OS style maps for the Pyrenees?

dibbs

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Im new to this adventure lark and will be going to the Pyrenees and wondered if there are OS style maps showing trails/byways around there or can you just ride on any track that you see? we will be trying a mix of about 60%road and 40% trails and im not very good with gps or road books, so any advice with this would be greatly accepted.

Also is there any preference riding West to East or vice versa? as were not sure weather to go into Bilbao/Santander and back through France to Calais or the other way round (starting Calais end Bilbao)

I have looked at a few posts on here so as not to appear that im asking a dumb question but cannot find anything on it..:nenau
 
The maps you are looking for on the French side are to be found here www.ign.fr . A bit difficult to find the trails on the French side because the extensive National Parks do not allow motorcycles on the trails within them. The situation is a lot easier on the Spanish side and the more well known ones can be found on the three Michelin maps that cover both sides of the Pyrenees, they are numbered 144,145 and 146.

Cheers Phil

www.pyreneesmotorcycletours.com

ride the best roads
 
Thanks Chris that was superb info in the video! and Phil thank you for the Michelin map idea. I have looked at your site and hadn't thought of a guided situation, so I will put this idea to the other guys and see what happens. We would be keen to wild camp maybe 1 or 2 nights but we all like a comfy bed! (not together obviously lol)
 
Agree with Phil, the IGN are the best maps but only cover the French Pyrenees. Not too many trails due to the National Park.
I would seriously look at the Road Books from Vibraction, they are very informative and easy to follow.
Also you get all the GPS points for the trails. Most of these trails are in Spain. The RB 5 crosses the Pyrenees.
There are also a number of shorter ones, all details on the site re distance on/off-road.
www.vibraction.org
Also contact Simon, The Spanish Biker, he is organizing trips accross the RB 5 / Trans -Pyrénées

espagne-portugal
 
Thanks Wills
I looked at the Vibracion road books and think they looked too hard to follow! (maybe I should try harder, as per my school report!) I did an LDT in Essex using a road book and got hopelessly lost, so going across the mountains is a recipe for disaster me thinks! but will re visit that idea thanks
 
The vibration road books are very useful. I wouldn't like to navigate from maps alone.
 
This is a great on-line resourse for Spain in general and I've used it for the Pyrenees a few times now

LINKY

Also, ICC maps are about the best you'll get for tracks on the Spanish side

LINKY

HTH

Andres
 
Thanks Andres
So if you see a trail can you just pull off the road and ride along it if you like?
 
I thought that it was now illegal to ride trails in the National Parks in Spain.
 
Just had another thought! as we only want to ride through France once, would it be best to Ferry down to Bilbao ride along to Andorra then head back through France to Calais and ferry to Dover. Or start at Calais and ride down to Andorra along the mountains westwards then Ferry back from Bilbao?
 
WillSp said:
Agree with Phil, the IGN are the best maps but only cover the French Pyrenees. Not too many trails due to the National Park.
I would seriously look at the Road Books from Vibraction, they are very informative and easy to follow.
Also you get all the GPS points for the trails. Most of these trails are in Spain. The RB 5 crosses the Pyrenees.
There are also a number of shorter ones, all details on the site re distance on/off-road.
www.vibraction.org
Also contact Simon, The Spanish Biker, he is organizing trips accross the RB 5 / Trans -Pyrénées

espagne-portugal
Click to expand...

Hi, thanks for the thumbs up Will.

What I'm actually doing re. the RB5 route - which runs along the Pyrenees not across - is providing a support service: essentially, I take your luggage ahead in my van while you have fun on the trails.

I also carry a toolbox to change tyres, chains, bearings, etc. - but you fox your own bike! -and can sort local mechanics, arrange to collect tyres and have them fitted locally, etc.

The 'trip's that I d organise are my HISS off-road events that take place in several locations in Spain - basically 600-odd kms of trails all organised, proven and LEGAL, plus the kind of support described above.

The HISS events have a history and take place when I fix the dates, usually on new territory, but once these are tried and tested then groups can book their own event with me as the guide and gofer at whatever tie you want.

This May's HISS, that ill is coming to, is in about 2,000 square miles of territory, about 50 trails that amount to aboit 600 kms of trails - plus soke of te best roads in Spain - and that's not saying nothing . . .

rough.png


This map isn't really available to the public. There are no useful maps outside of Catalonia - that's why Austin Vince only operates there, sensible fellow! - I found this in a statistical manual and have had it put together by a professional graphic designer - and will print it out for the HISS at horrendous cost - hence the low resolution, sorry guys but this is my job!

Regs

Simon
 
I use www.wikilocs.com and download any trails I need when I ride in Spain..they go straight into my Garmin.....I usually throw in a night or two wild camping or in small campsites along the way.

There's some great trails in the Huesca and Zaragoza regions....last ride out we rode a good deal of it off road to the moto museum at Bassella from just over the mountains from the French side http://www.museumoto.com/en/bassella/

From memory,I think you can find those same trails that I uploaded to wikilocs under the user name Ohlins...


Have a good trip.....as an aside PMTours is an excellent set up to use as a base camp on your travels.....




:D




.
 
Thanks, I have spoken to Phil at pmt and he has been very helpful so will try and include a stop over at his place
 
We have planned to do the smugglers trail, so does anyone know what map would show us the route? Any ideas on this part would be much appreciated, also how long would it take to follow this route? Am i right in saying it starts at Pal?
 
Thanks Corp. We plan to follow this very route when we get down there, and then head off to Phil's place. the wkiklocs site seems good I will open an account and try to send some routes to my garmin. Is it easy to do?
 
dibbs said:
Thanks Corp. We plan to follow this very route when we get down there, and then head off to Phil's place. the wkiklocs site seems good I will open an account and try to send some routes to my garmin. Is it easy to do?
Click to expand...

Dead easy to register....and there's also a download icon included just for Garmin.... It'll go straight in. If you have a look under my user name (Ohlins)too you'll find out routes in the Zaragoza/Huesca region,if you so desire.

You'll also find routes for the Aragon and Bilbao areas within wikilocs...on the LHS you can narrow your search down quite easily to e.g. quad routes or off road moto/4x4 routes...or mountain bike...or walking or loop trails or one way only..you get the picture.

:)

.
 
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