First HRP Trek: Section 3 – Cauterets to Gavarnie

After a half day – or full day’s rest, you’ll be raring to go again. Today’s walk is reasonably gentle, up the Vallée de Gaube to the Oulettes de Gaube glacier. But there are other option that can take you back to the HRP.

The first option is to simply re-trace your steps back up to Wallon, or perhaps climb a little higher to wildcamp at the Lac d’Arratille; from there you then cross over to the Oulettes by way of the Col des Mulets. A second option might be to take the path up the Vallée de Lutour to the Refuge d’Estom. This is quite a popular day walk from Cauterets, but climbing up beyond the refuge there is a high level route that connects to the HRP on the climb from Oulettes to Baysellance. This is a dramatic walk but perhaps left for another occasion. On your first visit you will want to camp at the glacier!

Day 8: To Oulettes des Gaube

So, leave Cauterets via. the footpath the passes the Spa buildings and climbs towards Lutour. But after a path heads west, crosses the road and climbs on the west bank of the river up past a series of stunning waterfalls to the Pont d’Espagne. (You can also take the bus up to the Pont from Cauterets gare).

The walk from the Pont up the Vallée de Gaube is a very popular one. Sometimes this is very disconcerting as day hikers rush past as you settle into your hiking stride. But many of them aren’t going that far and they can be seen having their picnics at the Lac du Gaube, a lovely spot that features a good café but – more importantly – stunning views to the glacier ahead. If it seems very busy here it’s probably because others arrive (from the Pont) by cable car!

A First Glimpse of the Glacier

We continue up a lovely valley, climbing all the way but there’s nothing really difficult about the walk. A number of the day hikers will be walking with you; they get to the glacier and then turn back.

At the top of the climb the path reaches a large, flat plateau. The refuge is to your left and the glacier ahead of you. Between you and the glacier is a huge camping ground. Over the years hikers have arranged stones and small boulders into stone circles, in which they pitch their tents. I’ve never really understood this but it must have some mystical associations. Campers wait – diligently ’till 7.00 – to bag one of these stone circles. Of course, some bounders flout the rules and pitch their tent as soon as they arrive!

You’ll probably have not arrived too late. You could carry on up to Baysellance but most people like to play a bit on the glacier. You’ll be in for an early night as no soon as the sun dips behind the mountain then it gets quite cool – hence the glacier! The last time I was here the refuge was – well how can I say this politely – a real dump! But it was being refurbished. There is a refurbishment programme going on throughout the National Park and those refuges that have been through it are now far more comfortable; I imagine this refuge is now up to this standard. So, you might be able to have a beer or two and eat here and also use the other facilities of the refuge.

Day 9: Oulettes des Gaube to the Barrage des Ossoue

A high and exciting day. You could push on to Gavarnie if you are short of time. But this is a good day on its own.

We fill up our water bottles at the refuge and carry on past, back on the footpath and begin to climb high on a rugged, stone path. The views on the climb are stunning as you begin to see Vignemale reveal itself in all its glory; the glacier here is still quite extensive. Every now and then you might hear a huge cracking sound; this is the glacier itself!

In truth this climb isn’t all attractive and you need to be careful not to take one of the side route – which can have you walking around in circles!

Looking Down at the Refuge de Beysellance

Just like when climbing the Col du Fache your more than likely to meet a little cluster of hikers looking very pleased (and relieved) with themselves that they have reached the top of the Col – or the Hourquette d’Ossau. Look down, and ahead, and you can see the refuge at Baysellance – the highest refuge in the Pyrenees. From the Col and obvious walk stretches out over a ridge to your right. This is the popular walk to the peak that is known as Le Petit Vignemale. You’ll probably notice Spanish walkers setting off with ice Axes and sometimes crampons. these may not always be needed, please, let’s just be sensible! Most people doing this walk seem to stay at Baysellance overnight but so long as your early enough you should be able to do this and then make your way down to our stopping point for the night. If you’re thinking of this make sure you start early and treat the timings in the guide books with a bit of suspicion.

Le Petit Vignemale

The descends to the very popular refuge at Baysellance which looks like something from a Sci-Fi movie! The refurbished refuge is very comfortable and popular; you can see images of it on its own website. The refuge stands on a small, rocky, barren plateau. There is a camping ground market here but I’ve never seen anyone camping here; it is too exposed I think. The refuge does have a bar/café which is open during the day, ‘Le Pub, and it serves simple but hearty meals. This is a good place to rest, to eat your picnic and to simply take in the vastness of the mountains all around you.

Our descent is fascinating as soon we come to some of Russell’s famous caves. (See entry here – The Man Who Bought the Mountain).

