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Difficulty-Moderate
7:00 h.
19 km.
Difficulty-Moderate
7:00 h.
19 km.
In the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, great hiking and mountain routes await us, visiting spectacular natural landscapes. One of these routes, perhaps one of the most famous, is none other than the Path of the Hunters in the Ordesa Valley. This magnificent route takes us from the Ordesa meadow to the beautiful Horsetail waterfall along the Hunters' Path, also passing through the Pelay Girdle. A route that passes through the upper part of the valley allowing us to enjoy the colossal landscape that surrounds us at all times.
To get to the Ordesa meadow, that is, to the place where the Path of the Hunters begins, we have to go to the town of Torla. The road that leads to this beautiful Pyrenean village can be found on the N-260, specifically on the section that joins Biescas with Broto. Once there, just follow the course of the road that crosses Torla until you reach the bridge of Los Navarros. Once there, we leave the turning to our left towards the Bujaruelo valley to begin the ascent that will take us to the Ordesa meadow, where there is a large parking area.
Due to the large number of people, access to the Ordesa Meadow by private vehicle is prohibited during the summer months and on some public holidays. During these periods, bus services are provided between Torla and the Ordesa Meadow. This bus service usually runs every 15 to 20 minutes and costs €4.5 return. Tickets can be purchased at the stand located in the car park, in the hotels in Torla and in the restaurant in the Ordesa Meadow. The bus makes several stops along the route, both up and down, as long as there are free places, here you have more information. Another possibility is to walk up to the Ordesa Meadow, following the old path from Torla through Turieto, a beautiful route that many people also do.
The Ordesa Meadow (0h 00min) is the starting point for many of the hiking routes and ascents in this area of the National Park, and it is also the starting point for ours. At the end of the parking area you will find the different signs indicating the routes that start from here. In our case, we follow the signs that lead us along a path adapted for people with reduced mobility towards the Hunter's Path and the Pelay Girdle. Almost without noticing, we cross the Arazas river, and shortly afterwards we arrive at a crossroads where we say goodbye to the comfortable route that brought us here. It is here that we could say that the real Hunter's Path of the Ordesa Valley begins. We leave behind us the path that goes up the Arazas river and the one that comes from Torla via Turieto, to head towards the beginning of the steep path that we have to climb. The route quickly begins to follow the typical zigzags of mountain itineraries, making us make an effort to advance.
The steep slope we are facing, together with the influx of people, means that we have to be on the lookout for possible rock falls.
As we ascend we overcome the occasional landslide and fallen tree. When the thick forest allows us to do so, we take a break to catch our breath and enjoy the magnificent views that the Hunter's Path offers us. After a while we reach a new turn-off, where we leave the path to our right that ascends towards Punta Acuta, to continue towards the Góriz refuge and the Pelay Girdle. After a few more zigzags, a small wooden hut marks our arrival at the Calcilarruego viewpoint (1h 55min), the highest point of the entire route and a magnificent place from where we can contemplate the magnitude of the Ordesa Valley and the ascent we have just made.
We say goodbye to the Cotatuero cirque glacier, the Racón girdle and the Flowers girdle, which are some of the giants that we can contemplate from this privileged balcony, to resume our route. Next to the wooden hut begins the path that we must follow. A path that takes us through the Pelay Girdle, going up the Ordesa Valley along this rugged cornice. This part of the route is much more comfortable, with little effort and a continuous and gentle descent.
With the exception of a few more exposed areas and the odd landslide, this part of the route generally does not present any major problems, even though the forest allows us to contemplate the landscape in all its splendour.
Little by little the cirque glacier of Soaso appears before us, marked out by the Three Sorores, the Marboré Cylinder and Mount Perdido, among other giants of this area of the Pyrenees. At our feet, or rather, far below us, we can see the classic path of the horsetail through the Soaso steps, which runs along the bottom of the Ordesa valley. After a while we leave the path to our right that leads to the Góriz refuge to walk the short distance that separates us from our objective. The horsetail waterfall (4h 15min) welcomes us with its usual crowd of visitors, inviting us to enjoy it and the surrounding environment.
A metal footbridge allows us to cross the Arazas river so as not to miss any of the views of the horsetail waterfall. It is on this other slope that the classic route to the Horsetail waterfall runs along the Soaso steps from the Ordesa meadow. This route coincides with the route followed by the GR-11 Pyrenean Path and we will return to the meadow. We say goodbye to the horsetail to follow the marked path that we saw below us before. The large number of people following this route means that the itinerary is clearly marked. After a while we begin the rapid descent that takes us to the Soaso steps. One after the other there are waterfalls that overcome the unevenness of this area.
