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Depart from the car park at the Hôtel de la Fruitière (altitude 1,360 m).
(S/E) Head south. Go through the wooden fence and cross the wide footbridge over the Gave de Lutour. Continue climbing along this wide path on the right bank of the river. Pass the Pourtau de Limouras (altitude 1,458 m). This is a passage between large trees, with a cut-down dead tree in the middle of the path. Pass by the Pouey Caut hut (metal shelter) on your left, higher up.
(1) Small footbridge and fork. Leave the climb to the Russell Refuge on your left. Continue straight ahead, heading south towards the Estom Refuge. Cross the Gave de Lutour via the Pouey Caut footbridge. Altitude 1553. Continue climbing on the left bank of the Gave de Lutour. Pass through an area of uprooted and fallen trees. Enter a forest. At the end of this wooded section, cross a very small wooden footbridge. Continue for a few metres.
(2) At the fork, take the right-hand path, which is marked with cairns and clearly marked on the ground. The slope quickly becomes very steep. There is a 750 m climb over a distance of 2000 m. The path climbs steeply south-west, along the Estibe Aute stream. The path then moves away from this main stream and enters the Ravin d'Estibe Aute. Climb at your own pace and calmly. At an altitude of 2,000 metres, the path moves away from a small dry stream, heads south, then curves to the right, heading north-west.
(3) Fork (altitude 2120 m). Take the right-hand path, heading north-west, leaving a less distinct path on your left.
Continue climbing steeply through this old, stony summer pasture. Pass through rocky areas. Follow the well-placed cairns.
Come out above the rock barrier towards the altitude 2261.
Do not enter the rocky and scree-covered area.
(4) Head right, north-northwest, on a narrow but well-marked path that climbs steeply up a grassy ridge strewn with small rocks. Head towards the wall, due northeast.
You will come out above two small lakes. Descend to reach the first lake of Estibe Aute.
You may wish to take a well-deserved break in this uncrowded spot.
It is quite possible to reach the other lake by keeping to the left of the lakes and heading due south. The other side of the lakes is blocked by a wall that descends from the Estibe Aute ridge.
(5) Begin the return journey by following the same route you took on the way up.
Pay attention to the fork at an altitude of 2120 m. Turn left towards the Ravin d'Estibe. Return to the fork you passed on the way up and the marked path of the Gave de Lutour. Turn left and follow the path back to the car park (S/E).
Indeed, from point 2 onwards, it climbs steeply and you need to be in good physical condition. Also, seeing that once I reached point 3, I would still have to climb, I gave up and decided to turn off as others had done at point 3 in the reviews to go back down to Lake Estom. After 30 minutes of walking along the cairns (with a barely marked path and large rocks), what a beautiful sight to see the lake from above. But the path became almost invisible, the cairns difficult to find, and the level of difficulty much higher, even dangerous (I probably strayed from the path, despite a GPS track that was more or less in line with the map). And with the arrival of fog... I preferred to return to point 3 and descend via the path I had taken initially, which was very reassuring as it was well marked.
) ... but only attempt it if you already have plenty of experience!
Visorando Member
Moderate 
Very difficult 