In these caves Russell used to entertain his society guests; hopefully you will have had time to visit the reconstruction in the basement of the museum at Cauterets. There are three caves here and they look pretty inhospitable these days. Last time I looked one of them was full of foil emergency blankets and the caves do look as if they may stills serve a purpose as an emergency shelter from time to time.

We drop down quickly now and some summers may encounter another snow crossing. Take this like the one on the route up to the Cold du Fache. The slope feels a little more precarious to me – but the fall down is not so great !!! If you’re lucky this snowfield will have disappeared but look carefully at the ISGN 1:25 maps and you’ll see a gap in the path where the snowfield can be. Either way you should be able to cross it safely by following in the footsteps of others.

It is a steep climb down and for quite a long way you can see our destination for the evening, the Lac d’Ossoue. The little Lac is not a natural lake; there is a dam at the far end. However, there is a lovely spot to camp for the evening. There is a camping ground near the dam, at the head of the access road that drops down to Gavarnie. But this is scruffy and not a nice place to camp. Before the dam there are many lovely places to pitch a tent near the side of the water. But beware. This is a small hydro dam and you’ll find that the water levels will rise during the night! Take care and you’ll easily see where the high water mark is.

Lac d’Oussoue Hosted on Zooomr

I love wild camping here. A couple of years ago I pitched my tent in the late afternoon on a glorious summer’s day. The sun was strong but the mountain breeze a luxury. At the lac a retired German couple fished for trout. As they prepared to leave they offered me a couple of their fish! Even without the fish, the evening was a memorable one.

Day 10: Barrage d’Ossoue to Gavanie

Morning at d’Ossoue

From here some routes suggest a variante that cuts across the hills to the refuge at Saradets. But the official route – at least Georges Veron’s main route – simply makes its way down to Gavarnie. The route crosses over the dam and makes its way, first through woodland, and then over pleasant green pasture. This is a lovely carefree walk, well it is until we join the road. Some guidebooks give a short journey time for this road walk as it climbs down to Gavarnie. Veron himself give a journey time of about three and a half hours for this walk – which is about right.

You have few accommodation options in Gavarnie, which is essentially a holiday town. To get to the campsite turn towards the famous Cirque de Gavarnie. The site is on your left as you leave the village. The site is quite pleasant with pitches available on steep terraces. The office/bar/restaurant can also be good. The campsite is – perhaps as you’d expect in such a touristy place – more expensive than most. In the village you’ll find most of the supplies that you will need, but again at a premium.

In the afternoon you have a choice; you can either do your chores, have a long lunch or even both. Or you could go and explore the Cirque – although I would add a day to do that justice.

Gavarnie itself takes some getting used to. It is a quite horrible tourist trap, the small lanes thronging with the sounds of mechanical, toy, marmots. To this you must add the smell of the horses and donkeys that carry the day trippers up to the Cirque. Kev Reynolds keenly observes that if you were blind you’d have no trouble finding the Cirque – just follow the smell!

Gavarnie Hosted on Zooomr

It seems that everyone who holidays in this area tips up to the Cirque. Indeed, Gavarnie – as small as it is – has something of Blackpool about it. It’s not surprising that they want to go. Not only is the Cirque spectacular – it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site – but it is only a reasonably recent discovery. Only a couple of hundred years or so ago, the Cirque was known only to a small number of shepherd who worked high in the mountains. It was only when the road was cut through from Gedre to Gavarnie that the world discovered this amazing site.

The walk up to the Cirque doesn’t take too long. But you’ll want time to explore the Cirque. But for me, the best views can be seen on the old route from Gavarnie into Spain, which leaves the centre of the village and runs past the old church. This path climbs onto high pastures and provides very dramatic views of the cirque. And you’ll more than likely have this path to yourself, save for the occasional trekking tour that is crossing from Spain to Gavarnie.

The Cirque

If Gavarnie in the day time is all too much for the senses then things get a bit better in the evening. The crowds leave to go home in time for the evening meal and a spooky quietness descends on the village. There are many places to eat here and so long as you like Confit de Canard you’ll be fine. The standard isn’t up to much though. By far the best and most pleasant place to eat is the second bar on the right as you walk from the campsite towards town. This is the restaurant that offers a tapas style starter. This really is quite a nice place although I’ve known it closed in August simply because there were not enough people about.

Leaving Gavarnie

Two buses a day leave Gavarnie for Luz St. Saveur where the bus connection can be made to Lourdes train station. There is a morning bus at about 9.00 am and an evening bus about 19.00 I think. The evening bus connects to very little and means an evening spent in Luz, which is a very large holiday centre. The morning bus drops you in Luz early enough but the buses out don’t leave until after lunch! I’m sure this is a ploy to boost the catering establishments of this Basque-affiliated town. But lunch here is quite a pleasant experience although Luz has little else to offer.

Not Ready to Leave Yet?

