L'Estours and L'Artigue

A round-trip route dominated by water, in the cool valley of the Estours and Artigue streams.

Details

159513
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.73 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 633 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 632 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,278 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 667 m

Description of the walk

From Seix, head towards Couflens on the D8F, then turn right at Moulin Lauga. Follow this small road to the hamlet of Estours. Pass the hamlet below and cross a bridge. We left the car in a spot just after the bridge, but there are other places to park further along the track.

(S/E) Follow the track that runs alongside the Estours river to an EDF building and signposts.

(1) Continue straight ahead towards the Arcouzan waterfall on a wide path through the woods. Gradually, the path climbs and turns into a trail.

(2) The path overlooks the river, which you can hear roaring below in the gorges. Further on, you will come closer to the river as the valley widens.

(3) The undergrowth gives way to a young beech forest. Further on, gaps in the trees reveal the steep peaks that line the valley. The path stays close to the river.

(4) The valley narrows again. Finally, emerge from the woods onto a meadow, bordered on all sides by high cliffs.

(5) On the right is the Arcouzan Waterfall. Continue on theGR®® to the end of the meadow, then climb a few switchbacks in the Bois du Puech d'Aula to a first bridge.

(6) It offers a beautiful view of the meadow below. Continue on to reach a second bridge: these two footbridges cross beautiful streams that cascade into the Artigue.

Return to the car park (S/E) via the same route you took on the way there.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 667 m - Near - Pont de l'Estours
  2. 1 : km 0.73 - alt. 684 m - EDF local office
  3. 2 : km 1.42 - alt. 740 m - Path overlooking the river
  4. 3 : km 2.21 - alt. 793 m - Young beech forest
  5. 4 : km 3.15 - alt. 863 m - Narrowing of the valley
  6. 5 : km 5.25 - alt. 1,032 m - The meadow
  7. 6 : km 6.78 - alt. 1,264 m - First bridge
  8. S/E : km 13.73 - alt. 667 m - Near - Pont de l'Estours

Notes

Moderate hike, standard hiking equipment required.

Beware of horseflies in summer. Long trousers, long sleeves and insect repellent are essential.

Worth a visit

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here

The Artigue is a stream that flows exclusively in the Ariège department. It is a tributary of the Vicdessos and therefore a sub-tributary of the Garonne via the Vicdessos and then the Ariège.

The Estours is a river that also flows exclusively in the Ariège department. It is a tributary of the Salat and therefore a sub-tributary of the Garonne via the Salat.

We took this walk in early September and there was still plenty of water. At the start of the route, in the gorges, the undergrowth resembles a temperate rainforest. In the morning, when the valley is still shrouded in shadow, the trees, covered with long mosses, take on a ghostly appearance.

Further on, in the beech forest, among the young trees, beautiful old beech trees, like the Ents of Fangorn Forest (for Tolkien fans), seem to have been the guardians of these places since time immemorial.

Further away, the meadow is home to a small group of beautiful brown horses. The stream was very full and the meadow still full of flowers at the end of summer: euphrasia, beautiful succulents with pink flowers, marjoram, wild thyme, mint and pansies, as well as blackberries.

The return journey perhaps offers a better opportunity to admire the superb river, whose blue waters flow rapidly, sometimes cascading, sometimes winding around majestic rock formations.

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.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 28 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 7848820

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Please note that the elevation gains indicated are slightly higher when cumulative.

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titou034
titou034

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike that is almost entirely in the shade.

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Vendinielle
Vendinielle

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Most visitors (even if there aren't crowds) climb up to admire the Arcouzan waterfall and stop at the meadow, which is already a wonderful discovery after the climb in the coolness of the abundant (and noisy) waters of the Estours. For those who extend the tour, it's a shame not to push on to the Aula cabin: up there, it's magnificent and easy to reach in an extra 30 to 40 minutes via a comfortable path through the woods.
To get there, you should be aware that the road is narrow and bumpy. Despite the encouraging reviews, I did as the author did and parked at the small bridge, and I didn't regret it!
A beautiful day.

