Izpegi Pass

The Izpegi Pass ( _fr. Col d'Ispeguy) is a 672 m high Pyrenean mountain pass located right on the border between Spain and France, joining the "Baztan" and "Baigorri" valleys in the Basque Country. The river Bidasoa, called Baztan on its upper stage, rises close-by on the western side of the Iparla mountain range stretching out north to south. The name applies also to a stream running on its eastern slopes.

The population nuclei closest to the saddle are the village of Erratzu (west) and Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry (east, Baigorri in Basque). A sinuous narrow road that bears witness to a couple of Tour de France stages descends east to Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry, cutting its way through a spectacular grassy and giddy landscape.

The pass is frequented by hikers in order to gain access to the neighbouring mountain Hautza (1,306 m / 4,285 ft) and other mounts of the ridgeline. Since the mid-2000s, the spot has turned a meeting point for txalaparta players at the beginning of September.