Artax pond loop

A beautiful loop starting from the village of Gourbit.
Passing by the Étang d'Artax (Artats), the Roc de Querquéou and the Col de Lastris.
The viewpoint, at an altitude of almost 1,900 metres, is a feast for the eyes.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.27 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 3,186 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 3,186 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 6,010 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,825 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

The departure point is from the village of Gourbit. From this village, take the road heading south.
It is a dead-end road leading to a very small car park that fills up quickly.
At 8:30 a.m., it was already full, and we had to reverse all the way back down because the road is so narrow.
It is best to use the car park on the left as you go up, near Pruniès, or park in Gourbit.


(S/E) Set off on the right-hand side to climb directly into the forest to the lake, following the yellow markings.
There's no question about it, you have to climb non-stop through the forest, keeping your eyes peeled and following the yellow markings on the stones and trees.
Many paths and streams, although relatively important, are not shown on the map (see practical information).
At around 1260m, you will come to a junction with a wide forest track: a chance to catch your breath after the climb through the forest.

(1) Continue for 500 m along this wide track.

(2) Resume the climb by turning right at the sign, at the hairpin bend formed by this wide track. The slope becomes steep along a ridge for 800 m, then you come out into a small clearing.
(Take two minutes to visit the Orri on your right). The lake is not far away.

(3) Continue for another 500 m on the well-marked track that winds its way up the grassy hill, heading south-west.
You will then come across the two huts and the lake dominated by Bassibié.
There was still some snow on the peaks in mid-May, but none on the trail.

(4) After enjoying the scenery, go around Lake Artax on the left.

(5) Take the track heading south-east towards Roc de Querquéou.

(6) Pass below Pla de Madame and 1.5km later, you will see Roc de Querquéou and its enormous boulders, which make you wonder how they got there.
This is the highest point of the hike, so you may not be alone here.

(7) From here, you can see Col de Lastris in the distance, the crossing point for the return journey.
The descent to the Col de Lastris is 2 km long and takes you to theGRP®® du Tour du Pic des Trois Seigneurs at the Col de Lastris.

(8) There are few markings, but just take the track entering the forest on the left, heading due north, and you will soon find red and yellow markings, which you should follow from now on.

(9) Again, there are several tracks that are not marked on the map, so just follow the markings on the trees and stones.
In the clearing, after the old mine, you will see the ruins of a mechanical device.

(10) From here, the descent is a bit tedious and long. In places, small streams have replaced the paths.
At the end of this descent, you will return to the miniature car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,825 ft - Village of Gourbit
  2. 1 : mi 1.48 - alt. 4,157 ft - Climb junction/wide track
  3. 2 : mi 1.78 - alt. 4,196 ft - Fork to the left
  4. 3 : mi 2.3 - alt. 4,892 ft - Arrival in the clearing
  5. 4 : mi 2.96 - alt. 5,561 ft - Cabins
  6. 5 : mi 3.13 - alt. 5,568 ft - Path to Roc de Querquéou
  7. 6 : mi 3.49 - alt. 5,971 ft - Below Pla Madame
  8. 7 : mi 4.19 - alt. 6,010 ft - Roc de Querquéou
  9. 8 : mi 5.3 - alt. 4,675 ft - Trail junction/GRP
  10. 9 : mi 5.38 - alt. 4,593 ft - Return trail entering the forest
  11. 10 : mi 5.86 - alt. 4,065 ft - Old mechanics
  12. S/E : mi 7.27 - alt. 2,825 ft - Village of Gourbit

Notes

Important point: as I had read in other guidebooks, the map is not up to date in this area.
Paths, even very wide ones, as well as landmarks such as streams, are not shown on the map.
But if you follow the coloured markings, there's no need to worry.
Climbing up on the right, we arrived at the lake too early to eat, so we continued on to eat at Le Roc.
On the other hand, if you set off in the morning, you should arrive at the lake in time for a drink!