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manuladrome
manuladrome

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike along the stream. The waterfall was flowing strongly at the beginning of August 2024, magnificent

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janine.moulie@wanadoo.fr
janine.moulie@wanadoo.fr

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful route, well shaded, magnificent waterfall, not too difficult for young walkers, thank you

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cyril1977
cyril1977

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, very pleasant along the stream.
For the start, don't hesitate to go as far as the EDF hut.
I also recommend extending the hike to the Cabane d'Aula (a slightly steeper climb through a beautiful forest).
Superb scenery at the top, basic hut (table, chairs, bunk beds) and a great spot for camping

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patou09
patou09

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

a beautiful hike, requiring no particular effort

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missina
missina
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Many thanks to the author for this "magical" hiking idea, as it is very uncrowded and yet so lovely.

One small question, though: why did you mention that the path isn't signposted? It is signposted all the way, as it follows the GR trail. It's impossible to get lost, both for this reason and because the path just follows the river. Plus, you won't find any other path than the one you're on, so there's really no risk of going wrong!

The climb up to the Arcouzan waterfall is steady and gradual, so it's not too strenuous. This makes it enjoyable, probably even more so in hot weather as you're sheltered by the forest the whole way. The arrival in the meadow is splendid, an ideal place to picnic or pitch a tent if you wish.

Just a little extra info: my watch (Garmin Forerunner) tells me it's 15.5 km with a total climb of 900 m. It took us 6 hours and 15 minutes, including a good 30-minute picnic break in the meadow on the way there and a 30-minute nap when we passed through again on the way back, as well as a few mini-breaks here and there (average walkers +).

Thanks again!

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Randodennis
Randodennis

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike with no particular difficulties. 11 km round trip. The climb is easy, as is the descent, but be careful as there are places with leaves and wet ground where you might slip.
The entire route is through woods, and when you reach the summit, the view is magnificent, and you are greeted by sunshine. There are a few rocks where you can sit down and enjoy a peaceful lunch
Today, 24 September 2021, the weather was nice, a little cool under the trees but with beautiful sunshine at the top....
Nothing but pleasure... Don't forget that this is bear country...

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pierre villou
pierre villou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike lost among the beech trees.
A nice climb at the end. We weren't able to enjoy the final view because it was foggy, but despite that, the hike was well worth it!

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donny15
donny15

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 4 and 5 September. Almost no horseflies for us.
The first part of the hike takes you through the woods, following the Estours river and its eddies. There aren't really any panoramic views, but that's to be expected when hiking through the woods. At least it's cool.
Magnificent view of the meadow and waterfall. We pushed on to the Aula hut, which took an extra hour from the last footbridge. We camped on the plateau and returned to the car the next day.
It took us 3 hours and 5 minutes of walking, excluding breaks, from the car to the Aula hut with heavy bags for the bivouac, and 2 hours and 15 minutes for the descent the next day.
The paths are very well maintained (they had just been cleared by the ONF) and not at all rough, which allows you to maintain a good walking pace. In addition, the GR markings leave no doubt as to which path to follow.
In short, a lovely mountain getaway at the end of summer.

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DAVION
DAVION

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

An easy and pleasant hike along the stream. The Artigue waterfall is worth the detour.

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Francis3170
Francis3170

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike without much difficulty. The climb through the forest along the stream is ideal in hot weather, and there are plenty of places to stop and enjoy the scenery. Be careful if your feet get wet, though: it's slippery!
The arrival in the meadow is majestic, and I recommend checking out the waterfall.
There weren't many horseflies that day, only two attacks which I managed to fend off, so it must depend on the day.

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laurent-g
laurent-g

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The climb to the waterfall is fairly easy as it is quite long with a gentle slope and plenty of shade.
After crossing the meadow and two footbridges (the last one marking the end of this route), we climbed into the woods (switchbacks), with an additional 200 m of elevation gain. At the edge of the woods, we came out onto a plateau (the Aula hut, another waterfall and horses are visible a little further on). This plateau is a good place for a picnic (but there is no shade), either by the stream or just above on the first rocks, with a beautiful view of the valley (and you will be alone, as most people stop at the meadow along the stream).
In the meadow, take a closer look at the Arcouzan waterfall, which is enclosed (you can stand with your feet in the water at the bottom of the waterfall).
The only downside is the presence of horseflies on the way down in the afternoon, as well as in the meadow and up to the car park. As long as you keep walking, you'll be fine, but they quickly gather around you as soon as you stop. Bring insect repellent (such as essential oils) for exposed areas.

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chris5732
chris5732

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hiking under the trees, water all along the way... and arriving at the "cirque"... magnificent with the view of the Vallier, the waterfall...

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