From Port de Balès to Lac de Bordères via Mont Né

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A fantastic panoramic hike, winding its way between Haute-Garonne and the Hautes-Pyrénées, with the ascent of Mont Né and Lac de Bordères as the destination.

Details

n°51725689
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.56 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 505 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 506 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,145 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,740 m
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Description of the walk

Park at Port de Balès.

(S/E) From the car park, head towards the “Port de Balès” sign on the Haut-Garonne side, and at the signposts, take the path heading north-west. The route leads to a track which you should take on the left. After five hairpin bends, leave the track at the end of the sixth.

(1) To the west, take the path that climbs to Mont Né (signposted). Be careful, as the markings are rather irregular on this section. After some steep climbs, the slope gradually levels out and you come to a slight junction (unmarked).

(2) Head right to reach the ridge leading to Mont Né, heading south-west.

(3) Fantastic views from the summit: notably the Pic du Midi and Aneto. Descend the fairly steep slope carefully towards the Port de Pierrefite.

(4) Head south-west towards Lac de Bordères, following theGRP® "Oueil-Larboust". A few hundred metres after entering the Montious Nature Reserve, you’ll reach Lac de Bordères.

(5) Return to Port de Pierrefite.

(4) Take the track on the right along theGRP® "Oueil-Larboust".

(6) Pass the Mont Né Refuge and continue along the track to reach the D51d.

(7) Follow the road to the left to reach Port de Balès and, consequently, finish this wonderful hike (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,757 m - Car park at - Port de Balès
  2. 1 : km 1.35 - alt. 1,875 m - Trail abandoned
  3. 2 : km 2.11 - alt. 2,081 m - Junction
  4. 3 : km 2.43 - alt. 2,142 m - Mont Né
  5. 4 : km 3.53 - alt. 1,856 m - Megalithic enclosure - Cromlech du Port de Pierrefite
  6. 5 : km 4.83 - alt. 1,769 m - Lac de Bordères
  7. 6 : km 7.44 - alt. 1,844 m - Refuge du Mont Né
  8. 7 : km 9.31 - alt. 1,740 m - D51d road
  9. S/E : km 9.56 - alt. 1,756 m - Port de Balès

Notes

Watch the hike on video via the following link: https://youtu.be/46SifG2Lkc0

Arrive early at Port de Balès, as the car park gets very full during the day.

Worth a visit

For the more ambitious, there is the option to extend this circular route by taking the Pic du Lion route at point (4).

The villages of Bourg d'Oueil below Port de Balès, on the Haut-Garonne side, and Mauléon Barousse, on the Hautes-Pyrénées side.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
Baco13
Baco13

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A truly beautiful route with views of the Pic du Midi. The hardest part is at the start if you head straight up towards the summit. There are several possible routes, but you can’t go wrong. The lake is stunning.

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Kapten
Kapten

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The path is easy to follow and is signposted all the way.

We took a slight detour via the Crête de la Pale. This allows you to tackle the steep gradients by spreading the effort over a greater distance, whilst enjoying a long and very pleasant ridge walk.

Otherwise, the area is magnificent and presents no major difficulties. The only drawback is the high number of visitors. At the lake, several instances of inappropriate behaviour were observed, ranging from campers lighting fires to people swimming, and other conduct unsuitable for the location and in breach of the regulations in force.

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Yoganidra31!
Yoganidra31!

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely hike in open country with magnificent views of the Pyrenees – make sure you bring plenty of water.
Most of the ascent takes place during the first part of the walk up to Mont Né. The hard work is rewarded by a 360-degree view on arrival. The descent to the lake is surrounded by superb vegetation leading down to the dark waters of the lake. A very pleasant picnic despite the many walkers present. The return from the lake follows the same path, then you begin the gentle descent on the second part of the circular route.
Before reaching the end, there is the option of taking a small path opposite to avoid the road.
Hike completed in 3½ hours.

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Jean Pech
Jean Pech
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk.
Promising views, but on that day the sky was overcast => the peaks were hidden (unfortunately).
Please note that:
- The climb up Mont Né is steep in places.
- The entire hike is in open terrain (beware of the sun in summer).
- Only water source: 100 m before reaching the refuge (or treated lake water).
- Toilets at the refuge.
- Two short tricky sections in wet weather (not recommended for those with poor balance).
- It gets very busy (set off early).
- A flock of sheep is present in season.
- A bar/restaurant/souvenir shop is open at the pass from June to mid-September: well worth a visit!

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