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Head to the ‘du Pountas’ pay-and-display car park at the Pont d’Espagne via the D920 from Cauterets. Make sure you keep your parking ticket. Remember that you must follow the green markings for walkers and snowshoe users as required by the National Park.
(S/E) From the car park, head towards the large building. Pass underneath this Pyrenees National Park building.
Normally, this is where you can put your snowshoes on.
To start the hike, follow the signs for walkers and snowshoers straight ahead; very soon you’ll cross a footbridge and turn right. You’ll arrive at the famous “Pont d’Espagne” (which is now closed to motor traffic all year round). To the left of this bridge, take in the impressive “Pont d’Espagne” waterfall.
(1) Go round the bar-hotel-restaurant on the right and keep to the right-hand side. At the left-hand bend behind the hotel, head up to the right to avoid this snow-covered road, which serves as a ski run. Follow the green markings, keeping one behind the other. Pass to the left and underneath the Puntas cable car station. You’ll arrive at the car park for the Clot refuge. ¹
Above all, do not turn left onto the two bridges spanning the Gave du Marcadau, but carry on straight ahead, heading south-west, to reach the edge of the children’s ski area.
(2) Turn right behind the nets, head north-west and make your way towards the planted forest on the mountainside amongst the rocks. Turn left, heading due west, as you climb a small ledge.
(3) As you emerge from this woodland, head left towards a bridge spanning the Gave du Marcadau.
Caution: you will be walking alongside skiers in this area. ¹
Follow the green snowshoe markings running parallel to the ski run. Walk along the right bank of the torrent, leaving the ski runs behind. The trail curves sharply westwards.
(4) Continue to follow the track southwards, still on the right bank. Leave the return bridge on your right.
(5) Join the track, which you should follow as advised in the ‘Practical Information’ section, turning right towards the south and south-west. Pass the point at an altitude of 1,620 m. Reach the end of the track. On your right is the Pont du Cayan, which you must not go towards. This is a large open area at the bottom of this valley on the Cayan plateau.
Continue leftwards, heading uphill. ¹
(6) After 200 m, turn right through the fir trees onto a very steep, ascending path which bypasses the track that is off-limits to walkers and snowshoers. This path heads south into a sort of gully for 300 m.
(7) Join the track again, turn right, keeping to the side and descending slightly to the Pont d’Estalounqué at an altitude of 1,715 m.
(8) Caution: cross the Gave du Marcadau via this rather narrow bridge.
This is where the real hike begins. After the bridge, follow an ascending path on the left bank which heads south-west, overlooking the river. A few hairpin bends take you higher up. Continue south-west along this path until you reach a junction at a footbridge, which you should leave on your left.
(9) Turn right, climbing a short, steep slope that leads to the Wallon-Marcadau refuge.
You’ll reach the refuge, where you can rest for a while. It’s normally open in winter when there’s snow on the ground.
(10) To the south, a magnificent view unfolds before you. To the west, very close to the refuge, there is a chapel.
It is easy to imagine all the hikes you could do in summer.
After your rest, it’s time to think about the return journey, which will follow the same route in the opposite direction.
(9) Continue to the left along the path you took on the way there, but in the opposite direction.
(8) Estalounqué Bridge. Head left up the track you took on the way there for 600 m. ¹
(7) At the right-hand bend, turn left into a valley facing due north. After 800 m, turn left towards the Gave du Marcadau and cross the Pont du Cayan.
(11) Turn right and head north-east along the left bank of the Gave du Marcadau, following a snowshoe track which runs some distance from the river and passes an unnamed hut (1,621 m). At around 1,629 m, the track heads due north for 100 m before turning east to reach a footbridge which crosses the Gave once more.
(4) Now follow the track on the right bank that you took on the way there, and cross the Gave once more. ¹
(3) Continue downhill, leaving the Pontas cable car station on your left. Cross the Pont d’Espagne bridge over the river once more, then cross the small footbridge again to reach the cars.
Note: You will need to pay the toll using your ticket when you leave.
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