Assuming that you’ve taken another day to see the Cirque – and maybe to walk up to the Refuge du Breche and gaze into Spain through the dramatic breach in the Cirque. But if you have a few more days, then head back to the HRP!

Walk towards the Cirque and the HRP soon leaves on your left, climbing steeply away from the valley floor. The climb is quite special as for the first part you have dramatic views of the Cirque to take in. Eventually you reach high pasture and after a couple of hours walking come to the Refuge des Epuguettes; this looks a comfortable enough place and has lots of room for camping. From the here the route continues to climb against the backdrop of an imposing ridge which we join at the Hourquette d’Alans.

The Horquette

The views here are fantastic. Looking west you can see right along the chain of the mountains. And in front of you is another amazing cirque, the Cirque d’Estaubé. From high up on your perch you can see all kinds of tiny tracks that wind their way through to Spain.

The descent down to the valley floor is steep and takes an hour or so. You find yourself in a wonderful, quiet valley; it is difficult to think that you are but a hop skip and a jump away from the hordes at Gavarnie. At the barrage des Gloriettes the HRP heads East towards the tiny Hamlet of Heas and offers some stunning wild camping around a series of lakes and smaller cirques. But these need to be explored on another visit.

Estaubé Wildcamp

From Gloriettes you can reach the town of Gedre in a couple of extra hours. But it is well worth one, last night of wild camping. Again there is a camping ground marked near the dam at Gloriettes, but you don’t want to stay there. half a kilometer or so before the lake is a lovely, raised terrace, at the side of the river, which makes a great camp spot. When I first came here I saw the spot from a long way off. Day trippers were sunning themselves on the terrace of grass. When they left for their evening meal I dropped down to pitch my tent. I wasn’t disturbed except for a couple of Shepherds making their way back home for the evening. I was drinking my coffee early the next morning when this same pair strolled past on their way back up!

An early start makes for a pleasant walk over a high plateau before dropping down to Gedre. This is a pleasant village although there isn’t much here. There is a lovely riverside restaurant and pizzeria close to where the path enters the village. To reach a very pleasant, family campsite walk through the village and continue down the main road towards Luz. A little way out of the village is a small reservoir with the campsite behind.

In Gedre the morning bus to Luz can be caught in the little main square. While you wait you can have a coffee from the small hotel. If you have time you can inspect the hotel’s guest book – which still has details of Russell’s stays here.

Look at the maps and you might chance walking into Luz from Gedre. But this is only something that you’ll do once. To start the path climbs up impossibly steep banks, through dense woodland, before stopping back down to the main road which has to be navigated for a little while before you are able to get off the tarmac again. The walk continues through un-distinguished woodland before ending up in the deserted Saveur bit of Luz – once a thriving Spa but now quite neglected.

Best to take the bus!

Well, that’s about it. This last section can be done within 10 days, which includes a day in Gavarnie to play under the Cirque. But you can shave off a couple of days here, although this will be harder walking and I advise a slower pace. The walk to Gedre adds on another couple of days.

Whichever way you do this you should have had a great time. You’ll have visited many of the HRP’s ‘Greatest Hits’. And you’ll have stood at important connection points, wondering about what awaits over in Spain.

Planning your next trip is easy. Why not go from Cauterets or Gavanie into Spain for the Ordessa Valley, travelling back to Gavarnie by way of the Breche du Roland. Or you might want to venture beyond little Heas, to camp under the Cirque at Troumouse and on to the lacs at Barroude. Thinking about it a trip that linked up Ordessa with these last two would be a fine trek indeed.

So, there you have it. The High Pyrenees. And you can do this in a fortnight or a day or two over. I’m sure you will be back to explore both the High route and the country that lies around it. One day I’ll complete the whole route in one go. But for the meantime I’m greedy. I want to walk amongst the connecting paths of the GR routes and the HRP.

Tom Joosten has never set foot in any other mountain range since discovering the Pyrenees. I can see why (though this may be over doing things a little). Anyhow, Joosten is proof enough that the magic of the Pyrenees doesn’t fade. It sits there, eating away at the back of your mind. Until the next time!

Tom Joosten’s Guide to the HRP (Cicerone) is the only guide book you will need. The 1:50,000 maps should fill in all the gaps. But Trekking in the Pyrenees, by Streatfield-Adams covers the same route in detail and many people really like this book and the approach it takes to route mapping.

I hope you’ve found these series of posts useful. They are catalogued together under the section: First Steps in the Pyrenees. I’ll be adding some drier pages of practical advice and guidance for travel to the Pyrenees, buying supplies, etc.

I’ve been saying that I will do something on the High Pyrenees for a couple of years now. Using the blog format has saved considerable time and energy. But even so I’m sure there are things I’ve missed. As I discover them I’ll add them in. But meanwhile, feel free to comment on the posts and also to email me direct at:

andy.howell@mac.com