Hiking French Pyrenees

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Matt438 28 Aug 2017
Hi,
New to the forum and looking for suggestions.

My wife and I (30's, fairly fit and regulars to the beacons) will be in southwest of France in a few weeks. We're hoping to take maybe 3 days for some walking in the Pyrenees so I'm looking for suggested itineraries.
I'd be keen to stay in a (catered) refuge so I can take pictures At sunrise and sunset (I'm a fairly mediocre amateur photographer).
Perfect would be a circular route with maybe 6hr days (to allow time for camera flappery) and 2 refuge nights but a there and back with 1 is better than nothing and I can find a local day route.

Googling I just haven't quite found what I'm looking for so I'd love to hear suggestions please.

Matt


 Sealwife 28 Aug 2017
In reply to Matt438:

https://www.walkopedia.net/walks/display-walk.asp?WalkID=855

You could go from Gavarnie up to the Breche de Roland and either spend the night at the refuge beneath the Breche then return to Gavarnie by a different route, or continue your walk, through to Spain and the Ordesa Canyon as per the link above.
 mbh 28 Aug 2017
In reply to Matt438:
You could do worse than do what we did a couple of years ago. We camped, but at refuges, and ate the food they made.

Day 1 - GR10, short
Merens Les Vals (train station - on the line to Barcelona from Toulouse)) - Refuge des Besines.
Short and steep, with hearty refuge food when you get there, and sulphurous pools on the way up.

Day 2 - GR10 long, flat
Refuge des Besines - Refuge (chalet) des Bouillouses
A stunningly beautiful high mountain day, most of it at around 2000m, I think, ending at a lake with a dam. A great cook at the refuge.

Day 3 - not the GR10, but a way marked route : Carlit route, or something? Quite long but really lovely.
Refuge des Bouillouses - Enveig (train station - end of the line that you started on)
We were aiming here for a campsite, but in the deluge that engulfed us as we descended, decided instead to go for anything with a roof. We had a very convivial night and meal in a chambre d'hote.

You could skip the third night if in time for a train and head back to your start point at Merens, which itself is only 10 minutes or so by train from Ax-les-Thermes (more of those warm, sulphurous pools). If you are to stay there, I recommend the little hotel on the market square, and to do so so that you wake up on market day.

edit: Days 2 and 3 took us more than 6 hours, but we are in our 50s!
Post edited at 16:03
 louiswain 28 Aug 2017
In reply to Sealwife:

Unfortunately, the Refuge des sarradets/ Breche de Roland is closed for rebuilding/ extension until 2018.

 Sealwife 28 Aug 2017
In reply to louiswain:
Didn't know that.
Deadeye 28 Aug 2017
In reply to Matt438:

Cirque de Pic de midi?

Get a second hand copy of Kev Reynolds book "walks and climbs in the Pyrenees" - lots of options in there.

Won't let me post fleabay links but search that title and there's a buy now copy for £2.50 - OK it's old but th eroutes haven't chanegd and you can check out the huts online anyway.
 ben b 28 Aug 2017
 Ramblin dave 28 Aug 2017
In reply to Matt438:

The refuge d'Arremoulit is pretty fantastic - small, friendly, traditional, fantastic setting in a granite corrie. We came up from the Ossau side and used it as a base for Pic Palas, which you might not want to do if you aren't looking for roped mountaineering or very confident scrambling, but there are some cool looking round trips from Plan d'Aste, although they might involve some reasonably rough ground at the high passes.
 Toerag 29 Aug 2017
In reply to Matt438:

Ask Mike Rhodes of this parish.
 Ramblin dave 29 Aug 2017
In reply to ben b:

> The Kev Reynolds book is really useful.

I'd third this, by the way.
Matt438 06 Sep 2017
In reply to mbh:
Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Really helpful. I think mbh's route looks like it would fit the bill nicely so I think we'll try that!
Edit: and I've picked up the Kevin Reynolds book.
Post edited at 23:49
 UKC Forums 07 Sep 2017
This thread was started in the DESTINATIONS forum and has now been moved.
Please could you try and post in the correct forum, it makes life easier for both users and moderators.

HILLTALK
A general forum for topics relating to hillwalking. Discuss walks you have been on, great scrambles, the best ridges, Munro-bagging and longer multi-day walks.
More Forum descriptions - http://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/info/forums.html
 mbh 07 Sep 2017
In reply to Matt438:


> Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Really helpful. I think mbh's route looks like it would fit the bill nicely so I think we'll try that!

Great! Hope you enjoy it.

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