Lac d'Orédon, Les Laquettes, Lac d'Aubert and Lac d'Aumar

A magnificent hike. Superb landscapes await you along this route.
You are entering the Néouvielle National Nature Reserve, which is protected by regulations. Please respect these regulations (see practical information).

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.57 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 410 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 410 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,202 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,858 m

Photos

Description of the walk

From Saint-Lary-Soulan, follow the D929 towards Aragnouet.
At the hamlet of Fabian, continue right on the D929, also known as the Route des Lacs.
After the Edelweiss hairpin bends, turn right onto the D177 towards the Refuge Hôtel d'Orédon.
Go through the toll booth and park in the car park on the left, on the east side of Lac d'Orédon.

(S/E) Leave the car park heading north

(1) Take the path that runs alongside Lac d'Orédon. This path quickly turns west.

(2) As you move away from the lake, the trail climbs and winds through the forest. It runs alongside the Route des Lacs (D177) twice. You can also follow a tributary of the Laquettes towards Orédon.

(3) When you reach the shores of the Laquettes, continue along this second lake.

(4) Walk along this lake and look for the protected plant species "Subulaire Aquatique".
NB: Due to the presence of the aquatic subularia, swimming is not permitted in the lower lake at Orédon.
See § practical information

The climb resumes at the end of the lake to reach the foot of the Lac d'Aubert dam.

(5) Once you reach the orientation table/Aubert car park, continue north, leaving the car park at the end of the Lacs road on your right.

(6) When you reach the junction of the Madamète and Estoudou passes, head towards the Col d'Estoudou on theGR®10. Red and white markings. Follow the southern shore of Lac d'Aumar.

(7) Leave theGR®10and continue on the D177, which will take you back to your starting point.
You may be able to see the car park at the start below (very low down).
Alternative: you can continue on theGR®10to the Col d'Estoudou. Then turn right and descend to the car park.

(8) At this junction, leave the road for about 200 metres via a path below the bend, which will take you back to the road.

(9) At a left-hand bend, leave the D177 and rejoin the lakeside path.
Follow the path you took on the way up to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,870 m - Parking, Orédon toll - Refuge d'Oredon
  2. 1 : km 0.12 - alt. 1,858 m - Lac d'Orédon
  3. 2 : km 0.6 - alt. 1,886 m - Tributary Les Laquettes
  4. 3 : km 1.88 - alt. 2,089 m - The Laquettes
  5. 4 : km 2.27 - alt. 2,079 m - Aquatic subular
  6. 5 : km 3.54 - alt. 2,155 m - Refuge / Car park / Table Orientation by Aubert
  7. 6 : km 3.98 - alt. 2,192 m - GR10 junction. Lake Aumar
  8. 7 : km 5.37 - alt. 2,199 m - Junction D177
  9. 8 : km 6.37 - alt. 2,128 m - Path below the bend
  10. 9 : km 6.79 - alt. 2,084 m - Lake trail
  11. S/E : km 8.57 - alt. 1,870 m - Parking, Orédon toll - Refuge d'Oredon

Notes

Parking is compulsory in Orédon (the visitor centre for the Néouvielle Reserve).
Parking is subject to a charge: £8 per day in 2019.

There are no signposts on most of the route, so it is best to download the route map before setting off.

There are no drinking water points on the circuit. Bring plenty of water in good weather and if you have children (as we did), as the climb is quite steep.

  • An emblematic species of high-altitude lakes, it is only found in mainland France in the Pyrenees. Within the National Park, there is only one known location, at the lower lake of Orédon, in the Néouvielle National Nature Reserve (65).

Its decline worldwide raises questions about its potential role as an indicator of climate change.
Participatory monitoring: Hikers are also invited to participate in this study by taking a photo of the lake from a specific location at any time of the year. The aim is to determine variations in the water level in the lake and thus to clarify the species' habitat.

This route passes through a protected area, which may be subject to special regulations:

Worth a visit

The nature reserve is located in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, in the municipalities of Aragnouet, Saint-Lary-Soulan and Vielle-Aure, near Barèges in the Néouvielle massif. It lies to the east of the Pyrenees National Park.

The territory is bounded to the west by the Néouvielle massif, to the south by the Cap-de-Long and Orédon lakes, to the east by the Oule lake and the Arbizon massif, and to the north by the Barèges pass. It includes the lakes of Aubert and Aumar. The nature reserve is sheltered by ridges stretching from the Pic de la Munia to the Pic de l'Arbizon, and is generally south-facing, which creates a warmer, drier microclimate that extends the limits of life.

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 68 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
User 20278704

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Beautiful hike, shame the second lake was empty.
Otherwise, a very beautiful and easy route.

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Bigourdane
Bigourdane

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice hike. I love Néouvielle, and in autumn it's a delight.
However, I had forgotten that dogs weren't allowed, so we were fined and had to walk back down the Aumar Lake road to the Oredon Lake car park.

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geodo
geodo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb on your own, in a group or with the family

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Alain810
Alain810

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike with beautiful scenery

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User 25718861

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike, magnificent landscapes.

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User 16704233

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant hike, which began in the mist and ended in sunshine. We enjoyed a lovely picnic by the last lake. Admittedly, there were a lot of people, but that didn't spoil the walk, except for those who were swimming despite the ban. I came with an elderly friend who was disabled by a recent fall, so we took the shuttle bus back down, which gave us time to make a detour to the Templar chapel.

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User 18916248

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The descent via the road is less attractive but practical with children. The only downside is that it's not easy to spot the path to leave the road and continue, but it's great!
A bit technical for children, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone under 6 or 7 (long and lots of stones)

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User 20877844

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Please note that swimming and even paddling are now prohibited in all lakes.

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User 11435887

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent hike. The descent is a little difficult.

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Ch'Buq
Ch'Buq

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Our best hike of the week!!! Stunning scenery!
The only downside: lots of people in some places!
but that didn't spoil it

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lilibe29
lilibe29

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike. A bit busy during the summer, but the scenery is magnificent!

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Mary1811
Mary1811

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike with three stunning lakes. Quite busy in July. A fairly varied route. The stony path is hard on the knees, especially on the way down. We did it in dry weather so it wasn't slippery. Please note that the path is virtually unmarked. Definitely worth doing!

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dlxstephane
dlxstephane

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This route is very popular, especially around the lakes, as there is a minibus service from the car park at the bottom. However, there are far fewer people on the path when it starts to climb.
Very beautiful scenery
We did the circuit in good weather at the beginning of July.

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User 11042005

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

beautiful landscapes, colours

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chris5732
chris5732

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent hike, well signposted

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