We leave this beautiful and representative area of the valley and of the route behind us to follow the wide path that continues down the valley.
The Frachinal cave surrounds our path, preceding the spectacular waterfalls that await us. But not before entering a beautiful beech forest where we leave behind the detour that ascends towards the cirque glacier of Cotatuero and the Racón Girdle. Once again our route takes wide bends that allow us to lose height more comfortably. The viewpoint of the Estrecho waterfall surprises us and invites us to take some time to enjoy this place. We are tempted to take one of the small detours that allow us to get a little closer to the Estrecho, the Cave and Arripas waterfalls. This option also allows us to return to the Ordesa meadow on the other side of the Arazas river. In our case, we continue along the classic route, which also allows us to enjoy these natural wonders. Little by little and after a few more bends, the slope becomes gentler and the valley becomes wider. After a while the Ordesa Meadow (7h 00min) appears in front of us, the starting and end point of this beautiful hiking route.
1-Given the total distance of the route and the initial slope, it is important to be in good physical condition and to take it easy for the first 2 km.
2-The steep slope of the hillside along which the Path of the Hunters passes, together with the unevenness of some areas, make it much more advisable to follow the route in the direction explained in this guide.
3-In bad weather or rain it is not advisable to do the Hunter's Path.
4-In winter, in snowy or icy conditions, it is usually forbidden to walk on the path.
5-In any case, before starting the route, ask the park rangers about the state of the route.
6-Due to the decomposed nature of the ascent section and the influx of people, it is very common for stones to fall.
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| 1-Ordesa Meadow | 0:00h | 1315m | 0km | 30T 741163 4726057 |
| 2-Calcilarruego viewpoint | 1:55h | 1960m | 2.1Km | 30T 741503 4725192 |
| 3-Horsetail Waterfall | 4:15h | 1765m | 10.1Km | 31T 255332 4726383 |
Coordinates UTM Datúm WGS84
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Distance: 19Km
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Time: 7:00h
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Difficulty: Moderate
Slope: 1410m
Slope +: 705m
Slope -: 705m
Maximum altitude: 1965m
Minimum altitude: 1315m
This schematic with the path is approximate and has been created from the derived cartographic base © Instituto Geográfico Nacional "Cuadrante 178-1 y 178-2 1:25.000".
Una de mis rutas preferidas Del Valle de Ordesa.
¿Did you know that...
The Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park includes, in addition to the Ordesa Valley, the Añisclo Canyon, the Escuain Gorges, the Pineta Cirque Glacier and the Mount Perdido Massif.
Don't miss out...
A visit to the villages of Torla and Broto, among others. Their streets and buildings conserve all the character of the typical villages of the Huesca Pyrenees.
From the commitment of SENDITUR with Nature and the respect to the balance of the environment, SENDITUR urges you to travel in a responsible way, with low environmental impact and respecting at all times the Natural, Cultural and Social environment wherever you go.
Besides sharing with all of us your experience on the route we would be grateful if you could write to us to inform us of any erroneous or outdated information you may have found, or simply to let us know what you think at Thank you.
Route information updated on 12-09-2020. The route may vary greatly depending on the time of year, weather conditions and terrain, as well as the actions of third parties and the evolution suffered in the natural environment where it is located. All opinions, advice and/or assessments made by SENDITUR in their descriptions are for guidance only and are subject to and/or refer to the specific conditions of the specific day of the route, referring to that specific day, taken from trained people, with the appropriate experience and with a high level of physical and technical preparation as a reference, as well as correctly equipped.
All the times are approximate and take an orientative character, the stops have not been taken into account, no matter how small they are. All the information related to the route, texts, images, videos, maps, diagrams, tracks, towns, and places of tourist interest are published as a guide, and may not coincide with the current state of each place. Before undertaking any activity, assess your technical knowledge, your physical condition, find out about the weather and the variations that the route may undergo, equip yourself correctly, be prudent and responsible at all times, and do not exceed your capabilities. SENDITUR is not responsible for any misuse or inappropriate use of the comprehensive guides of its routes and/or publications as well as its electronic guides, nor for any variations in their descriptions for the aforementioned reasons, and recommends that everyone be responsible and prudent in carrying out the activity. We also encourage you to read books and specialised guides to complement the information described above.
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