PYRENEAN CIRQUES & LAKES
Intermediate level walking in grand landscapes
There is an excellent road network in the high valleys of the Central Pyrenees thanks to the construction of the hydroelectricity scheme in the 1950s and the ski stations in the late 1970s. These roads allow you to gain significant altitude prior to starting your walks, and to reach sites in a relatively easy day walk - previously accessible only in a very long day or with an overnight stay. There are so many options the itinerary we suggest is simply a starting point. We are able to adjust the itinerary according to the weather, the time of the year and how you are feeling each day. With a nod to the quote that there isn't bad weather, simply bad gear, we'd say there isn't bad weather, simply a poor choice of itinerary given the conditions ! Let us help you get it right.
Tour details
You will be comfortably lodged in Hotel Les Templiers (Luz), and set out from your base each day for a new adventure. If you dream of to being ‘up high’, but do not want to tackle 1000m of ascent each day then this holiday is for you. You will encounter a range of high mountain landscapes with glacial cirques (corries), high mountain lakes and high passes, and a very accessible summit.
These walks are generally easier than the Eco Independent Walks because the roads take you up out of the valley floor, often the steepest section, to where the mountains begin to plateau out higher up.
Budget
675€ per person
This price includes :
- seven (7) nights B&B accommodation in Hotel Les Templiers
- marked maps & walks notes each day including information about the history, geography and geology of the places you are walking through
- help with walk selection each day to make the best of the weather conditions at the time of your stay
- general assistance during your stay
- full briefing at the start of your stay about weather and walk options
Options :
- 4 nights in Luz St Sauveur and 3 nights in Cauterets +75€pp
- single room supplement (+€35/day)
- pick-up at Lourdes station (€80 - up to 4 people)
Itinerary
Day 1
Choose either the beautiful Aygues Cluses valley with its meandering river, or the slightly steeper ascent to Ets Coubous, the bottom lake of a series of four – both provide you with a warm up in the lovely pine forested landscape of the Néouvielle Nature Reserve. It is possible to do a longer loop here also, depending on the time in the season and your capacity.
Day 2
The Gavarnie Cirque is the most well known site in the Central Pyrenees, with the village being the home of mountaineering in the Pyrenees. Its near perfect semi-circular formation provoked Victor Hugo to christen it "Nature’s Colosseum". We provide you with different walking options depending on how energetic you are feeling.
Day 3
Walk up the Barrada Valley to find the beautiful and secluded Cirque de Lys. This less visited cirque is hidden up behind the Pyrenees’ largest hydro-electric power station and a visit to this is an interesting end to the day. An alternative option to a series of high lakes is possible also.
Day 4
From the Pont d’Espagne walk up to the Lac de Gaube for a day out in the neighbouring Cauterets Valley. Walk from the spectacular waterfall to one of the largest natural lakes in the Pyrenees and on further to the Oulettes Refuge should you choose. Plenty of options here. We talk you through them.
Day 5
The Troumouse Cirque is a favourite with everyone who walks here. Somehow more mystical than Gavarnie with its high plateau and small lakes… Very good for either a strenuous walk starting from Héas along a less known balcony path, or drive higher to the Maillet plateau for a shorter walk.
Day 6
The Gloriettes Dam is at the mouth of the Estaubé Cirque and provides a spectacular starting point for your walk. Finish the week by discovering the last of the three cirques in the World Heritage Area. Again there is everything from energetic to strolling options.