La Brèche de Roland

Roland's Breach
La Brèche de Roland
Roland's Breach as seen from the French side.
Elevation	2,804 m (9,199 ft)
Traversed by	foot
Location	Hautes-Pyrénées, France Aragón, Spain
Range	Pyrenees
Coordinates	42°41′27″N 00°02′01″W / 42.69083°N 0.03361°WCoordinates: 42°41′27″N 00°02′01″W / 42.69083°N 0.03361°W
Brecha de Rolando Location of Roland's Breach

Roland's Breach (French: La Brèche de Roland; Spanish: La Brecha de Rolando; Aragonese: La Breca de Roldán; Basque: Errolanen Arraila; Catalan: La Bretxa de Rotllà; German: Rolandsbresche)^[1] is the name of a natural gap, 40 m across and 100 m high, at an elevation of 2804 m in the Pyrenees on the border of Aragón, northern Spain, and Hautes-Pyrénées, France.

The gap is situated in the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park^[2] on the Franco-Spanish border, close to the steep cliffs of the Cirque de Gavarnie.

According to legend Roland's Breach was cut by Count Roland with his sword Durendal in an attempt to destroy that sword, after being defeated during the Battle of Roncesvalles in 778.

The gap can be reached from the Refugio Sarradets,^[3] a nearby mountain shelter, in about an hour's climb.

Roland's Breach as seen from the Spanish side.

Roland's Breach, seen from a distance.

References

1. "Brecha de Rolando" summitpost.org, retrieved 2013-08-20
2. "Parque Nacional Ordesa y Monte Perdido" archive.org, retrieved 2013-08-20
3. "Refugio Serradets o Brecha de Rolando 2587 m." madteam.net, retrieved 2013-08-20

External links

• "La Brecha de Rolando" summitpost.org, retrieved 2013-08-20
• "Taillón (3.144m) por la Brecha de Rolando" rutaspirineos.org, retrieved 2013-08-20 (in Spanish)
• Otras bellas fotos de la brecha de Rolando