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Pyrénées

PHOTOS: Snow is back in the French Pyrenees

Dustings of snow covered caps at 1,800m above sea level, with higher peaks covered fully in white

Pyrénées road connecting France and Spain will be closed for months

Last weekend’s storms caused damage to the route in several places

Tortoise thought to be extinct in French Pyrenees rediscovered by walkers

The species is one of the most endangered reptiles in Europe

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Skiers delight as up to 60cm of snow set to hit French resorts

Heavy snowfall in the Pyrenees and Alps is a boost for tourism but avalanche warnings are in place in some areas

‘Alarms went off everywhere’: Light earthquake felt in Perpignan

Homes shaken, but no casualties, after evening shockwave

PHOTOS: See the Pyrenees… from Marseille

The mountains are visible from over 250 kilometres away from observation points

Lack of snow hangs over school holiday ski season in Pyrénées

Ski stations are closing temporarily. Low snow levels also increase drought woes

VIDEO: new film released of bear and cubs in Pyrenees before winter

The shots were collected in September and November and are part of analyses into the state of the bear population

Highest ski station in Pyrenees definitely to close

The resort reopened in 2021 after a group of enthusiasts tried to rescue it from €13million of debt but poor weather conditions helped put the final nail in the coffin

Colder weather on way to much of France

It comes as river flood alerts continue in north-west

Bears in Pyrenees prepare for long winter sleep - how many are there?

Technically, the bears do not hibernate but instead ‘overwinter’ and do still come out occasionally

General leading Notre-Dame restoration in Paris dies on mountain hike

General Georgelin, who recently spoke with The Connexion, fell while hiking alone in the Pyrenees

Heavy rain, hail, high winds: France’s south-west put on storms alert

Winds of 100 km/h are set to hit on Thursday evening

Interesting facts on this week’s Tour de France destinations

What do we know about the French places that the cycling extravaganza is passing through?

Global warming: popular Pyrenees mountain glacier disappears entirely

A French glacier expert has warned that all of the mountain ranges’ glaciers will be gone by 2050

The French hills are just the tonic after a bustling summer

Autumn is the perfect time to explore the hidden villages and charming cities, mountain vistas and outdoor activities of France’s main magnificent and varied mountain ranges

Paris to Pyrenees night train to start for 2021 winter ski season

The train link will come as welcome news to workers in the local tourist trade – and Parisians wanting a weekend on the slopes

Accidental fall caused death of British hiker in Pyrenees

Post-mortem examination of the body of Esther Dingley shows she died instantly after having fallen, laying to rest theories she may have been kidnapped or attacked by a bear

Explore the painted churches of the Pyrénées

Uncovering painted marvels in the churches of the Louron and Aure Valleys

‘Extinct’ ibex thriving after return to French Pyrenees

Ibex are back on French side of Pyrenees after more than a century following high-level talks and a secretive lorry run to relocate them from Spain

French weather: Floods, tornados, hailstones...and now snow in June

The summer snowfall in the Pyrenees is the latest in unexpected weather in recent weeks. Forecasters say it is ‘not so rare’ in the first half of June at high altitude, but less common now

This French village sits between heaven and earth

Art historian Julia Faiers unpicks the threads that weave together the Roman and medieval settlements of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges in the Pyrenees

Griffon vultures no longer in danger of extinction in France

Breakthrough for French ornithologists as the vulture species, once thought to be extinct, now has around 2,000 breeding couples around France

Missing hiker: French police reject UK press 'speculation'

Briton Esther Dingley went missing while hiking in the Pyrénées two weeks ago

Video: remarkable footage of bears in France's Pyrénées

Infra-red cameras left in the mountains for a month capture images of bears in the wild

Ibex wild goat returns to the French Pyrenees

A cousin to the native Pyrenean ibex - which went extinct in 2000 - has been introduced to the Pyrenees with great success.

French mayor bans mountain walks after bear attacks

The mayor of a commune in southwestern France announced the ban after a number of bear attacks on local livestock.

Rare gold nugget found in Pyrenees hills

The story of the prospector who found a rare gold nugget weighing 2.25 grammes while panning in a river in the Pyrenees foothills.

