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Park in the community car park on the right on the outskirts of the village (or before 9.30 a.m. in high season, in the village itself, in one of the public or private car parks). Parking costs €7/day (in 2023). N.B: From the end of October (approximately), public car parks are free of charge.
(S/E) Walk through the village and leave the Maison du Parc on your left.
(1) At the first fork, immediately after the Maison du Parc, leave the road leading to the unmissable cirque facing south and continue straight ahead, slightly uphill, towards the Plateau de Bellevue. Leave the church and cemetery on your right and continue uphill. Leave the village and start the hike proper.
Take this pleasant, little-used path on the left bank, high up, heading south. Below on the left, you can see the CRS Montagne post and the Pont Brioule bridge, over which hikers pass on the classic route. From time to time, a sign points to the Plateau Bellevue. Gradually, the vegetation becomes denser.
(2) A little over a kilometre after the cemetery (15 mins), the first hairpin bend begins the climb along the Ruisseau des Entortes stream. A first series of short hairpin bends, followed a little later by a second series, allow you to climb the 170 m difference in altitude.
(3) At an altitude of 1,708 metres, you arrive at the Plateau de Bellevue, a beautiful summer pasture of grass and rocks where herds graze from June to October. Opposite, there is a view of the cirque. Do not go up onto the plateau (towards Port de Boucharo and Spain) but stay to the left on the eastern ridge and enjoy exceptional views of the cirque, the foothills of Piméné, the Gave des Tourettes valley and the Prairie de la Courade below. Leave the plateau via a clearly visible path to the south-west and begin a fairly rapid descent to the splendid Gave des Tourettes.
(4) At an altitude of 1634 metres, above a beautiful waterfall, cross the Planette footbridge or turn right just before the bridge and climb about 50 metres; you will discover the waterfall, which has a significant flow. Return to the bridge.
Immediately after crossing, look for a well-marked but barely visible path, starting on the right and climbing steeply towards the south-east (do not head due east towards the Bois du Bourlic and La Prade, or along the lower flank of the Bosquet Long, but rather towards the heights and the cirque). The first fifty metres are not easy to navigate due to the vegetation and small rocks that need to be climbed over.
Continue along this narrow path, still towards the cirque, observing a lower path below and also the one at the bottom of the valley.
You will reach the middle of the cirque without any difficulty, crossing the path leading up to the Échelle des Sarradets (and towards the Brèche de Roland).
(5) If you have enough time, don't miss the detour to the Grande Cascade. Return via one of the main paths to the Hôtellerie du Cirque.
(6) To the left of the Hôtellerie, take the wide track that leads back to Gavarnie.
(7) Continue through the built-up areas of the village of Gavarnie until you reach the Pont Brioule bridge and cross it.
(1) Return to the car park (S/E).
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