Lake Artouste

de fr

The high-altitude lakes of the Pyrenees have always been of interest to EDF. To expand them, the company raised the water level of a large number of them, including Lake Artouste. As part of this work, a railway line was built, which has now become a tourist attraction. This walk takes in all these points.

Details

n°94223
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.43 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 9h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 4,341 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 4,367 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 7,690 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 4,094 ft
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Description of the walk

Park in the large car park to the south of the Fabrèges power station.

(S/E) Take the path that heads due west into the forest; after a steep but easy climb, you’ll reach the Lurien hut, beautifully situated in the large mountain pasture.

(1) Then follow the Lurien stream and, continuing to climb up a much gentler slope, reach Lurien Lake.

(2) Complete the short ascent to the pass of the same name.

(3) Begin the descent towards Lake Artouste, heading first north-east then south-east at the 2,136-metre mark. Continue to the dam.

(4) Cross over and easily reach the tourist train station.
Take the minibuses along a virtually flat but 7 km-long route to reach the departure station at the Sagette cable car.

(5) Take the cable car back to the power station car park.

(6) Make your way to the starting car park (S/E) via the fitness trail running alongside Lake Fabrèges.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 4,121 ft - Car park at the Fabrèges power station
  2. 1 : mi 0.8 - alt. 5,541 ft - Lurien Hut
  3. 2 : mi 2.09 - alt. 7,260 ft - Lake Lurien
  4. 3 : mi 2.52 - alt. 7,690 ft - Lurien Pass
  5. 4 : mi 4.25 - alt. 6,463 ft - Lac d'Artouste
  6. 5 : mi 9.72 - alt. 6,220 ft - Sagette Upper Station
  7. 6 : mi 10.9 - alt. 4,131 ft - Lower station of La Sagette
  8. S/E : mi 11.43 - alt. 4,108 ft - Car park at the Fabrèges power station

Notes

Shelter at the Lurien hut and the Artouste dam.
A water source among those found along the route.
Check the operating days and times of the Artouste tourist train, as well as the fares.

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

Worth a visit

Of course, the highlight of the trip is the return journey on the charming little tourist train, which is particularly enjoyable, especially the passage through the tunnels.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 2 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
Guyhome
Guyhome

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did it the other way round: starting at the train station and finishing in the forest:
A magnificent walk, but be careful as there are no markings or signposts (Col de Lurien), so it’s easy to lose your way at the Col de Lurien. With children, it can be a bit long (5 hours)
We didn’t come across a single soul; it was magical – Lake Lurien, marmots, cows roaming free, …

Machine-translated

micheldoudeau
micheldoudeau

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A brilliant walk – and we carried on to Lake Migouelou as well...

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Lac du Lurien

Visorando Member
↔4.42 mi ↗+3,143 ft ↘-3,143 ft ◔4h 45 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Laruns (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
This is a fairly challenging hike in terms of elevation gain, but offers varied landscapes. This little-visited lake is a haven of peace and ideal for a picnic with family or friends.

Walking The banks of the Brousset

Visorando Member
↔6.67 mi ↗+968 ft ↘-971 ft ◔3h 55 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Laruns (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
A leisurely walk, largely in the shade, with little change in altitude. A return trip along the same very pleasant path, which follows the banks of the Gave du Brousset in the Upper Ossau Valley. Halfway along the route, there is a possible turn-off to climb up to the Pombie Refuge.

Walking Saoubiste Hut circular loop

Visorando Member
Cabane de Saoubiste en boucle
↔6.28 mi ↗+1,755 ft ↘-1,755 ft ◔4h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Laruns (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
A very attractive circular path on paper but a little challenging in practice, between the two huts: 560 m of elevation gain, a fairly steep climb through the forest, followed by a traverse in the sun, before descending back into the forest to rejoin the wide path along the Brousset to the car park.

Walking Three peaks of the Massif d'Arrious: Lac d'Arrious, Arriel, Petit Pic d'Arriel

Visorando Member
Les 3 pics du Massif d'Arrious : Arrious, Arriel et Petit Pic d'Arriel
↔8.58 mi ↗+5,190 ft ↘-5,190 ft ◔10 hrs ▲Very difficult
⚑Departure from Laruns (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
This loop in the Ossau Valley offers a wide variety of peaks, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, aerial passages and remarkable 360° views. It is a challenging hike due to its significant elevation gain and passages where you need to use your hands, but it is not one you will forget. It adds difficulty and also enjoyment to the traditional loop by passing through the famous Passage d'Orteig, the Pic d'Arrious and the cliffs of the Barre d'Arrious!You will be following in the footsteps of Henry Russel, who climbed the Arriel via the normal route in July 1874 and gave a faithful account of his ascent in the Bulletin de la Société Ramond, under the title "Explorations pyrénéennes" in October 1874.Writing a description yourself forces a certain amount of humility, as his style, always generous, often lyrical and sometimes emphatic, commands respect! All this with the limited technical means of the time!

Walking Arremoulit refuge

Visorando Member
Refuge de l'Arremoulit
↔8.92 mi ↗+4,127 ft ↘-4,108 ft ◔7h 40 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Laruns (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
This round trip hike requires a fairly good level of fitness. Long distance and steep gradient. Returning via Lake Artouste greatly reduces the difficulty. This hike is magnificent. Throughout the climb, you will have the high peaks in your sights. The trails are varied: you will cross forests, summer pastures with herds of cattle, streams and, early in the morning, you may even see some izards (a type of wild goat).

Walking Along the Gave de Brousset from Soques

Association / Club / Walk leader
Le long du Gave de Brousset depuis Soques
↔2.62 mi ↗+584 ft ↘-594 ft ◔1h 45 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Laruns (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
A round trip along the Gave de Brousset, offering superb views of the surrounding mountains. The route is often shaded. If you are not sensitive to the cold, you can swim in the river.

Walking Pombie Refuge, starting from Caillou de Soques

Visorando Member
Refuge de Pombie au départ du Caillou de Soques
↔6.26 mi ↗+2,385 ft ↘-2,418 ft ◔4h 55 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Laruns (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
With its small lake fringed by large boulders, the Pombie Refuge is the starting point for all ascents and climbs to the Pic du Midi d’Ossau. There are two possible routes to reach it: via the Cirque d’Anéou or via the Caillou de Soques. This route describes the approach via the Caillou de Soques.

Walking Pic d'Arriel via the north-west route and Petit Pic d'Arriel loop

Visorando Member
Pic d'Arriel par la voie Nord-Ouest et Petit Pic d'Arriel en boucle
↔8.30 mi ↗+4,754 ft ↘-4,760 ft ◔7h 55 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Laruns (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
This loop in the Ossau Valley offers a wide variety of peaks, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, aerial passages and remarkable 360° views. It is a challenging hike due to its significant elevation gain and passages where you will need to use your hands, but it is sure to leave a lasting impression.You will be following in the footsteps of Henry Russel, who made the ascent in July 1874 and gave a faithful account of it in the Bulletin de la Société Ramond, under the title "Explorations pyrénéennes" in October 1874.Writing a description of it yourself requires a certain amount of humility, as his style, always generous, often lyrical and sometimes emphatic, commands respect! All this with the limited technical means of the time!

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.