The French side of the range presents much steeper inclines than the southern Spanish side, with spectacular torrents called gaves fed by the generous rainfall.  The southern slopes provide a drier steppe-like climate.

The range reaches its highest point on the Pico de Aneto at 3404m altitude and 2812m of prominence.  This mountain lies wholly within Spain.  The highest summit in the French Pyrenees is Pic de Gran Vignemale (3298m, prominence 1025m) on the Franco-Spanish border. 

List of the mountains in the French Pyrenees will be available to download from this page in due course.