Larnat walks

A beautiful nature hike in the mid-mountains, starting from the small village of Larnat. The ridge passages and side traverses offer extensive panoramic views of the surrounding peaks and the Ariège valley. The entire route is on wide stony or partially grassy paths and ends on the Doulent forest road through a beautiful forest of beech and spruce trees. This hike can be done on snowshoes, in which case it is rated as difficult.

Located on the outskirts of Tarascon-sur-Ariège, this hike gradually takes you up the slopes where you can admire the Ariège, Tarascon and several peaks of the Pyrenees!

Circular route from Les Cabannes station. Beautiful views of the valley and varied surroundings.

A beautiful but challenging hike in the mid-mountain range, along little-used paths through unspoilt countryside, offering lovely views over the Ariège Valley and the surrounding mountains. Directly accessible by TER from Toulouse.

Round trip to reach the Hermitage of Saint-Pierre and its view of the Ariège valley from the Cabannes railway station.

A walk starting from Tarascon-sur-Ariège that will take you to Junac, passing through the small village of Alliat and overlooking the village of Niaux.

A lovely off-trail walk through the forest and boxwood trees.

A lovely viewpoint, a dolmen and a rural plateau.

A pleasant family walk in a beech forest, interesting in all seasons, including for snowshoeing.

Despite its modest altitude (1,840 m), Roc de Querquéou offers a superb view of the many peaks of the Haute Ariège. After the beautiful climb through the woods to Col du Pla de Faradu and then Col de Lastris, you will need to redouble your efforts to climb the extremely steep ridge that leads to the summit. The return journey takes you via the Col de la Bène and the pretty pastoral site of La Grangette d'en Bas before returning to Génat.

This route, which circles the village of Arnave, is particularly dedicated to visiting the Romanesque chapel of Saint-Paul, a jewel of tranquillity in a rural setting. From its promontory, it invites you to take your time and enjoy the peace and quiet.

This varied hike around the village of Arnave takes you over four mountain passes in a landscape dominated by the lofty silhouette of the Teste de Cuing. Alternating between woodland trails, forest tracks and balcony paths, it offers beautiful views of the Ariège Pyrenees and the Tarascon-sur-Ariège basin. There are a few sections on roads that are generally quiet outside the summer season.

This loop takes you from the village of Arnave up to the Col d'Ijou, where you can see the village of Croquié before starting the descent via the village of Serres. You can also admire the beautiful view of the Pyrenees at various points along the walk.

From the Appy car park, climb the peak but follow an anti-clockwise circular loop, which is much less common. That is to say, ascend via the Jasse de Sédars then the Sarrat de Bertenac, and return via the Col de Girabal, the Col d'Appy and then the Étang d'Appy.

A short, pleasant half-day hike in spring to the Étang d'Appy and its cirque.

Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the Pyrenees. From Canigou to Mont Valier, the summit of Pic de Saint-Barthélemy offers breathtaking views of the entire eastern Pyrenees and the Ariège plain. The ridge path and the pretty Étang d'Appy lake are a pleasant addition to this beautiful route. The significant elevation gain and length of this route are its main difficulties (²). See practical information (¹).

Most of the hike takes place in the forest on easy trails. At Les Brougues, and especially at the Cabane de Carmilles, you have a beautiful view of the Pyrenees. A beautiful hike for a very hot day! The starting point for this hike is not accessible in snowy conditions.

At an altitude of 2,000 metres, Mont Fourcat is the northernmost peak of the Cirque des Monts d'Olmes. It offers a vast view of the plain to the north and a view of the entire Ariège mountain range to the south and west. Beyond that, on a clear day, you can even see the Maladetta glacier in the distance. To the east, the view plunges into the Cirque des Monts d'Olmes, dominated by the imposing Saint-Barthélemy. You first climb through a beautiful forest and as soon as you reach the open space among the ferns and heather, which then give way to rhododendrons, broom and gispet, you can enjoy a beautiful view as you walk along a ridge formed by continuous grassy hillocks leading to the summit. This outing is quite challenging (800 m elevation gain), but the route is entirely on very comfortable trails and tracks, hence its "medium" rating.

