The guide covers the High Pyrenees from the Cirque de Lescun on the edge of the Basque country in the west to the Carlit massif and Cerdagne east of Andorra, and is divided into five regional the Western Valleys; Cirques and Canyons; the Central Pyrenees; Enchanted Mountains; and Andorra and the Eastern High Pyrenees. Intended as a resource book for those planning a range of mountain activities in the Pyrenees, the guide describes each area valley by valley, and provides information on access and accommodation, as well as recommended maps and guidebooks. Unlike a conventional walking book, detailed route descriptions are not included; the guide does, however, direct the reader to the finest walks, treks and climbs in the area and provide an outline of specially selected routes.An extensive introduction gives all the practical advice and information needed for planning a trip. It offers a background to the mountains and their exploration, and provides a snapshot of the range with sections that help the reader focus on specific areas of activity, and suggests where best to exercise that activity. It also lists for the first time in an English-language guide all the Pyrenean 3000m summits and their location.
A lifelong passion for the countryside in general, and mountains in particular, drives Kev Reynolds' desire to share his sense of wonder and delight in the natural world through his writing, photography and lectures. Claiming to be The Man with the World's Best Job, he has enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Cicerone since the 1970s, producing more than 50 books, including guides to major trekking regions of Nepal, and to numerous routes in the Alps and Pyrenees, as well as walking guides for Kent, Sussex and the Cotswolds. His collection of autobiographical short stories, A Walk in the Clouds, is a record of 50 years of mountain travel and adventures, while Abode of the Gods tells of eight of his many trekking expeditions in the Himalaya. The Mountain Hut Book, on the other hand, is a celebration of those alpine refuges perched in remote places, brought to life through joyful tales and exciting photographs.
Kev is an honorary life member of the Outdoor Writers' and Photographers' Guild (OWPG),and an honorary member of both SELVA (the Société d'Etudes de la Littérature de Voyage Anglophone) and the British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML). When not away in the mountains, he lives with his wife in view of what he calls 'the Kentish Alps' with unrestricted walking country on his doorstep. But he also travels throughout Britain and abroad during the winter months to share his love of the places he writes about through a series of lectures.