Pikatua Viewpoint and Irati-Abodi

To see Irati from above, without walking, drive up the Larrau pass road, the NA-2011 towards France, from Ochagavía and Izalzu. At kilometre 8, by the roadside and at about 1,300 metres above sea level, the Pikatua viewpoint opens the view over the Irati Forest, the Abodi range and the peak of Orhi, at 2,017 m, the first "two-thousander" of the Pyrenees counting from the west. It is a stop of a few minutes that easily turns into half a morning if you continue to the mountain centre.

Irati-Abodi

Very close, about 15 km from Ochagavía, a quarter of an hour by car, is the Irati-Abodi mountain centre, in the former customs post of Pikatua. It is open in all seasons and is one of the three entrances to Irati from the Salazar valley, along with the Casas de Irati and Remendía. The maintenance fee is never charged here, and there is a large car park a hundred metres before the building. It has a café, information on routes and equipment hire: in winter, skis and snowshoes; the rest of the year, bikes and hiking equipment. The café is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 17:30 in November; telephone, 621 27 58 07.

When the Casas de Irati road is closed, for example because of the works planned for 16 to 20 and 23 to 27 November 2026, Irati-Abodi is the alternative entrance recommended by Visit Navarra.

The Bortz Kolore routes

From the car park leave the Orhi Bortz Kolore, five signposted routes in five colours and of differing difficulty:

• A very short, easy walk 50 metres from the building, whose first 400 metres are flat and suitable for a wheelchair with an assistant when the ground is dry.
• Two routes to Muxumurru, at 1,626 m, the foothill peak of the Orhi, a chamois area and a viewpoint over the deepest part of Irati: one, ideal for introducing children to the mountains, leaves from the bend at kilometre 10; the other, circular and demanding, drops to the forest floor and climbs 566 metres.
• Two routes to the Orhi peak, the shortest and the longest.

The project reminds visitors that, although very accessible, the Orhi is high mountain: check the weather, bring warm clothing and do not climb in fog.

In winter

With snow, Irati-Abodi has three easy cross-country ski trails totalling 22 km and another of 16 km for more experienced skiers. There are four trails that can also be done with snowshoes, Cerrillar, Cruz de Osaba, Zamukadoia and Koixta, and the equipment can be hired at the centre. The season's prices are published on the centre's website.

Getting there and combining it

From Ochagavía, take the Izalzu road, at 3.5 km, where the Gartxot route begins, based on a popular legend, and continue climbing towards Larrau. It is a mountain road: in winter it may have snow or ice. Dogs may come on a lead. On the way back, in Ochagavía you can round off the day with the village and the hermitage of Muskilda.