In a 4×4 you can follow literally in the wheel-tracks of history. Down quiet lanes, you can re-trace ancient routes which were the very lifelines for generations of travellers. These ancient roads offer 4×4 owners a rare and privileged opportunity to view breathtakingly beautiful areas that no one other than very intrepid walkers, hill farmers and forestry workers are likely to share.
Bordering France and Spain , in fact straddling it! are the fantastic Pyrenean Mountains, The maps show heights of around 10,000ft in many places. It has described by other tour operators as one of the remotest regions in Europe.
The routes that Pro-Trax uses in the Pyrenees Mountains are skilfully planned so that over the course of the trip they become more breathtaking and challenging. This will become more apparent as we take you through an impressive variety of terrains from forest to mountaintop and back down to surrounding farmland, ancient villages and scenic countryside.
What makes The Pyrenees so attractive as a driving environment is that the lanes sit on the very bedrock of the twp countries, many of them lying on the oldest rocks in Europe dating back 530 million years. The lanes driven would have been worn down by carts over thousands of years. Therefore high levels of concentration are required as carts obviously weren’t very wide (!) – a misjudged approach could see Land Rovers taking home the impression of a dry-stone wall on their bodywork!
One route we do is to start at the coastal area of the Pyrenees near the Atlantic (San Sebastian) , from where we head due east through the undulating hills of the Basque region into the central and high Pyrenees, and near or in Andorra , travelling via ancient smugglers routes. So a ferry ride from Portsmouth to Santander and after landing just over an hour’s drive up the coast to our first camp site at San Sebastian
Most of the tracks are slow driving and some will require low box, but are still hugely enjoyable – the hard ground and dust in the summer in comparison with the mud and ruts after the winter snow make travelling across the terrain highly entertaining! You can see this for yourselves as we tackle river crossings, rock steps, dense forest and steep gullies, also taking in various reservoirs and nature sanctuaries en-route.
Whilst this is not a physically difficult terrain, at times it is technically demanding – brain before brute force as it were! But only for very short periods! And we are there to guide you. However, by the time you make your way back home you will have wound down several notches from the pressures of everyday life…!
The format for these tours is 1-4 people to a vehicle (your own), sharing the driving with their partners over the next several days. This will be a mainly camping biased trip but there are many forms of accommodation in the areas we pass through should anyone like a little more luxury.
It is also worth noting at this point that 4 x 4 owners with any make of vehicle are welcome to accompany us on these trips as the nature of the terrain is suitable for all types of vehicle and varying standards of driver ability. You can also be sure that when the ‘going gets tough’ the professionals are on hand to ensure that everyone makes it through safely to home camp!
I am guessing the trip will be mainly camping but I am sure there will be the chance of the odd hotel or two if required.
The departure date’s from the UK are :
Ferry date can be ‘of your choice’ to arrive early or stay on in Spain at end of Adventure.
Some lanes and tracks are narrow and scratching of paintwork, against foliage, is possible.
The weather??.. In the regions we hope to pass through , it should still be warm and pleasant and maybe cooler at night; in fact the locals say September and October are the best months of the year. The trails are quieter which is good and by late autumn the colours should be amazing.
All dates shown below are UK to UK using Brittany Ferries
