Lac Redon, Tuc deth Port de Vielha, Lac de Rius from Espitau de Vielha

To get to the Espitau de Vielha car park, from Montréjeau take the N125 towards Spain, go to Saint-Béat, then Vielha in the Val d'Aran. From Vielha, take the tunnel of the same name towards Lleida. 300 m after the tunnel exit, take the first exit on the right to turn around. Then take the road back towards the tunnel and quickly take the right turn that leads to Espitau de Vielha and park in the car park near the buildings (former refuge).

(S/E) From the car park, take the track on the left that climbs gently towards the north-east. After about 1 km, a sign indicates the direction of Port de Vielha.

(1) At the sign, a path, the start of which is rather poorly marked, climbs straight up the slope towards the north. Look for the cairns and the path marked on the ground. The path, which becomes increasingly well marked on the ground, then climbs to the left along the edge of the trees, then climbs through the undergrowth to a clear plateau.

(2) Continue by heading to the left of this flat area. The path climbs in zigzags due north on a steeper, clear slope before turning north-northwest. Once below the ridge, the path turns right, due east, to reach the Port de Vielha (pass) at 2,444 m.

(3) Do not cross the pass, but climb the ridge on the right where there is a sign. The cairned path then climbs south-southeast along the ridge to Tuc du Port de Vielha (2,606 m, the highest point of the hike), which is quickly reached.

(4) From the summit, descend along the ridge towards a clearly visible pass. Quite quickly, and before reaching the pass, the well-marked and cairned path branches off to the right behind a small rocky overhang.

(5) Under this small overhang, the path descends southwards towards Lac Redon and its spillway. To reach the spillway, look for a prefabricated building used for weather observations, which is clearly visible just above the spillway.

(6) At the spillway, leave the path that descends southwards (see Practical Information) and continue eastwards, staying slightly above the lake.

(7) Leave the path that branches off to the left and continue eastwards towards a small rocky outcrop, which you should avoid by passing to the right. The path then climbs more steeply, staying on the left side of the valley until you reach Coret deth Lac Redon (2,454 m).

(8) From this pass, descend straight down the gently sloping valley towards Lac de Rius, which you will reach fairly quickly at HRP stage 23.

(9) At this fork, take the HRP on the right, which overlooks the lake to the south-east, then turns south-west, leading to the Col de Rius.

(10) At Port (pass) de Rius, continue along the path, which begins a long descent.

(11) At a clearly marked fork, leave the path that climbs to the right, which is the end of the shortcut mentioned in (6). Turn left and continue downhill. The path gradually turns to the right and heads south-west. At an altitude of about 1,900 metres, you will reach a fork.

(12) Leave the path that descends to the left into the undergrowth and cross the stream immediately to the right. The path continues in open country, then enters a more wooded area and reaches another stream to cross. About a hundred metres further down, the path joins an old track.

(13) Take the track on the right.

(14) Continue along the track to the right, which quickly leads to a spot slightly above some buildings. Cut across to reach the car park below. It is also possible to take the path on the left, which leads back to the car park (S/E).

A water source is available at the car park buildings. There are numerous water sources along the route depending on the season, and it is advisable to bring a filter bottle.

(6) The path heading south allows you to reach - and shorten - the loop at waypoint (11) below Lac de Rius. It can therefore be used as a shortcut/escape route in case of fatigue or bad weather, avoiding the need to climb back up to Coret deth Lac Redon.