Lac du Chabarrou starting from Pont d'Espagne

I suggest you discover the beautiful and uncrowded Lac du Chabarrou, at an altitude of 2,300 m. An interesting alternative to the very popular hike to the Oulettes de Gaube refuge. Access is challenging. Don't forget to admire the Pont d'Espagne (a very popular tourist site) before or after your hike.

Details

n°3530552

Creation:
06 Jul 2020

Last update:
18 Mar 2021

Last review:
18 Aug 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 15.88 km
Average duration: 7h 00
Difficulty: Difficult
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 853 m
Descent: - 853 m
Highest point: 2,308 m
Lowest point: 1,455 m

Country: France
Areas: Pyrénées, Massif du Vignemale, Lavedan
District: Cauterets (65110)
Start/End: N 42.85263° / W 0.134427°
IGN map(s): Ref. 1647OT, 1647OTR, 1748OT, 1748OTR
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Description of the walk

(S/E) Park in the Pont d'Espagne pay car park, then follow the tarmac road for about 400 m to reach the signpost.

(1) Before reaching Pont d'Espagne, turn left onto the^GR®10, which climbs through the forest following the Gave de Gaube. At the edge of the forest, you will come to Lac de Gaube.

(2) Continue on the^{GR® trail}, skirting the lake along the western shore. The trail crosses scree and begins to climb again after the lake. The magnificent trail climbs in stages (however, the slope is never too steep). Cross the Gave des Oulettes de Gaube twice and you will arrive (about 3 km after the lake) at the Petites Oulettes wetland just after the Darré Splumouse waterfall.

(3) At the huge cairn marking the entrance to this wetland, leave the^GR® and take the path on the right that leads to Lac du Chabarrou. At first, the path is not very visible, but it quickly becomes well marked on the ground and dotted with numerous small cairns. The climb is short but steep, leading to a small lake and a beautiful waterfall before arriving at Lac du Chabarrou.

(4) Enjoy the lake before heading back down the same route to (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,455 m - Parking (paid) at Pont d'Espagne - Gave de Cauterets (rivière)
1 : km 0.57 - alt. 1,490 m - Signpost - Pont d'Espagne
2 : km 2.74 - alt. 1,726 m - Lac de Gaube
3 : km 6.88 - alt. 2,050 m - Very large cairn at the start of the wetland area
4 : km 7.94 - alt. 2,307 m - Lac de Chabarrou
S/E : km 15.88 - alt. 1,455 m - Car park at - Pont d'Espagne

Notes

Standard hiking equipment.

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

Coeur du Parc national des Pyrénées - more information

Worth a visit

I would definitely recommend stopping off at the Pont d'Espagne tourist site at the start or end of your hike!
This climb to Lac de Gaube from Pont d'Espagne is very popular.
The Pont d'Espagne (altitude 1,496 m) is located at the confluence of the Gave du Marcadau and the Gave de Gaube.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5

Based on 13 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5

Route interest
4.9 / 5

Lolodomiseb

18 Aug 2025 at 12:42 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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 : Yes

Very beautiful hike

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daniel duranteau

11 Aug 2025 at 17:45 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Very busy until the fork in the road leading to the lake. This lake is a haven of peace, with only two people there at midday.

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User 16553490

11 Aug 2025 at 13:51 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike to the Chabarrou lakes, with a small one below and a larger one a little further on, which is magnificent! If possible, it's best to do this out of season, as you follow the path leading to the Oulettes refuge, which is very busy in August!

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User 8909743

07 Aug 2025 at 19:37 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Difficult hike on the final approach, 250m elevation gain
But the lake is beautiful and very quiet... only about 15 people there at 1pm on 7 August!!!

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ConstanceML

28 Jul 2025 at 11:24 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An exceptional hike. Breathtaking landscapes that gradually reveal themselves. First, Lake Gaube and its blue waters. It gets a little crowded on the way up, but it's worth the detour. Next, follow the Gaube Valley with magnificent views of the river, the lake... and suddenly, at the bottom of the valley, the Oulettes glacier comes into view. It's simply magnificent. The fork in the path towards Lake Chabarrou isn't entirely obvious, but it's worth the detour. After a challenging climb, you'll find a crystal-clear lake with no one else around... an incredible immersion in the beauty and serenity of nature. In short, we loved it, and this hike was the highlight of our week.

