The mountains of Andorra and its highest peaks

Andorra doesn’t have mountains so much as it is one. The Spanish foreign ministry puts the whole country’s average height at 1,996 m, and nowhere drops below 840 m. For British hillwalkers used to Snowdon or Ben Nevis, that’s a different scale altogether. Here’s which peaks are highest, which are within reach of a fit walker, which are for experienced mountaineers only, and when to go. What I won’t give you is an exact count of peaks, for reasons you’ll see.

How many peaks does Andorra have?

It depends who you ask. The Spanish foreign ministry’s profile mentions 65 peaks above 2,500 m, while the tourist board talks of more than 65 above 2,000 m. They measure different things and don’t match, so “dozens” is as far as I’ll go. To put it in context, even the capital, Andorra la Vella, stands at 1,023 m, which the tourist board bills as the highest capital in Europe. Everything else rises from there.

Comapedrosa, the roof of Andorra

The highest peak is Comapedrosa, 2,942 m, in La Massana. Its nature park and the comú both give that figure, and it’s the one to trust, as one page adds a metre. The surrounding park protects 15.42 km² and has three huts, one of them staffed in summer. The official route sheet describes an ascent of about 8 hours, 1,372 m of climbing and a very demanding day, starting on the Prats Sobirans track along the GR 11. It suggests late May to October, for the access and for the colours of the landscape. The whole park, stargazing included, is in Comapedrosa.

The other giants, above 2,900 metres

Close to Comapedrosa stands Medacorba, over 2,900 m, at the precise point where Andorra, Catalonia and Ariège meet. The tourist board describes it as the most technical peak in the principality, on a loop of about 6.2 km with 1,344 m of ascent. It’s spectacular, which is exactly why I wouldn’t suggest it to anyone without scrambling experience.

Serrera, also above 2,900 m, is climbed from the Coma de Ransol in Canillo. And in the Madriu, the top spot belongs to the Portelleta peak, 2,905 m according to the valley’s own website. None of these three is a stroll, and I’d save them until you’ve a few summits in your legs. If you’re coming from the UK with Scottish winter or Alpine experience, they’re a natural next step; if your hill days have mostly been on waymarked paths, pick one of the peaks below first.

High peaks within reach of more walkers

This is where Andorra is generous. Pic Negre d’Envalira, 2,816 m, starts from Pas de la Casa itself at 2,120 m and is one of four Envalira peaks on the ridge with France. The route sheet calls it high mountain terrain but with no technical difficulty at all. Pic Blanc starts at the Envalira pass, 2,408 m, and is short and easy, with views over the Pessons cirque, though it’s often wrapped in cloud.

Casamanya, 2,740 m, sits between Canillo and Ordino and is climbed from the Coll d’Ordino, graded moderate. For me it offers the best return on effort in the country. And at Ordino Arcalís, the Peyreguils peak, 2,701 m, holds the Tristaina solar viewpoint, which you can reach without any mountaineering skills.

When to climb, and what to bring

The official advice is simple. Anything above 1,700 metres is best kept to the weeks from the end of June to the end of September, stretching to May or October if the weather and the ground allow. The Foreign Office flags the altitude as a genuine health risk in places and reminds you the GHIC isn’t valid, so make sure your insurance covers hiking and rescue. In an emergency, dial 112; mountain rescues are run by the fire service, on 118. I’d always carry plenty of water, a warm layer even on a hot day and a forecast checked that morning.

Routes from easy walks to GR trails are in hiking in Andorra, and where to sleep up high is in mountain huts in Andorra.

One last curiosity. On six summits, Casamanya, Cataperdís, Font Blanca, Estanyó, Serrera and Tristaina, you’ll find iron grilles called estripagecs. I’d treat them as an excuse to start collecting peaks, beginning with Casamanya, the one the route sheets grade as moderate. How much ground all these mountains cover, and how the country compares with others, is in how big Andorra is.