Belvédère du Mont Né via the Crête de la Pale

Belvédère du Mont Né (Mont Né viewpoint) is a fitting name for this mountain, as the views you will discover throughout this hike are breathtaking. In good weather, this route does not present any major difficulties. What's more, you will start from Port de Balès, a famous stage of the Tour de France.

Details

824327
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.38 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 411 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 406 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,145 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,741 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the Port de Balès car park.

(S/E) Start the hike on a wide track that branches off to the right (north-west) for about 600m.

(1) Continue along a wide dirt track on the left until you reach the foot of the Sommet du Templa or Cournudère (altitude 2,026m).

(2) Follow a path that climbs up to the left along a fence and cross it after about 50 metres.

(3) Be careful, the path is a little unclear at the beginning. Keep the fence in sight and return to the ridge. There are ladder-like structures to help you climb over the fences.

(4) Follow the well-marked trail that follows the ridge of La Pale to the summit of Mont Né.

(5) Mont Né viewpoint. 360° panorama of the highest peaks of the Central Pyrenees. Begin the descent by following the ridge line to the south. Arrive at Cap de la Pêne.

(6) Continue to follow the trail down to Port de Pierrefite. Be careful, the descent can be slippery. Reach Port de Pierrefite.

(7) Take a wide path on the left (GRP® Tour d'Oueil-Larboust - yellow and red markings).

(8) Mont Né refuge.

(9) If you do not want to continue on the wide path, take the small path that climbs to the left. Join the wide path you left earlier.

(10) Take the small path on the left to avoid arriving on the paved road. Reach the Port de Balès (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,758 m - Car park at Port de Balès
  2. 1 : km 0.52 - alt. 1,741 m - Wide dirt track on the left
  3. 2 : km 3.74 - alt. 2,025 m - Pass, end of the wide path - trail on the left
  4. 3 : km 3.99 - alt. 2,074 m - Path climbing up on the left, west side
  5. 4 : km 4.6 - alt. 2,075 m - Ridge trail
  6. 5 : km 5.13 - alt. 2,140 m - Mont Né
  7. 6 : km 5.61 - alt. 2,030 m - Cap de la Pêne
  8. 7 : km 6.2 - alt. 1,855 m - Port de Pierrefite
  9. 8 : km 7.5 - alt. 1,845 m - Refuge du Mont Né
  10. 9 : km 8.33 - alt. 1,813 m - Path on the left
  11. 10 : km 8.96 - alt. 1,755 m - Path on the left
  12. S/E : km 9.38 - alt. 1,758 m - Car park at Port de Balès

Notes

Access from Toulouse:
- A64 motorway, exit 17 (A645) towards Bagnères-de-Luchon.
- At the large roundabout, take the N125 (Luchon-Lérida) for 2 km.
- At the traffic lights, turn right towards Mauléon-Barousse (11 km).
- In Mauléon-Barousse, turn right towards Port de Balès (21 km). Please note that the road is very narrow and, in some places, it can be difficult to pass other vehicles.

Hiking boots, walking sticks, cold/rain gear, hat/cap (there are no trees along the route).

Worth a visit

(2) Option to climb to the summit of Templa (or Cournudère) 2,121 m.

(7) Option to continue to Lac de Bordères (or Bareilles).

(9) Option to continue and finish the route on the wide path.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 24 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
TROIS J
TROIS J
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike, done in sunshine all the way to the top, so a breathtaking 360° view. Descent under cloudy skies and temperatures close to 0°C.
Highly recommended.

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PHILIPPE LEBAILLY
PHILIPPE LEBAILLY

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike offering superb views of the Pyrenees. No technical difficulty. The circuit took 3½ hours without a picnic break, at a leisurely pace. Most of the route is on wide tracks, except for the section along the ridges.

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JPBellocq
JPBellocq

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The first part is a long, gentle climb with beautiful views of the valleys. The ridge offers stunning views in all directions. Once you descend from the peak, you can continue on to the nearby lake. It's a shame that the return route is so monotonous.

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Britanicus100
Britanicus100
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful ridge walk offering panoramic views of the peaks of the central Pyrenees, including Néouvielle and Aneto.

I made a 4K video with the names of the peaks, which gives a good impression of the atmosphere of the hike and shows the route.
Here it is: https://youtu.be/dbwSO7SVyoY

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Saturnino
Saturnino

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike that can be combined with a visit to Lake Bordères.
Magnificent views of Aneto, the Néouvielle massif and the Pic du Midi, among others.

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liotch
liotch

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello.
True to the description.
Very nice hike with two children aged 8 and 10.
The last part to reach the summit is a little more difficult, especially for children. But it's worth it!

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Pascal BERGER
Pascal BERGER

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello world
It's a beautiful hike with magnificent views, and the weather was lovely. The 360° view of the Pyrenees is worth the detour.

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PATRICE31800
PATRICE31800

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello everyone.
We went hiking in beautiful weather, and it was exactly as described. A magnificent walk with stunning 360° views of the Pyrenees. The rhododendrons were in full bloom, and we were surprised by the number of ladybirds near the summit of Mont Né. A really enjoyable hike that left us in awe.

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LaLuce31
LaLuce31

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike in beautiful surroundings.
Don't be misled by the cow pen, which is located well before the fence you need to follow. Pass it and continue climbing.
The ladder-like steps are located along the path all the way along the fence.
We went as far as Lake Bareilles, which is quite busy but well worth the detour.

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Thomas Cro
Thomas Cro

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A hike to do at sunrise or sunset, when the weather is clear, the view is superb.
Don't hesitate to descend to Lac de Bareilles and climb back up via the Col du Loup for a longer but more varied route with a greater variety of landscapes.

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Danielle Robert
Danielle Robert

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

What a great idea to climb Mont Né via the Pal ridge! A nice warm-up after a few months of rest. The scenery is stunning throughout the hike. Not many people until you reach the Pierrefite pass
At point 9, don't hesitate to take the path that climbs up to avoid the old tarmac road. Thank you

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alaval
alaval

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

There is a beautiful view along the ridge of La Pale.
We made a round trip to the beautiful Bareilles lake, but it was very crowded that day!
A very good day out.

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marsupil
marsupil
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike completed today (05/07/2020) in beautiful weather.

Breathtaking views, the directions provided on the website are very accurate!
Luckily, because there are no signposts on site.

The elevation gain isn't too intense, and we managed to complete the hike in 3.5 hours.
The end of the hike is relatively easy, along a paved path, and quick.

We had a great day anyway, the place is truly breathtaking.

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denis.mirassou
denis.mirassou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very pleasant hike, beautiful weather, 360° views. Thank you for posting it.

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cdeveze
cdeveze
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The day before, we observed and listened to deer at Port de Balès (on the Ferrère side), where we slept well.
A very beautiful hike with wonderful views.
There were few people, unlike at Lake Bareilles, which we visited after leaving Port de Peyrefitte
Note: the road to the Mont Né refuge is closed to cars at the Port de Balès (which is a good thing)

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