Lac de la Bernatoire

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

Hike done today. It took about 1 hour and 50 minutes to get from the dam to the pass, and the same to come back down. It was very beautiful indeed, and the lake at the end was well worth the climb through the marmots. To get there, it's best to have a high-clearance vehicle and tyres that aren't too worn to get over the rocks. It's a shame that some hikers still leave tissues and rubbish on the ground...

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Date of your route : Jul 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike with a finale that makes you forget the tough climb to reach the Bernatoire Pass. Quite a few marmots on the way back, but also lots of hikers...
Overall, the difficulty is moderate, but the last part is very steep.

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Date of your route : Sep 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Arrival at Lake Ossoue, greeted by marmots.
Magnificent views throughout the climb, with the Gave d'Ossou river below.
Lake Bernatoire, splendid panorama, possibility of continuing the hike into Spain.

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Date of your route : Jul 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We went hiking on Sunday, 21 July 2024; there were two of us. The route is very well explained. After leaving the GR 10, we encountered few hikers: only two couples. The low turnout can be explained by the weather: there was a strong northwesterly wind. The hike is easy and, above all, very beautiful. At the Col de la Bernatoire, the view of the lake is remarkable. It is a very beautiful, steeply surrounded mountain lake. We saw many marmots along the route.

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Date of your route : Jul 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

i would advise parking either at the Milhas hut or 500 metres further on, on a large plateau, and taking the route indicated by a small yellow sign before a small bridge: this will take you to the Lourde hut (which you will need for shelter: stove, some food, a pair of crampons), which the GR 10 crosses. Then turn off into the Canau valley (impossible to miss, well-marked path with no difficulty) to reach the Col de la Bernatoire, avoiding the marmots
On 4 July, I only encountered three people and 40 marmots. Then I returned to the Lourdes hut and the GR 10 took me to the Ossoue dam, where you can admire the Vignemale. Finally, it's a 20-minute descent back to the car, but don't forget to take a look at the start of the Ossoue Canyon, just after the start, on the right-hand side

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Date of your route : May 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well, to tell the truth, we didn't complete the entire hike – two kilometres from the start of the road leading to the dam, several snow slides had blocked the way. So we walked to the dam, sometimes squeezing through huge blocks of ice. What's more, once we reached the end of the paved section, we realised that even with a 4x4 we wouldn't have been able to get through due to rockfalls and the condition of the road. That said, the walk is lovely: the weather was beautiful, we saw marmots and Lake Ossoue is as picturesque as you could wish for. It's ideal for a family picnic. On the way back, you can take the path below, at the level of the stream, despite a few scree slopes that are not too difficult to navigate.

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Date of your route : Aug 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike that is not too difficult despite two or three steep sections (especially the last one at the end). The lake is magnificent
and looks like a crater. There are lots of marmots along the route, but they're not too shy. Lots of cows grazing in the summer pastures. The trail starts below the dam on the left. To get there, don't hesitate to go right up to the dam; the path is fairly good despite a few holes and exposed rocks, but nothing serious. I went there with a Modus and never scraped the bottom of the car.
At the start, a sign indicates that the lake is 2 hours and 15 minutes away. I did it in 1 hour and 20 minutes and the return trip in 1 hour and 10 minutes. I'm a fairly good walker. But I think it's possible for an average walker in 1 hour and 45 minutes.

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Date of your route : Jul 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Not too many hikers for early July. Beautiful lake, lots of marmots. All this under a stormy blue sky.

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Date of your route : Oct 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A delightful half-day walk through the mountain pastures, ending at a magnificent lake

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Date of your route : Dec 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Thank you for this beautiful route to a magnificent lake, which I completed with the climb to the Pic de la Bernatoire.

This climb is slightly more difficult but a little exposed from the pass, offering beautiful views of the lake and a panoramic view of the French and Spanish peaks.

There is now a small car park 1 km from the dam where you can stop before continuing, as the track is very rough.

I plan to write a guide to this missing summit for those who want to do more.

I made a video that gives a good idea of the atmosphere of this route, which can be found here.

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

Access to the Ossoue dam ends with a rocky path. We parked at Cabanes de Milhas, which adds about 50 minutes to the hike, but it's not unpleasant.
It is possible to park a little further away on a large plateau. The road is in poorer condition after that.
The hike is very beautiful. It's quite a climb from the Ossoue dam to the Cabane de Lourdes, but then the path becomes easier.
The last part is also difficult but really worth it: the lake is magnificent.
A very beautiful walk with stunning scenery. Lots of marmots.

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Date of your route : Jun 22, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Access by car via a small road and rocky track... the last section is not recommended for vehicles other than 4x4s.
A magnificent hike where you can see marmots throughout the route and enjoy rich and varied flora.
During our hike, there was a strong wind at the lake, the pass and the summit...

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Date of your route : Sep 12, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful walk. Lots of marmots, visible from very close up.

However, it should be noted that access to the Ossoue dam is via a narrow paved road (you have to stop if another vehicle is coming: hence the advantage of going early in the morning and coming back down at the end of the day) for a good 3 kilometres. Then (after an automatic cattle gate) there are at least 4 kilometres of gravel road, but it is passable. Go as far as possible towards the dam, or even to the dam itself, where there is a car park. If you are worried about the chassis of your car, go at least as far as the shepherd's hut, or better still to the next plateau... In any case, do not follow the example of overly cautious or fearful hikers who park their vehicles in the first part of the path, as there will be a lot of walking in unpleasant conditions.
NB: wherever you choose to park, be sure to take the route to Lac de la Bernatoire that starts at the dam and not the much more difficult route indicated above on the left after the shepherd's hut.

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I had been dreaming of doing this hike, but after Gavarnie, only the first 4 km are really passable by car. After that, the road is unpaved and in very poor condition, and we were afraid of damaging the car. Parking is prohibited in this area, so we had to change our plans. The dream will have to continue...

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Date of your route : Jun 27, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike among marmots on the way up. At the end of June, there was still a lot of snow, forcing us to stray from the trail a few times.
The Ossoue and Canau valleys are unique in that they are completely devoid of trees, giving them an unusual steppe-like appearance.
Our only regret was that the blueberries weren't ripe yet, as we would have feasted on them.

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