From the Fontargente lakes to the Joclar lakes via Andorra

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,
We did this hike over two days at the beginning of August.
The route and signposting are well marked.
The hike is pleasant, but it can still be physically demanding at times when there are steep slopes (especially if you are weighed down by your equipment).
You will need warm clothing for the night as the temperature and weather can change significantly (mountain climate).
As mentioned in various reviews, we did not follow the entire route. Between stages 3 and 4, we took a path that allowed us to skip stages 4, 5 and 6, so that we could go directly to the Juclar refuge and pass by another lake.
To continue along the lakes, the route takes us along paths where we have breathtaking views of the various lakes and mountains surrounding this area.
IMPORTANT: Even though it may seem obvious to some, if you want to stop at a refuge, don't forget to take cash with you, as they do not accept credit cards.
Finally, be aware that there is no mobile phone network coverage in this area of France. Check your mobile phone plans for Andorra, otherwise you may be in for some nasty surprises (personally, with Free, I racked up a bill of several dozen euros for using the internet).
Thank you for reading this review and good luck with your hike.

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Date of your route : Aug 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

GR clearly marked and signposted halfway down the slope from Col de Fontargente towards Vallée d'Incles on the left. This means you don't have to descend as far as indicated in the descriptions.

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Date of your route : Jul 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful route.
Lots of streams and ponds to cool off in. You pass two mountain refuges and even a restaurant on the Vall d'Incles side.

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Date of your route : Sep 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful circular route following the indicated direction but cutting across the HRP route on the Andorran side. In practice, this avoids descending too low on the less interesting part. You need to start on the left at around 2,015 metres altitude. The path is signposted. It climbs very steeply at the beginning and then runs along the mountainside. The route arrives just below the Juclar refuge and the eponymous lakes. On the French side, take a short detour to the beautiful upper Joclar lake (via a steep cairned path that starts from Joclar lake). Further down, at the spillway of the small Estagnol pond, I continued straight down to the bottom of the valley via a path marked in yellow and cairned to avoid going back up to the refuge. The junction is at the Garsan hut.

The large Estagnol pond is absolutely superb, as is the second Estany de Juclar on the Andorran side. There are a few people on certain sections (at the edge of the ponds and near Arcalis) and no one once you leave the beaten track. Note that there are some really annoying drones in Fontargente and Estagnol. A bit like Disneyland...

20 km in 7 hours 40 minutes, including breaks and photos. Not a technical route, but a long one.

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Date of your route : Jul 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful route that we did backwards, camping near the Juclar refuge.
On the first day, foggy weather meant we missed the view of the Joclar waterfall, but the weather was perfect for the climb, not too hot!
On the second day, which was sunny, we took a cross-country route that avoided the descent into the valley (towards the fountains), shortly after the small footbridge below the Juclar refuge on the right (route taken in reverse).
The Fontargente lakes are magnificent and perfect for swimming! The descent to the car park seemed easier.
The path is a little less well marked on the Andorra side.

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Date of your route : Apr 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful three-day hike in mid-April 2022, enhanced by a stop at Cabana de Sarda in Andorra. Clear, sunny weather throughout the three days.

Day 1, departure at 10:30 a.m. from Plat des Peyres. We did the route in reverse, starting with the climb to the Rulhe refuge (2½ hours). No snow until about 2,000 metres, so we put on our snowshoes for the last 100 metres of elevation gain before the refuge. 35-minute break.
Then we climbed towards the Col de Juclar and the Juclar refuge: snowshoes were essential. The weather was quite mild, so the snow was soft, heavy and wet, making the climb quite "sporty". As we left Rulhe, a few snow bridges collapsed under our feet, causing a few falls! Then we trudged through rhododendrons and snowfields, before hitting the hard part between the Estagnol and Juclar lakes. The climb was steep, with the snow up to our calves, so we had to plant our snowshoes to get traction, then cross the Juclar lake on the right.
We reached the pass after a 4-hour climb, with magnificent scenery.
We descend to the refuge in 1.5 hours. We encounter some difficulties crossing the last lake: we were walking along the shore, but twice we had to turn back because we couldn't get across, forcing us to tackle some steep slopes that were a bit tricky in snowshoes, with the snow giving way under our feet, so we had to dig our snowshoes into the snow.
Arrival at the refuge (manned) at 7 p.m. We had used up some of our reserves!

Day 2: variation from the itinerary.
Refuge du Juclar > Cabane de Sarda (superb cabin with stove and dry toilet), about 3½ hours' walk, cutting across a path a little further north (100% snowshoes). Afternoon at the cabin.

Day 3: Cabana de Sarda > Fontargente pass (2½ hours), (we returned to the route described in the guide) then descended to the Fontargente lakes. Very soft snow from mid-morning onwards. Use of crampons (we had them!) to cross a few snowfields on the last part on the north side between points 2 and 1 on the map. Return to the car by descending the right bank of the torrent, but this is to be avoided as it was too difficult. No possibility of crossing the torrent at the bottom, forcing us to put our feet in the water! Day's stage: 6 hours including 30 minutes for lunch.

Superb circular loop.

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Date of your route : Sep 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Route completed in a day and a half: departure at 5 p.m. from the car park, arrival at Fontargente pond in less than 2 hours for the bivouac. The rest the next day.
Very beautiful views, easy path to follow, but you pass through a multitude of scree slopes. Most are short, some are cleared, and fortunately they are not difficult to cross.
Some passages, even if they are short, could make this route "very difficult" (climbing down a few metres).
The section in Andorra is very nice.
There are ponds and streams along the entire route where you can cool off or get water.
The elevation gain doesn't seem huge for 19 km, but you can still feel it. I'm glad I did part of it the day before.
The estimated time is about right; it took me a little less than 9 hours without breaks.
Coffee break at the Rulhe refuge, a superb viewpoint overlooking the first and last of the ponds encountered, and part of the route covered.

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Date of your route : Oct 24, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello, first decorative sprinkling. AR up to the pond. Magnificent!!!

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