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loperation

05 Jul 2025 at 18:07 7200

a very beautiful hike undertaken at the end of August 2023, starting from the Pont d'Espagne.
there were lots of people on the GR 10, but for the last steep climb, it was just
just our group of five people, with a view of the Oulettes de Gaube refuge and the Vignemale. We ate our picnic in a remarkable spot, the Lac de Chabaro

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missina

05 Jul 2025 at 17:32 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Always delighted to return to this area, which for me is one of the most beautiful in the Pyrenees!
It's a bit crowded until you reach the lake, but less so after that.
The climb is steady until point 3, with no major difficulties except that you need to remember to take something to protect yourself from the sun.
The final climb to Lake Chabarrou (between points 3 and 4) requires a good level of fitness as it is quite steep, but it is worth the effort as you are left completely alone when you arrive! We were the only people there for our picnic and afternoon nap. Most of the hikers in the area head straight to point 3, towards the Oulettes refuge.
The hike is still quite demanding on the feet as it is mainly made up of scree, which may bother some people.

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En daban

25 Sep 2023 at 20:48 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A hike that allows you to admire Lake Gaube, then the waterfalls, the Vignemale with its first snowfall, and finally two superb lakes. A beautiful day. The route is busy until the lake junction, then you'll have interesting encounters with seasoned hikers who have set off on a circular route to reach Marcadau via a higher route.

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loperation

04 Sep 2023 at 08:54 7200 • Edited: 04 Sep 2023 at 09:06 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

From Pont d'Espagne, I recorded the hike to Lake Chabarrou. The GR 10 section is very busy, then the last part to reach the lake has just a few cairns and is quite technical, so you need to be careful, especially on the descent.
The lake is magnificent

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loperation

04 Sep 2023 at 08:46 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

From the Pont d'Espagne, I

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Marc Robert

25 Jul 2023 at 12:44 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2023
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 allows you to discover a magnificent lake with very few people (we encountered a total of five people). The final climb is quite steep, but the trail is well marked.

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fredrichard7

22 Jul 2022 at 19:16 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We left Pont d'Espagne early (7:30 a.m.), and there were already quite a few people there, but nothing compared to the crowds on the way back, between Lake Gaube and Pont d'Espagne. The hike is still very beautiful despite the crowds, and it's a pleasure to turn off towards Lake Chabarrou. The trail is well marked, so there's no need to hesitate. The climb is challenging, but well worth the effort! There is a small lake just below Lake Chabarrou, into which a waterfall flows. It is simply magnificent. There were few people at the lake: three other hikers and a fisherman.
On the way down from Lake Chabarrou, we continued on to the Oulettes refuge (chocolate cake for the children, blueberry tart for us )
It took us 8 hours to cover these 17.5 km and 960 m of elevation gain, not including our picnic and nap at Lake Chabarrou, and dessert at the refuge.

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jean-luc courtade

15 Sep 2021 at 18:54 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Very beautiful hike
the description is spot on, nothing to change
there is a slightly steeper section at around 2,200 metres, as described
you need to know where to take the fork, but the cairn is over 1.5 metres high
the final section should only be attempted in good visibility, i.e. from the cairn to the lake
a magnificent spot at the top for bivouacking
greetings from the Pyrenees to all
Jean Luc Courtade

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Fluryjc

19 Jul 2021 at 17:07 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We had set off for the lake, but on the way we were drawn to the Vignemale, which towers over the valley floor, with a glacier at its foot.
So we didn't take the path to Lake Chabarrou, and continued on the GR.
The landscape was magnificent, and the Vignemale was impressive!
And we were surprised to see about fifteen young chamois playing, completely indifferent to the passing hikers.
A hike that reveals a magnificent site.

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