From Mérens-les-Vals to Étang de Pédourrés via Étang de Couard

de fr

The first stage of the journey! We leave the village of Mérens-les-Vals to reach Étang de Pédourès via the rugged slopes of the Ariège mountains; the scenery is magnificent and very wild. The main difficulty lies between the Étang de Comte and the Étang de Couard, where the well-marked path follows a very long and at times arduous scree slope; once you reach the Étang de Couard, the beauty of the scenery makes up for the hard work.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: De Mérens-les-Vals à Porté Puymorens

Details

n°2289549
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.55 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 4,052 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 400 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 7,418 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,448 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Area: Pyrenees
  • ⚐ City: Mérens-les-Vals (09110)
  • ⚑
    Start: N 42.659471° / E 1.83691°
  • ⚑
    End: N 42.613168° / E 1.772103°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2148ET, 2249OT, 2249OTR
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Photos

Scree slope between the Couart and Comte lakes
Pédourès Lake
Couart Lake
The scree slope between Étang de Comte and Étang de Couart

Description of the walk

(S) Park near the SNCF station, walk up the main road for about a hundred metres towards Southern Andorra, and cross a small bridge, then another, over the Ariège.

(1) Once you’ve spotted theGR® 10, follow it westwards. Stay on theGR® 10almost all the way to the Étang de Comte. The climb through the woodland is very steep at first, then the gradient eases off until you reach the first junction, where theGR® 10continues to the right.

(2) Let theGR®10head off to the right as it climbs and carry on to the Étang de Comte, which is clearly visible with its many anglers; you’ll go round it on the left almost all the way to its south-western end. You’ll then reach a well-marked path.

(3) Follow this path, which winds through the vegetation and climbs gently, heading south-west then west; the vegetation gradually gives way to a wilder landscape until you reach a scree slope made up of enormous granite boulders that you must cross one by one! The cairns remain clearly visible along this section, which leads you to the Étang de Couart.

(4) At the eastern end of the lake, join the GRT68, which is well marked and much easier than the previous section; follow it south-southeast to reach the Étang de Pédourrès 40 minutes later (E).

Waypoints

  1. S : mi 0 - alt. 3,461 ft - Mérens-les-Vals
  2. 1 : mi 0.24 - alt. 3,455 ft - Bridge over the - Ariège (rivière)
  3. 2 : mi 2.9 - alt. 5,469 ft - Crossroads, leaving the GR10
  4. 3 : mi 3.45 - alt. 5,686 ft - Étang de Comte
  5. 4 : mi 5.65 - alt. 7,293 ft - Étang de Couart
  6. E : mi 6.55 - alt. 7,113 ft - Étang de Pédourrès

Notes

Be careful with the software’s automatic calculation! The duration of this hike, as undertaken by the author, is 8 hours.

I have described this stage as I undertook it in July 2019, that is to say, by bivouacking at the Étang de Pédourrès; this seemed to me to be the best option and, above all, the most scenic in this magnificent setting; it is also possible to bivouac at the Étang de Couart, which is perfectly suited to this; it is possible to find shelter further on, to the south-west, after crossing the Porteilla du Siscar (2,440 m); either the strange and very basic Siscar hut (2,194 m), which nevertheless offers safe shelter, or, a little further on, the Refuge de la Vesine, which is clean and more comfortable;

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 3 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
CG2513
CG2513

Hello lemarcheur65,

We had indeed read the description and knew it would be difficult. I’m just pointing this out for anyone else who might want to do it in the same direction as us

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CG2513
CG2513

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We used this GPX track to cover part of our circular route: from the Couart lake to the car park by the steps in Mérens (from point 4 to halfway between points 2 and 1).

We’d just completed a circular route via Comte, the Rulhe refuge, Joclar Lake and Albe Lake, before heading back down to Mérens with our rucksacks.

There are no signposts from Couart Lake to Comte Lake. We found signposts again at Comte Lake after crossing over to rejoin the GR.

The section between points 4 and 3 (from Étang de Couart to Étang de Comte) is difficult over scree.
We relied solely on the small cairns left by other walkers who’d been there before us.

Beautiful, varied scenery – first among the scree slopes, then more flower-filled. The marmots greeted us with their whistles right from the start of the descent after Couart Pond.

On this section (from Couart to Comte) we came across three people.

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gypaetus
gypaetus

Hello Thierry
You did the round trip in a day – that’s quite a climb!
Actually, I’d posted it as the first stage of a longer circular loop that goes all the way to Andorra… there’s less elevation gain, but at the same time you’re inevitably carrying a lot more kit.
There was the option of exploring the route via Étang Vidal to avoid having to tackle the rocky section twice in a row before reaching Étang de Couart.
Kind regards

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Thierry83220
Thierry83220

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Apart from the fact that it would have been nice to have a signpost at the pond just before Couard Pond, this is a really lovely mountain walk with a significant elevation gain; it follows the river almost the whole way, so you won’t run out of water, but you’ll need to bring something to filter or purify it. Thank you!

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gypaetus
gypaetus

Hello mourgoutc

Actually, the alternative route you’ve suggested does seem interesting… we can even avoid going back down to the Couart pond; I must say that walking past those enormous granite boulders in the rain left a lasting impression on me… luckily I met some other walkers, otherwise it’s completely deserted!
Kind regards,
Gypaétus

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mourgoutc
mourgoutc

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

I completed this circular walk starting from the village of MERENS-les-Vals, following the GR10, the yellow trail towards the Étang de COMTE, and the cairn-marked path to the Jasse des Estagnols.
To avoid the huge and dangerous granite boulders on the scree slope described in the guidebook, I followed a barely visible path on the left, marked by a few cairns, which climbs towards Étang Vidal alongside a dry stream. A very steep, cairn-marked track then joins the red and white GRT 68 towards Étang de Couart, then on to Étang de Pedoures, before descending towards L’Hospitalet.
Return to Mérens on the 4.52 pm TER from L’Hospitalet station. Duration of the hike: 7 hours 50 minutes. Sunny weather.

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