Lac d'Er

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A tough climb right from the start. A brief respite at the first clearing, then another steady climb to the lake. A beautiful, wild and uncrowded spot.
The only downside to this lovely outing is that almost the entire route is through woodland.

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Date of your route : Aug 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The car park at the start is easy to find thanks to the trimmed bushes! The trail is well marked in yellow and most of the walk is through forest, which is pleasant because it's shaded in summer. However, it's a bit monotonous as there are hardly any views, but luckily about halfway through there's a lovely clearing where you can step out of the trees. The lake is pretty, the hike is peaceful and not very busy (I went in the afternoon) and I ended up having the lake all to myself! The sign at the bottom says it takes 5 hours, but I took about 4 hours at a leisurely pace. However, it's best to do this hike in clear weather as it can quickly become foggy!

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Date of your route : Jun 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Fairly easy trail in the forest.
Not much to see but it's in the shade.
There is a very pretty clearing with unobstructed views and a lake, which was like a mirror when I was there.
An interesting hike if you don't want it to be too long, due to tiredness or uncertain weather.
Thanks for the route and description

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Date of your route : Sep 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike. We encountered very few people. The marked trail is sometimes a little difficult to follow in the first part, but overall it is very well marked and all the shortcuts connect.
The lake is beautiful and peaceful.

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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

A beautiful hike with excellent signage. Fortunately, most of the climb is through the forest, which is magnificent. The small lake is a pleasant place to take a break.

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Date of your route : Jul 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, good climb, pretty mountain lake with few visitors

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Date of your route : Nov 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Difficult hike.
Starting opposite the car park, directly in the forest, we tackle a fairly long and difficult climb, with no time to warm up. The middle section of the route becomes easier, then picks up again with a tough climb to the lake.
Nice scenery, ideal for a picnic and a well-deserved break.

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Date of your route : Aug 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a beautiful climb, a little rough through the woods, but very glad I did it. For all those who love beautiful views without going all the way to the peak, climb up to the small ledge on the right before the lake!

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Hello,
Is it possible to camp around the lake?

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Date of your route : Jul 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 25/07/2022 to Pic d'Er via Lac d'Er and the hut.
The route before reaching the lake is well signposted. It is in the forest 95% of the time, with steep climbs that can be long for someone who is not used to walking.
-> If the ground is wet, be careful as there is a high risk of falling (slipping on leaves or mud)

At the lake, there were two tents set up. I continued towards the hut. From the lake, the climb became even steeper, but I was able to follow the path thanks to the cairns and the route I had mapped out and saved on my watch.
I couldn't get closer than 50 metres to the hut as a large dog was guarding it.

I then headed for the Pic d'Er, which was another adventure in itself. Unable to find the path, I headed straight for the ridge. Once there, I put down my bag and continued without my luggage, walking along a narrow path with nothing but air on either side. The view was magnificent, but anyone who isn't experienced should take care. You need to have sure footing and a clear head (in my opinion!)
The walking sticks that I never use were my allies throughout the descent

The view from the top was magnificent, 360 degrees all around!
(4 hours 15 minutes there and back without any long breaks)

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Date of your route : Aug 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike. We were a little apprehensive given the descriptions, but everything went very well. For parking, I entered the GPS coordinates of the starting point into Google Maps via the Visorando app and it took us right there (you can't miss the trimmed bushes!). We are not very experienced hikers (4-5 hikes in the Pyrenees per year) nor are we very young (60+), but we made it to the top (like almost all the other groups on the trail that day) in 2 hours, including breaks (raspberries, blueberries and wild strawberries). There were about ten people around the lake on a sunny day in August, so it's not too crowded. The water is very good, everyone is swimming and there is some shade provided by the rocks (but no trees). The descent is less difficult than you might expect given the slope (about an hour and a half for us with walking sticks, which are recommended). The path is very well marked, so you can't get lost. It's mostly in the shade and there aren't many stones, so if you go at your own pace, there's no problem. There's no view of the Pic du Midi d'Ossau.

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Date of your route : Jul 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike but very crowded in July.
Better to go in June or September...

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

We had a great outing, leaving at 9 a.m. The walk took five hours, with some steep climbs, so bring water and vitamins for the journey. The lake takes a while to reach, but it's well worth the effort when you get there. You need to be in good physical shape, and bring walking sticks, especially for the very steep descent.

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Date of your route : Feb 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Very nice hike.
The first climb is a bit steep, but it's easy going and you eventually arrive at a charming little clearing.
The rest of the hike is less steep, although it is still uphill.
In the end, we couldn't reach the lake because we were blocked by icy snow.
We still had lunch with a beautiful view, so no regrets.

The descent was more dangerous, with a few nasty slips on the dead leaves.

It should be noted that we didn't make it to the lake. My friend's watch showed 8.2 km (round trip), so the hike was definitely longer than 6.7 km.

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Date of your route : Aug 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The car park is the second on the left after the trimmed box trees. The first car park is at the start of the forest road.

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