Cirque de Garbettou and Étang du Garbet

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The ascent is divided into two sections: the Cirque de Garbettou, which is easy to access, with its waterfall and streams, and the steeper, rockier climb towards the Étang du Garbet, with its turquoise-blue reflections, waterfall and occasional snowfields.

26/08/2024: According to reviews, allow a good 4 hours on average to complete this hike.

Details

n°730656
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.40 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,831 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,798 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 5,531 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,701 ft
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Photos

Etang du Garbet
Waterfall on the climb to the Etang du Garbet
Étang du Garbet
The sparkling lake in October

Description of the walk

Access by road: from Aulus-les-Bains, head towards Port de Lers (D8f), drive up to the car park at a hairpin bend (signs for walking trails and the O.U.R.S. programme)

(S/E) Take the path that starts at the hairpin bend and follow it all the way. It is well shaded. Cross a steep, stony section, cross a stream, continue a little further and you’ll find yourself at the start of the Cirque de Garbettou.

(1) Continue along the path (yellow markings) to rejoin the path that climbs up to the small ridge.

(2) Cross the Garbet. Follow the well-marked path which climbs first through the woods, then over a section of boulders. When you spot a small waterfall on your right, you’ve only got one last steep stretch to go before you reach the Étang du Garbet.

(3) Return via the same route to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,701 ft - Car park on the D8f
  2. 1 : mi 0.97 - alt. 4,567 ft - Garbettou Cirque
  3. 2 : mi 1.23 - alt. 4,567 ft - Garbet (rivière)
  4. 3 : mi 2.19 - alt. 5,528 ft - Étang du Garbet
  5. S/E : mi 4.4 - alt. 3,734 ft - Car park on the D8f

Notes

Sturdy footwear.
There is no difficulty in following the well-marked path.

Worth a visit

Thermal baths at Aulus-les-Bains
You can climb up to the Étang Bleu (1,990m) by following the path to the right of the lake (more technical sections).

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 47 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
monique82
monique82

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

It takes much longer, with huge boulders and steep ascents and descents.
To give you an idea of the time, allow at least 4½ to 5 hours.
The waterfall is magnificent, as is the cirque, and the lake is lovely.

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User 6692444
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

As someone who’s used to hiking, I must admit I found it particularly difficult.

The walk to the cirque wasn’t too bad, but the path to the lake is quite steep, and some rocky sections need to be tackled with care.

To top it all off, on the way down we were treated to the capricious mountain weather – it became very slippery and on two occasions we were unsure which path to take as some of the markings were unclear… But of course, that’s all part of the unpredictability

We completed the walk in 4 hours, not counting our lunch break by the pond. Unfortunately, this was cut short by hail and a thunderstorm,

As for the elevation gain, you really do need to allow for a bit more… and as for the distance… We actually covered 9.5 km there and back.

The cirque and the lake are magnificent and well worth the effort, but I wouldn’t do it twice

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Core In
Core In

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike up to Lake Garbet and the Garbettou cirque. When I went, there was a lot of snow, but luckily two other hikers had left tracks for me to follow... crampons were essential because it was so frozen, but it was superb... already rated as difficult, it was even more so during this snowy period, because from the cirque onwards, it's quite a climb and there are lots of rocks to climb over, but it's superb...
The frozen lake was magnificent and must be just as beautiful in summer...In addition, a little anecdote: apparently, not long before I passed by, there was a bear, because I saw its large paw print in the snow in one spot... Not surprising, as this hike is linked to the O.U.R.S programme, which aims to restore the brown bear population in the Pyrenees... A word to the wise!

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User 24598543

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The rocky section between the Gardettou cirque and the Gardet pond is long and very difficult.

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genevieve.margerit
genevieve.margerit

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A friend and I hiked this trail, "Cirque de Garbettou and Étang de Garbet," on 30 July 2025. It is a very beautiful hike. On that date, it was very humid and therefore slippery. The trail is well marked. At the start of the circuit, as you climb into the beech forest, the trail is difficult to follow due to the numerous gullies created in early spring. On the second part, after crossing the Garbet, the trail climbs up to a very steep section with numerous boulders. The trail is particularly difficult and technical until you reach the ridge and the Étang du Garbet.

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User 11853348

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Difficult, but we were rewarded once we arrived.
Completed in 4 hours

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09e
09e

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, the markers are quite visible
The climb up to the cirque at the lake is technical (large rocks, so a bit of climbing) and it's very wet + black ice and snow
Magnificent view with snow-capped mountains

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CZ31
CZ31

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent hike!
As indicated, the time of 3 hours and 35 minutes is ambitious; add a good half hour for the return trip.
The markings may be faded or obscured, so be careful on the climb.
Without a doubt one of the most beautiful spots in the area!

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Marion VR
Marion VR ★

Hello Raymon2A,
Thank you for this information. We have just added a message in the introduction regarding the time required for this hike to warn Visorandonneurs following the various comments left on this route.

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raymond2A
raymond2A
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

as I am a good walker in the mountains, I would add 30 minutes to the times to give a more accurate schedule for walkers, otherwise it's perfect

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Marieme.sgnb
Marieme.sgnb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent hike! We started at 10 a.m. and didn't see anyone else on the entire climb, only a few people on the way down around 4 p.m. The first part in the forest is nice, the cirque is superb, as is the pond. I didn't find the trail that difficult. On the way, you can also walk along the river for a while and sit by a small waterfall, which is really pleasant, especially in sunny weather! There are lots of lovely places to stop for a break or a picnic in peace and quiet.

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AudeMassiera
AudeMassiera
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The difficulty rating is underestimated because in some places it is almost like climbing on large slippery boulders, especially as it was raining on the day.
The Couserans tourist office classifies it as a challenging route.
A very beautiful hike, starting through rounded, moss-covered forests, with an interesting cirque at Garbettou (but significant snow melt) which we were able to glimpse on the way back!
There was a lot of fog and rain during the Whitsun holiday, so we gave up shortly before the lake, but visibility was too poor to assess. We were soaked and dreaded the descent after the difficult climb.
To be repeated with sunshine and blue skies!

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Marion VR
Marion VR ★

Following various comments posted about this hike, its difficulty has been changed from Moderate to Difficult.

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Gaillette
Gaillette
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

I agree with the previous reviews. The first half of the route, up to the Cirque, is moderately difficult. However, the section from the Cirque to the Etang du Garbet is difficult and technical. It's more like scrambling than hiking. You should also allow an extra 50 minutes for the climb from the car park to the lake.
It would be good if this information could be corrected.
Otherwise, it's a very pretty setting.

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Vens Mathilde
Vens Mathilde

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very well marked trail (except for the snowy sections).
The difficulty rating does not reflect reality. A large part of the hike is really difficult and very technical. The elevation gain also seems greater than stated on the website. Furthermore, do not rely on the weather forecast. One hour from the cirque to the lake is impossible; you should allow almost twice as long.
I couldn't get to the lake because the area was snowy and I wasn't equipped for it. If you want to do this hike in the next few days, remember to bring your snowshoes!

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