Country:
City:
Start from the Lac des Gloriettes car park. At the top of Gèdre, after the church, turn right onto the road leading to Gavarnie and take the D922 towards Lac des Gloriettes / Le Maillet. After around 4km, turn right onto the D176, which leads up to the lake.
(S/E) From the car park, head north-west. Take the dam that closes off the lake. Follow the track to the left, ignoring a path that rises to the right. At the north end of the lake, turn left and follow the left bank of the lake. On the opposite bank, note the mouth of the tunnel from which water from the Aguila flows, collected a few kilometres to the east at the foot of the Soum des Salettes and channelled here. After passing the lake, reach a crossroads (footbridge on the left).
(1) Ignore the footbridge and continue south along the Gave d'Estaubé on your left. Cross a sort of gorge, with the Montagne de Larrue on your right and the Montagne de Chourrugue on your left.
(2) Near a bend in the river and at the foot of an escarpment on the right, the path splits in two. Take the left-hand path, which stays close to the river (the better-traced right-hand path gradually moves away from the river and rises towards Hourquette d'Alans). Cross the Pont d'Estaubé and walk past the hut of the same name.
(3) Stay on the right bank of the river and walk slowly up the valley. The Cirque d'Estaubé rises up to the south. Continue as far as the Cascade du Pla d'Ailhet, beyond which you cannot continue.
(4) The descent takes the same route as the outward journey, but in the opposite direction to the Lac des Gloriettes car park (S/E).
Visorando Member
Difficult 
