Lac d'Aygue Rouye circular

Date of your route : Dec 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed without any particular difficulties, beautiful frozen lake, view of the Pic du Midi. We didn't meet anyone, no snow on the trail, but it started snowing around midday.
To be repeated when the weather is fine.

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Date of your route : Oct 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

From the starting point (which can also be reached from CAMPAN) to the lake: well-marked and signposted trail, obvious.
From the lake to the ridges, the paths are more or less marked. The metal hut mentioned in the description was not seen.

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A pleasant walk taken on 31/11/2025. The cabin is visible on the opposite shore of the lake. Otherwise, just follow the line of the two islets to find it. There is a sort of path that climbs diagonally.

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Date of your route : Oct 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk, with autumn colours. The site hut is not visible from the lake.

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Date of your route : Aug 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The idea of doing a loop instead of going back and forth is worth it. But the return trip is very difficult to understand, with paths that are poorly marked or have disappeared, perhaps since the hike was posted
But we still had a great time and laughed a lot about our detours and unlikely passages.

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Date of your route : Aug 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant lake with beautiful views from the heights.
However, it's difficult to find the path that goes up to Liset de Hount Blanque.
The marshy ground at the bottom makes it difficult to find the start of the trail.
The green metal hut given as a landmark in the guidebook is invisible from the lake and therefore cannot be used as a reference point.
I don't know if there really is a trail at the start of the climb, but with the help of GPS, we made a wrong turn at the start and then had a steep climb to the ridge.
It's a shame for what is a really interesting hike. It wouldn't take much to make it safer: an arrow at the start of the climb, for example.

P.S: The descent via the ridge is not recommended for those with sensitive knees.

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Date of your route : Aug 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A tip for hot weather: set off very early, as the climb is on the eastern side with no cool breeze from the north or west and no shade at all: it gets hot quickly!
But you'll be rewarded when you arrive at the lake: it's wonderful!

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Date of your route : May 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A short hike we did 13 years ago, climbing up to the lake with some sections that were tougher than in 2012 (we're getting older...). The Pic du Midi de Bigorre looms on the horizon. After an hour and a half of climbing, we were surprised to discover we didn't remember the shepherd's hut. The lake is no larger, but it's a pleasant place for a picnic. A female mallard is on the water with her young (six beautiful ducklings), but what are they doing here? The waterfalls are clearly visible and active, with water present this time.

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Date of your route : May 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk, suitable for families (we have an 11-year-old child). There is a slight difficulty (uncertainty) on the climb between points 2 and 3 (above the lake to reach the ridge), but the path is still fairly easy to find.

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Date of your route : Aug 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It is essential to have a GPS with a downloaded map for the second part, which is for experienced hikers who know how to navigate and are in good physical condition, as there is a significant elevation gain.
We did not see the metal hut, no trace of it.
That said, we were happy to reach the ridge because the view is beautiful and well worth the effort...

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

Overall, a beautiful hike... Very beautiful views as you climb, with a lovely 90° panorama once you reach the ridge. Also nice along the way is Lake Aygue Rouye with its cosy cabin, perfect for a break sheltered from the wind and cold on that particular day...
The off-trail section, where, as Pyrénéenne19 rightly says, you have to climb wildly to reach the ridge, is not very pleasant and should, at least for this part, make the hike "difficult" rather than moderate, but there is no other option to reach it, so you just have to get on with it...On the other hand, as I didn't have binoculars, either from the lake or once I was up there, I never came across the green metal hut to use as a guide... luckily, the GPX was there as always, thank goodness for technology!

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Date of your route : Apr 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The walk to the lake is charming and easy to access. The site is magnificent. The cabins are in good condition. I walked around the lake among a few snowfields.
You need binoculars to spot the green metal cabin. The most difficult part is getting to this cabin: there are no markings from the lake, so you have to climb wildly, using the route description on your phone to guide you.
I do not recommend the descent via the ridge at all for those with knee problems. The view is pretty, but the terrain is very uncomfortable.

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Date of your route : Oct 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

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Date of your route : Aug 10, 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, although a little physically demanding on the way there. We set off at around 7.30am on a sunny day and quickly felt the heat (the route is in a valley with no real breeze)... We reached the lake after about an hour and a half of walking.
We set off on the suggested circular route via the ridges. You have to follow checkpoint 2 to find the 'green' hut, using binoculars if possible, and then find your own way to it (there is no marked trail), so in short, it's a tough climb... Once at the top, the view of the lake, the Pic du Midi, etc. is magnificent... The descent on the way back is rather complicated and puts a lot of strain on the knees.
In any case, it's worth doing, even if you don't take the ridge route on the way back.

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Date of your route : Aug 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Not recommended in hot weather (no shade)

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