Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.
Mention of breaches often conjures up images of war and historical events, not least because of the immortal words of Shakespeare’s Henry V. And the one on the border between France and Spain is no exception.
Roland’s breach (La Brecha de Rolando in Spanish) is one of the most spectacular geographical features in the Pyrenees. Standing above the Gavarnie cirque at an altitude of 2,807 metres, it has captivated writers and became the stuff of legend in centuries past.
The name comes from Count Roland who, according to myth, created the gap after striking the wall of rock with his sword. The legend goes that Roland, nephew of Charlemagne, and his men were attacked by the Moors in northern Spain during the 8th century. There are different versions of the tale; one has Roland smiting the Pyrenees so that he could see France one last time before he died. Another has the knight fighting a battle on the border. An injured Roland attempted to break his sword Durandal on the rock, rather than leave it to the enemy; thus opening up the chasm.
What we have today is a gap which is around 40 metres across and 100 metres high. Known in French as La Brèche de Roland, it’s a spot which draws large numbers of visitors despite it’s lofty position. This is due, in no small part, to the road that leads to a car park on the France side of the border at 2,200 metres, which is close to the Bujaruelo pass. This allows people to drive up from Gavarnie and gives them a head start on those starting from much lower levels. From Spain the breach can be reached via routes from the Bujaruelo valley and pass; and from the Góriz mountain refuge, which stands above the Ordesa canyon.
However, the ‘Brecha’ is not a simple proposition; however it is tackled. On the way up from the Bujaruelo pass (2,272 metres), just short of the Sarradets mountain refuge on a north face, there is a stream to cross which flows over rocks. It can be iced up for much of the year, which makes the crossing treacherous and crampons are needed under those conditions.
Higher up, between the refuge and the breach, is the Glaciar de la Brecha. There is a well-trodden path across the glacier and it’s not a long stretch, but crampons would be needed in adverse conditions. I’ve been up twice without crampons and did not experience difficulties but great care has to be taken, particularly coming down.
In the summer there is a lot of human traffic around the breach. It’s not just the legend that provides the attraction, the views over the Gavarnie cirque in France and the top of the Ordesa canyon in Spain really are something to behold.
Read about walking routes to Roland’s breach in the Pyrenees Huesca section; in the reports Góriz to Añisclo and Bujaruelo is Best
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