Ax 3 Domaines Plateau du Saquet - Rulhe Refuge

Park at Ax 3 Domaines, near the Lièvre Blanc chairlift. Take it to reach the Gare Supérieure.

(S) Head towards the Tétras restaurant and continue to Lac du Saquet.

(1) Take the ski slope that climbs up opposite. Then follow the marked trail that winds its way up. You can also take a slightly more direct route and continue on a wide track that branches off to the right (use a steel post, which is used in winter, as a landmark). Go around the summit to reach Couillade de Llerbès, located near the arrival point of the Tute de l'Ours chairlift.

(2) Climb straight up the trail that leads to the top of the Rebenty chairlift.

(3) Continue along a wide track that descends slightly, then more steeply to reach a pass. Continue opposite, uphill, to reach the Pic de l'Étang de Rebenty.

(4) Begin your descent below Pic de la Coumette to reach the trail junction leading to Jasse de Lherbès.

(5) Continue uphill to reach the GR®10 trail via this magnificent plateau. Take the trail to the right to reach the Col de la Lhasse.

(6) Descend to the right, taking care on the hairpin bends. The trail and the red and white markings are clearly visible. Note: follow the markings, which appear to be recent and do not correspond to the IGN map. This new route is safer, even though it passes lower down, near the Étang Bleu (another blue lake), then climb back up and you will reach a magnificent, shallow, crystal-clear lake.

(7) Continue the climb, winding your way between the scree slopes. It is not always easy, and you must be careful not to stray from the markings. You will come out at the Col des Calmettes.

(8) Now start the final descent opposite to reach the Refuge de Ruhle (E).

(S) Note for the start: the Lièvre Blanc chairlift operates in summer during July and August. Outside this period, you will need to start from the Ax 3 Domaines resort, which adds 600m of elevation gain.
(1) Lac du Saquet: water reservoir for snow cannons.
(2) Couillade de Llerbès: see all the slopes of the Campels ski area in winter below.
(4) Pic de l'Étang Rebenty (2,415 m): admire the 360-degree view, seeing the Cirque and Pic de Ruhle in the distance.
(6) Col de la Lhasse: enjoy the incredible view of the cirque below. It is also very impressive and makes you wonder how you are going to descend and cross all these scree slopes.

Notes:
- the first part of the route from the resort is not marked, but the various points to pass are clearly visible. After Pic Rebenty, there are no markings on the high plateaus, but there is a good permanent 4x4 track that you can follow to the GR®. From there, the classic GR® markings will take you to the refuge
- there is almost no water except for refilling at the small lake (remember to bring purification tablets just in case).

(E) Refuge du Rulhe: sleeps 53, but it is in high demand during the season, so book in advance. From here, there is an incredible view of all the lakes and high peaks of Ariège, and more specifically the Aston Valley. After a well-deserved refreshment (or even a charcuterie and cheese platter) or a good night's sleep and a hearty evening meal, you can set off again on the GR®10, which continues behind the refuge in the middle of the bivouac area.
From the Refuge du Rulhe, before moving on to the second part, you can also stay a second night and take advantage of the refuge's location to hike in the surrounding area (Fontargente Lakes, passage to Andorra, Lake Laparan, etc.)