A short outing for an afternoon of snowshoeing in the woods with magnificent views of the Ariège Pyrenees towards Andorra.

A family hike accessible to all, including children, in an area rich in pastoral history. This hike gives pride of place to wooded trails and highlights the waters of the Torrent de la Courbière. Beautiful mountain views and magnificent undergrowth.

An easy circular walk starting from Mercus-Garrabet and leading to the Pont du Diable.

An easy hike between Rabat-les-Trois-Seigneurs and Bédeilhac offering a beautiful view of the valley from the Roche Ronde.

A magnificent hike with no major difficulties. A majestic lake and wonderful views of the Ariège Pyrenees and Andorra from Pic de Bassibié.

A beautiful loop starting from the village of Gourbit.Passing by the Étang d'Artax (Artats), the Roc de Querquéou and the Col de Lastris.The viewpoint, at an altitude of almost 1,900 metres, is a feast for the eyes.

Starting from the Contrac car park in Rabat-les-Trois-Seigneurs, this is an accessible circular route with beautiful sights along the way.After the first climb, you will reach the architectural structure "Le Monolithe", created by students from the Toulouse School of Architecture: an unusual seat with a view over the valley. Then enjoy the panorama from the ruins of the ancient Cathar castle of La Roche Ronde, before finally descending past the Calamès Cave and its climbing site.

This circular hike will take you across the Plateau de Beille, offering beautiful views of the eastern Ariège Pyrenees throughout the hike. When you reach the top of the plateau, you may encounter a few herds grazing (goats, cows or Mérens horses).

A beautiful circular starting from the small village of Gourbit. You will pass through Artax, then Pic de Bassibié and Pic de Pioulou, before descending to the Étangs Bleus de la Courbière via the Col de la Couillate. Finally, the hike ends at the Cirque d'Embans, the Cabane d'Embanels and then a climb back up to the village of Gourbit.

Circular route to the Quioules hut, returning via the Rieufort de Gascous and Ludines huts. No technical difficulties (a bit steep at times – this is the Ariège, after all), but the second part of the route is mainly off-track, sometimes a faint track, sometimes nothing at all, and therefore requires good sense of direction or careful following of your GPS track.Classified as difficult due to the unmarked route and the steep gradients in places. Stunning views of the Aston massif, the Pic de l’Homme Mort, the beautiful huts and, on the return journey, the Soularac, Saint Barthélémy and Pic du Han. The outward leg along the Ruisseau de Quioulès offers the chance to discover some lovely pools. This walk can be done in the opposite direction, which would certainly offer a fine view of the Aston massif, but the ascent would then be concentrated in the first section.

A magnificent circular route through the forest with numerous information panels along the route, offering welcome breaks during the tough climb and breathtaking panoramic views. With two must-see sights, the Refuge de Grail (closed) and the Col de Grisoul! This short but steep hike in the Vicdessos valley reveals an important part of the mining history of the Ariège. Here, in the heart of the mountains, the Mines du Rancié began with modern open-pit iron ore extraction at an altitude of over 1,500 metres, before more and more tunnels were dug, descending ever deeper! Connected to each other, they saved many lives during the frequent rockfalls that led to their permanent closure in 1931, despite the fact that the deposit was far from exhausted.

A beautiful route alternating between beech forests, stunning views of the Os Valley and old iron mines, starting from the small village of Sem, above Vicdessos. Best done in dry, clear weather.

This is a fairly long route, taking around 6 hours to climb up to Étang Blaou. The route is easy up to Cabane de Peyregrand, where you simply follow the yellow markings. In the plain around the hut, the markings are more or less faded and it is easy to lose track of them. They reappear at the start of the final climb, where the cairns and yellow markings are fairly easy to see. It's a real treat once you reach the lake, where there is no one else around and the landscape is magnificent.

This hike in the Siguer valley is very varied. The climb along the Brouquenat stream is bucolic and feels easy despite the length and elevation gain.

