BAREGES VALLEY TREK
A taste of mountain trekking in the Pyrenees
Explore the natural beauty of the Barèges Valley.
Tour details
Enjoy the Pyrénées in a short three day trek, leaving from and returning to Luz St Sauveur on foot and staying out in mountain huts for two nights.
The pastoral valley of Barèges is a delight, and takes in a number of traditional villages, a converted barn that has been transformed into a comfortable gite, a night in a mountain refuge above 2000m, high mountain scenery, possibility of a swim in a mountain lake, walking through high mountain pastures. Trek takes in parts of the cross-Pyrenean GR10.
Budget
240€ per person (min 2 people)
This price includes :
- 2 nights gite/refuge accommodation
- marked maps and walking notes each day
- general assistance during your stay
- 2 dinners, breakfasts & picnic lunches
- full briefing
Options :
- pick-up at Lourdes station (€80 - up to 4 people)
Notes :
It is possible to catch the bus from Lourdes to Luz on the morning of the first day, and from Luz to Lourdes at the end of the last day. Otherwise we can organise accommodation for you in Luz on the night before and the night following the trek. Count 460€pp for 5 nights accommodation with hotel B&B for first and last night, and an extra night at La Glère so you can climb the Turon de Néouvielle.
Itinerary
Day 1
Head off on the GR10 to St Justin’s cross through a number of quaint mountain villages. Also, there is the possibility of an extension loop if you are keen for a longer day. The evening will hold a hearty dinner and bed in a wonderful converted barn.
Ascent: 600m (3-4 hours, depending your pace)
Day 2
Head off towards Barèges village along the GR10. You pass through the village and head up to the Lienz Plateau through the forest, before continuing on to the Glère Refuge. At 2100m you are now in high mountain territory. The refuge is wonderfully situated in front of the lake of the same name. The refuge originally houses the workers who built the Pyrenees hydro-electric scheme. Dinner and bed. Ascent: 850m altitude gain (~5-6 hours)
Day 3 or 4
Set off into the Bolou valley where you reconnect with the variant of the GR10 on the other side of the valley. From here you begin your big descent to Luz.
Decent: 1400m
Day 3 optional
Stay up high at La Glère Refuge for a second night. From here you can do the high lakes circuit, or even tackle the Turon du Néouvielle (at 3032m it is an impressive climb and the views are equally so). The high lakes are the remnants of the glaciers that once gave the area it's name "Néouvielle", meaning old snow in the local dialect of Occitane.