Worth a visit

Pic de Bassibié.
Pla de Madame.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 131 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Vendinielle
Vendinielle
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I’m glad I did the walk in the opposite direction;
1/ the view of the lake from up high is magnificent
2/ seeing the Roc de Querquéou in the distance gives you the energy to tackle the rather long climb
3/ finishing the walk on paths that are easier going in places is a bonus (I must admit the last 2 km seemed to go on forever, and it would have been far worse going the other way).
The whole forest section must be more pleasant in spring or autumn because of the colours; today, it was rather drab. On the ridge, the vegetation around the Roc was particularly dry; on the lake side, it was more colourful, thanks in particular to the blueberry bushes. Between points 5 and 6 in particular, the ground was so dry it was dusty; there’s a real risk of slipping, and you have to be careful not to trip over the dead rhododendron roots.
The Roc de Querquéou site is really interesting; there are some lovely photos to be taken.
I only came across six people (it was a weekday).
I had no trouble finding my way; I just followed the existing signposting, which was perfectly adequate, and used the Visorando app.
It’s a demanding hike in terms of elevation gain, as it’s almost constantly either a steep climb or a steep descent. I’m used to the mountains, but the estimated time still seems a bit unrealistic to me.

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Itham
Itham
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

- PLEASE -
I lost my car keys whilst out walking on Sunday 13/09/26, in the walkers’ car park down below...
It’s a black case with a key ring that doubles as a bottle opener...
It’s a car key, which is quite expensive to replace...
If anyone finds them, please get in touch with me on 06 77 95 28 06
Thank you in advance.

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roques michel
roques michel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The walk was done in a clockwise direction. In fact, after the Roc de Querqueou, there are no signposts to follow the track to the right. It would be tempting to head straight on and climb up towards the Pla de Madame. In my opinion, it’s easier to do the walk this way; the climb is a little longer but less steep.

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brunod
brunod

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A walk completed following the visirando route.
The signposting is very good.
The lake is lovely; just so you know, there’s a spring near the huts where you can fill up your bottles.
A few animals – a bull on the path near the lake, and about ten horses on the ridge
All in all, it’s lovely!

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User 29654489

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb walk! Very well signposted; I’d recommend doing it in the opposite direction as suggested… beautiful scenery
I highly recommend it

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justine678
justine678

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A brilliant circular route that we decided to do in the opposite direction, as recommended in the comments. The views and the vegetation are magnificent! The climb is quite steep in places but well signposted up to the ‘Plat des Dames’, right at the top before heading down towards the lake; after that, there are no more signposts and we couldn’t find the path… luckily, the MapsMe app helped us make our way down to the lake and get back onto the trail. The view at the lake was superb! And so was the descent through the forest.

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Fa54
Fa54

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A truly magnificent walk.
A fairly steep climb through the woods, a lovely pond, then a ridge with a lovely view, and down through the woods again.
I loved it

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User 6480890

A superb, well-marked walk; the view is magnificent just past the pond. We came across the Patou and followed the instructions carefully, walking around the herd

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Netlander
Netlander

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Route taken in October and during the week, hence the low number of visitors!
Very well-designed car park (did not exist 15 years ago).
Impeccable signposting.
A beautiful and varied hike (a lake and a peak) just 1 hour and 10 minutes from Toulouse!
The direction described in the guide is recommended so that most of the climb is in the shade.

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User 24897596

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very good, nothing to say

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Caffey
Caffey

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this route, which I found to be very detailed and well marked. We did it in the direction indicated, but going the other way, the arrival at the lake is wow!
Weather info: if you plan to do this hike in the morning, it's better to start at the end because a large part of the route is not in the shade, whereas the descent after the pond is completely shaded. The descent takes place in a "magical" and very peaceful forest.
If you do it in the direction indicated (and if you're fit), the descent after the peak once you enter the forest is "rolling", so you can let loose and finish by running.
As already mentioned in other reviews, be careful if it rains, as the descents (in both directions) can be slippery (lots of rocks)

I confirm Ben run 31's comment: the route is more than 13 km rather than 10 km

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Ben run31
Ben run31

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The route is 13 km long, not 10 as advertised. The elevation gain is reasonable. It goes through the Col de Lastris, which is almost 8 km of climbing. It's a difficult route, but the reward is worth it

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bergpaden
bergpaden

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful route. This is the third time I've done this loop. Yesterday I did it in the opposite direction. I prefer it that way.
The view at Roc de Querquéou is magnificent.

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Pascaline.la
Pascaline.la

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent loop passing from pastureland to a pond and then descending into another landscape
We spotted some chamois 🥰

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Giax1975
Giax1975
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, challenging if you want it to be.
The Artax lake is nice but nothing special; there are much prettier ones (the Blue Lake, for example)...
Magnificent view at 1,900 metres.
I preferred the climb to the descent (the ferns... not great).

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