Third day of a three-day trip (August 2023) starting from Vicdessos (Val de Sos). A (very) difficult round-trip hike: 1,200 m elevation gain and an average gradient of 21 per cent. A magnificent path all the way to the Pont de le Peyre over the Ruisseau de Brouquenat. Then a narrow path until you cross the Ruisseau d’Auruzan. Next, a steep path leads to the first Neych lake. After the second footbridge, the landscape opens up. From the Pont de la Peyre, there are stunning views over various valleys and the Ariège mountain ranges as far as the lake. Very old yellow signposting.

A magnificent but very demanding circular route with highly varied landscapes and terrain:Numerous waterfalls during the ascent, which is at times steep and very stony, up to the Peyre bridge.A short, slightly vertiginous ledge section to reach the vast Gnioure pond.A long path running alongside the lake, then the stream, and winding its way into the valley.A hillside climb that starts off fairly gentle but ends up quite steep, leading to the Étang du Rouch.Cross the pass and enjoy a gentle descent towards the very pretty Llassiès lakes.A challenging descent via a chimney (which can be bypassed via a hairpin bend) into the valley.A long and gentle descent (very long) via the Peyregrand and Brouquenat lakes from above.A gruelling descent along stony paths back to the car park. The route follows the streams of Escalès, Auruzan and Gnioure on the ascent, then those of Llassiès, Peyregrand and Brouquenat on the descent.

Climb the ridge marking the border with Andorra to the beautiful Étang du Rouch, which seems to sit at the foot of the Pic de Font Blanca, passing by the majestic Étang de Gnioure and its lovely, long valley: - numerous waterfalls during the fairly steep and very stony climb up to the Peyre bridge; - a short, slightly vertiginous ledge section to reach the immense Étang de Gnioure; - a long path running alongside the lake, then the stream, and winding its way into the valley; - a hillside climb that starts off fairly gentle but ends up quite steep, leading up to the Étang du Rouch.

Snowshoe hike from the Monts d'Olmes resort. We did this hike on a Friday in January, outside of school holidays, which was great. It's likely to be a bit busier during school holidays or at weekends! If possible, choose a day with clear weather. It would be a shame to miss the view.

Circular starting from the Monts d'Olmes resort, passing through the Pics de Girabal and Galinat via the Col de Girabal, the Col de l'Étang d'Appy (with a beautiful view of the lake) and finally the Col de Cadène. Some sections require the use of your hands but are not particularly dangerous (in the absence of snow). You can also make a round trip to Pic du Han (from Col de Cadène) or Saint-Barthélémy (from Col de Girabal), but the additional elevation gains are not included in this technical data sheet.

The Pique d'Endron, which can be seen majestically from Goulier, is located on a ridge separating the Siguer and Vicdessos valleys. Magnificent viewpoint with a 360° panorama of all the great peaks around, and below, the Étangs d'Izourt and Gnioure lakes.

The Pique d’Endron is a central vantage point in the Haute-Ariège. From here, you can see the Montcalm massif and the Bassiès massif with its terraced lakes up close, and look out over two large lakes: Gnioure, with its small island, and Izourt. The view to the north stretches for miles. The hike is relatively short but quite challenging, with a 1,000-metre elevation gain, dizzying views and a short section where you’ll need to ‘get your hands dirty’.

This gentle peak is not notable for its modest altitude but nevertheless offers a superb vantage point over the Trois Seigneurs massif, the Montagne de Tabe and far beyond. After an initial section through a beautiful beech forest, the long climb up the broad grassy ridge allows you to fully enjoy the scenery. However, you’ll need patience and perseverance, as the slope is steep from start to finish with very little respite, except at the Col de Carlong.

This hike will allow you to discover two remarkable sites, the Sommet du Mont and the Roche Ronde, for the views they offer over the Tarascon valley and some of the peaks of the Pyrenees: Saint-Barthélémy and Pic des Trois Seigneurs.

Snowshoe hike starting from Ramon, depending on snow conditions. Be careful of road conditions; make sure you have good winter tyres (keep chains in the boot of your vehicle as a precaution). It is sometimes possible to drive to the small car park just next to the cattle grid. Fairly gentle slopes, mainly on tracks and trails, except before the summit of Bout du Touron. South-facing with a beautiful view, short section through the forest to see the Cabane des Gardes on the trail.