Pyrenees bear found shot dead in southwest France

A wild Pyrenees bear has been found illegally killed in southwest France, prompting the ecology minister to lodge a formal State complaint into the crime.

French ski station has snow delivered by helicopter

A ski station in the Pyrenees has had 50 tonnes of emergency snow delivered by helicopter, after high temperatures and a lack of snow caused the station to be otherwise un-skiable.

French Pyrenees ski station closes due to lack of snow

A ski station in the French Pyrenees has closed due to a lack of snow, days after forecaster Météo France declared temperatures to be “abnormally mild” for this time of year.

‘More bears’ for French Pyrenees despite Macron pledge

More bears will be released into the French Pyrenees, a pro-bear association has vowed, despite President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge this week to stop their release.

New video shows Pyrenees brown bear in good health

New video images have been released showing Sorita - a female brown bear released into the Béarn in the French Pyrenees last year - to be in good health, scratching her back, and perhaps even expecting cubs.

Wolves on rise in France as bears wreak mountain havoc

Wolf numbers are on the rise in France, it has been confirmed, in the same week as farmers have reported a record number of livestock deaths linked to mountain bears.

Wild bear filmed by young boy in French Pyrenees

A nine-year-old boy has filmed a rare video of a wild bear from just 80m away, which he saw when walking with his father in the Pyrenees.

French Pyrenees: Advice as bears leave hibernation

Experts have issued guidelines on what to do if you come across a bear in the French Pyrenees, as authorities confirm that the bears in the region are now beginning to come out of hibernation this year.

French Pyrenees polluted by high microplastic levels

A remote area of the French Pyrenees was regularly polluted by high levels of microplastic particles, showing that plastic waste can be spread over large distances by rain, wind and snow, a study found.

Report: Pyrenees temperatures up 30% on global average

The average temperature in the Pyrenees - in France, Spain and Andorra - has risen by 30% on the global average in the past fifty years, prompting climate change authorities to highlight ten urgent challenges the area will face.

Released Pyrénées bears 'in perfect health'

Animals released into wild in October remain on French side of mountains, despite efforts of local farmers and hunters to scare them into Spain

Farmers in French Pyrenees try to scare bears to Spain

Farmers and hunters in the French Pyrenees have attempted to move two female bears towards the Spanish side of the border using “scare tactics”.

Pyrénées could become a local climate refuge

Temperatures in the Pyrénées could rise more than 7C by the end of the century, according to new predictions published by climate scientists.

Ice returns to Pic du Midi after record 108 days

Negative temperatures have returned to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre mountain in the Hautes-Pyrénées, after a record 108 days in positive figures, forecasters have said.

Pyrénées bear release has support of shepherds

A change in attitude from shepherds and hunters alike as planned release receives widespread support

Hiker legs it, pursued by a bear

Holidaymaker recalls moment he faced adult and three cubs in Pyrénées

From here it is 1km straight down...

Opening on June 1

Pyrénées bears filmed leaving hibernation for spring

An automatic camera has filmed Pyrénées bears emerging from hibernation, with images showing young mother bears and cubs climbing a tree, and even taking time to scratch their backs on the rough bark.

France rebuked for not protecting Pyrenees bears

Judges order state to pay €8,000 for “not doing enough”

Four Pyrénéen departments on avalanche alert

Four departments on the French-Spanish border are still on avalanche alert today after Météo France extended its “orange” warning in the area.

Camera captures rare brown Pyrénées bear

A rare brown bear has been photographed by an automatic camera in the Pyrénées-Orientales region.

Pyrénées farmers denounce rise in bears killing sheep

Over 400 sheep are said to have been killed by wild bears in the Pyrénées in the past month, with some saying the killings are threatening farmers’ livelihoods and the sustainability of the area.

Mother bear and cub spotted in Pyrenees

Forestry agency's spycam catches family outing to a favourite tree

Pyrenean bear comes out of hibernation

Spring-like temperatures over the past week have brought at least two of the Pyrenean bears out of hibernation, with tracks being found across the border in Spain.

Radio Caroline comes live from the Pyrénées

Did you know that Radio Caroline is still on air and you can listen to it in France?

Dispute over sheep killing by bears

Pro and anti bear groups are at loggerheads again in the Pyrenees over whether or not to reintroduce more bears.