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In summer, do not complete the circular route to avoid entering private farmland; after (3), return via the same route you took on the way there.
Return to the start of the walk at the Igau farm car park from Cauterets, at an altitude of 1,098 metres.
(S/E) Take the forest track that runs along the hillside towards the Pic du Cabaliros.
(1) Less than 300 m after the start of the path, turn sharply right at the pylon and mobile phone mast. The path is wide enough for 4x4 vehicles to drive up. It is signposted with signs indicating the Pic du Cabaliros and the Espoune, as well as small triangular MTB/FFC signs for the orange route No. 6.
After the first hairpin bend, followed by a second, the very wide path continues its ascent without any significant change in elevation through the wooded area of the Bois d’Aumède.
Shortly after a large clearing, the forest track accessible to 4x4s ends, with a small car park. The path narrows, with a steel post across the trail and a sign reading ‘pastureland’.
The path continues through several narrow hairpin bends.
(2) At an altitude of around 1,300 metres, you reach a gate (open in winter, usually closed in summer), leading straight onto a vast and beautiful meadow (the Espoune or Espone). Go round the meadow, taking the path on the left which continues its ascent; it is even narrower, still following the signposts for the Pic du Cabaliros.
The path climbs a few more tight hairpin bends (not shown on the map), which are easy to find (even under snow).
The path then continues to skirt the meadow, running above it on its south-western side, and climbs without much difficulty through the high forest.
The path veers slightly to the left. On a tree along the path on the right – which continues to run alongside the meadow – a small MTB/FFC sign with a crossed-out cross clearly marks the route not to take.
Another hairpin bend to the left, then another to the right, and we find ourselves walking in a straight line for several hundred metres, heading west-north-west, still overlooking the meadow (beneath the ‘E’ and the ‘s’ of ‘Espone’ on the map). Ignore the path that branches off to the left towards Craboutas.
The path skirts the northern flank of the massif and reaches a first stream. Soon after, we cross the Bourg Débat stream without difficulty – a fairly substantial mountain torrent rushing down its ravine. Below on the right, you can see the Artigue Bourg barn and, above it, the Mousquère barn. On the opposite slope, due north, are the barns of the Serre du Couret, clearly framed by their respective fields (low stone walls, no doubt, which are clearly visible despite the snow).
On the other side of the stream, the path continues its ascent above the Artigue Bourg field.
The path runs along the foot of the Bois de la Peyre.
(3) At the entrance to the woodland, the walk leaves the path and heads off-trail up a fairly steep section towards a smaller path visible below, bordered by a low stone wall and a row of trees. Follow this wall until the trees end.
(4) Climb over the wall and head towards the barns of Artigue Bourg (alt. 1,406 m), only one of which is still standing.
(5) Two options:
- you can reach the bridge by taking the path that heads south directly to the bridge.
- Go round the meadow to the east, along the edge of the cliff where the slope drops down into the ravine of the Catarrabes stream. The track curves southwards. We then climb up the side of the Bourg Débat stream to reach the bridge that spans it.
(6) On the opposite bank, head due east towards the Espoune barns.
(7) The path goes round the three barns to the north and then, across the meadow, reaches the gate you passed on the way there.
(2) Return via the same route as on the way out to rejoin the (S/E) trail.
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