The circular of the Canigou

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

So, we are two 22-year-old mates setting off on a hike. The narrator is an "average hiker" who smokes, the other is a "good hiker".
Day 1: EASY
We arrive at Col de Jou in Casteil. The car park is only suitable for first gear, but we manage. This is followed by a 4 km walk, passing Col du Cheval Mort halfway. A ruin (?) then we follow the stream for a while. The Mariailles refuge charges a fee. We opted for the free refuge 300 m away.
A bottle of red wine and a tasty ratatouille cooked for us to eat before going to bed at midnight. There are four of us from Spain and two from France, with four places left on the bunks. Wake up at 7am, departure at 7.30am, without breakfast.

Day 2: DAMN

Next came the long climb up Canigou, which felt good thanks to the dried fruit and high-calorie chocolate bars.
A long climbing path allows us to notice the various levels of vegetation and the clearly marked separations (very informative). This is followed by the passage through the Chimney. Nothing extravagant despite my vertigo. It is 11:30 a.m.
We take a photo at the peak and then begin the descent (20-minute break), with more than 25 kilometres to go to get back down to the Jou car park via the Cortalets refuge path, turning off at the metal signpost. We rejoin the GR10. Around 1 p.m., we stop for lunch, two snacks with the leftovers, accompanied by wasps and flies. After 30 minutes, we set off again.

Then a hellish descent, with scree slopes that we have to go around at times.
This added extra metres that felt horrible for me. Relying solely on the yellow signs risks great disappointment
We return to the yellow sign at 2017m, the end of the circular. Another 6-8 km and we're back at the Jou car park.

To sum up, 12 hours of walking on the second day, with several 2-minute breaks.

I'm going back next weekend after a two-year break.

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Date of your route : Jun 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
We did this route over two days, starting at the Col de Jou and camping near the Cortalets refuge, which offers a beautiful view of the Canigou cirque. We initially wanted to do the route in the other direction following comments about the chimney passage. In the end, with rain forecast, we decided not to go via the peak in bad weather and to follow the initial circular, hoping that the descent via the chimney the next day would go well.
In the end:
- The first day was pleasant, with a steep climb from the start on a forest trail from the Col de Jou to the Mariailles refuge, followed by a more leisurely walk in a beautiful flower-filled environment dotted with streams (there is no shortage of water). That said, it was a fairly long day with more than 20 km and 1,700 m of elevation gain.
- The second day started early, with a 3:15 a.m. wake-up call to arrive at the Pic du Canigou at sunrise. The magnificent panorama over a sea of clouds made it all worthwhile. We then took our time descending the chimney. It's steep and can seem daunting, especially at first, but you can do it by staying alert and taking your time, even with a heavy rucksack. We were then lucky enough to spot some chamois during the descent from the peak and find the path we had taken the day before (it's a long descent to the Col de Jou).*
Well-marked trail

Thank you for this hike.

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Date of your route : Jun 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
Circular starting from Coll de Jou, adding 4 km and 575 m of elevation gain for the outward journey.
Circular completed independently, carrying a tent and supplies on my back, so a very heavy bag.
A beautiful circular with varied landscapes, not very busy except on the Cortalest-Canigou section.
Lovely weather, so it was pure bliss.
Thank you for the route.

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Hello,
I am planning some hikes, and I will give my opinions at the end of this trip.
Have a good week
Berthold

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Date of your route : Sep 09, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Why average for the reliability of the description?
Because the proposed departure point is the Mariailles refuge, which has a car park!

However, what is not mentioned is that you need a suitable vehicle to get to this refuge from the Col de Jau!

Yes, because it's a 4-5 km track that's not very suitable for vehicles!

As a result, we started our hike at Col de Jau rather than Refuge des Mariailles, adding two hours to the programme with a little over 500 metres of elevation gain.

In short, we still had a great first day before climbing the peak the next day from the Refuge des Cortalets.

It was two magnificent days!

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Date of your route : Jul 12, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did this circular in reverse to avoid having to climb down the chimney (not recommended for those prone to vertigo). A superb circular with varied landscapes and a challenging climb to the peak.
Remember to bring water and sun cream in summer as there are long stretches without shade.
We started from the car park at Col de Jouc, as we didn't dare drive up to the Randé car park (even though we saw a Clio up there... it can't have been much fun), so allow 1½ hours (~5.5km) for the outward and return journey.

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Hello
Good preparation for this trip, indeed the website shows that department 66 has plenty of interesting walks.
Have a wonderful trip.
On behalf of Visorando, I would like to wish you all the best for an excellent hiking year in 2019.

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We are leaving from Drôme in the Pyrénées Orientales for a week-long stay in VERNET LES BAINS. VISORANDO is helping me plan the hikes I will be doing with my members.
THANK YOU and best wishes for 2019.
Jean-Louis Gaudin, RANDOALLAN manager

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Date of your route : Oct 08, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We completed this route over two days in the opposite direction to the one suggested here (due to uncertain weather conditions), climbing to the peak on Saturday via the Arago refuge and the chimney, then descending to the Cortalet refuge, and returning to the car park on Sunday via Bonne Aigue and Segalers. It's a shame we started with the peak on the first day, but on the other hand, the chimney is much more "pleasant" to climb than to descend.
A magnificent hike with an impressive variety of landscapes (pastures, scree, undergrowth). There is a significant elevation gain, so be careful to pace yourself, but if you take your time, you will enjoy it even more.
The Cortalet refuge is a bit pricey for what it offers, but it's a magnificent spot and you can pitch your tent there to save a few quid.
Experienced hikers can do the entire circular in one (long) day.
A small variation at the end of the route: at the Col de Segalers, we left the GR10 to reach the Mora refuge and then the Col du Cheval Mort. The trail is a little more "wild" and less marked, with lots of ascents/descents and passes by some very pretty water points.

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Date of your route : Aug 08, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very well-described route and great two-day hike; the walk seems a bit long on the first day.

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Hello,

The Mariailles - Les Cortalets hike can be completed in one day by experienced hikers. However, there is a tricky section (the chimney) that requires a great deal of attention and, above all, a head for heights and no fear of the void.
Otherwise, you can go around the peak by following the GR10 and reach the summit via Pic Joffre on the way there and back before arriving at Les Cortalets (much longer).

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Date of your route : Aug 28, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

!!! Very beautiful hike.

The only downside was the nausea I felt after an hour in a 4x4 on the way up to the starting point at 2,100 metres.
The chimney before reaching the peak was fantastic.
The surrounding landscapes were a visual treat.
A must-do.

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Date of your route : Aug 15, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

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Date of your route : Aug 29, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I loved starting from the Col de Jou car park, a superb hike above the clouds!

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Hello, your route is interesting. Personally, I would like to know if it is possible to set off from the Mariailles refuge in one day, climb up to Canigou, and then descend on the other side to reach the Cortalets refuge...?
AND... a very difficult question: are there any dangerous sections on this route?
Thank you for your reply...
Marie

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