Lac de Gaube from La Raillère

Date of your route : Oct 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

I completed this beautiful hike under the autumn sun. Information panels along the entire route from La Raillère to the Pont d'Espagne bridge, featuring legends and explanations about the flora and fauna, provide interesting opportunities to pause and reflect.
The climb after the bridge is more or less pleasant on a ski slope. The arrival at Lake Gaube is enchanting. The return to the bridge is pleasant, with more people climbing from the bridge to the lake. From the Pont d'Espagne to La Raillère, I took the road (D920) until I found a path on the left towards the Pont de Bousses, which spans the Gave. I then descended to La Raillère by the same route as on the way up.

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Date of your route : Oct 12, 2025
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, the waterfall trail between La Rallière and Pont d'Espagne offers a succession of magnificent waterfalls, especially with the autumn colours!
The climb from Pont d'Espagne to Lake Gaube is less interesting, but the lake is well worth the effort: it was truly superb in the bright sunshine that day!
There were quite a few people at the lake, and I passed many people on the descent to Pont d'Espagne.
The return trip from Pont d'Espagne to La Rallière via the D920 offers some different views of the waterfalls, but in hindsight, if I had to do it again, I would take the left bank route.
In terms of elevation gain... it was a little more than advertised: 955m +
I covered 16.33km in 6 hours 35 minutes, including breaks

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Date of your route : Aug 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A must-do hike, especially the section of the trail called "Circuit des Cascades" (Waterfall Trail) from La Raillère to Pont d'Espagne. There are numerous waterfalls to admire along the way, culminating in the spectacular Pont d'Espagne waterfall. Some sections are tricky as they are slippery. A very refreshing trail in hot weather.

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Date of your route : Jun 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

nice hike

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Date of your route : May 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Wonderful hike
for our first time, we took the chairlift , a great experience!!!
The Gaube Lake was exceptional
The descent down the road didn't bother us because we had a different view of the waterfalls.

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Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful walk accessible to families via the chairlift or for those who want to hike along the trail or the GR10.

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Date of your route : Aug 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike.
The first part along the waterfalls is fantastic, very beautiful and natural. No particular difficulty.
The section between the Pont d'Espagne and the end of the cable car is a little more difficult as it's very steep. You can take the cable car to avoid this, although it's a shame to miss out.
The lake is magnificent, although very busy.
We returned via the same route.
Total walking time: 4 hours 45 minutes. Allow for several breaks, especially at the lake for those brave enough to go swimming.

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Date of your route : Jul 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike, nice climb on the trail, very crowded from the chairlift arrival point onwards

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Date of your route : Oct 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The conditions were perfect! The weather was mild. The first part of the trip was very pleasant, from the railleres to the Pont d'Espagne, with a few people at the bridge spot. There were toilets and a water source in the bridge car park. The rest of the route from the Pont d'Espagne to the lake was fine. When we arrived at the lake, it was very windy and quite a few degrees cooler. Winter conditions that weren't there when we set off. Water point + restaurant. The return from the lake to the car park (very nice loop) was uneventful, with no shuttles at this time of year. The return trip by road from the car park to the starting point is not interesting. So I hitchhiked back down and came across a very nice couple who were also into hiking. They know one of the co-founders of the VISOrando website... excellent! 👌 Thank you for this hike 🙏

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Date of your route : Aug 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful, fairly easy hike. Magnificent waterfalls and landscapes. However, in the middle of August, it's best to avoid this place if you like peace and quiet, as it gets very (too) crowded..

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Date of your route : May 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike, especially the waterfall trail at the beginning. You can park right at the trailhead (former La Raillère thermal baths).
We did it as a couple and had never hiked in the mountains before.
We were complete beginners, used to running/trail running but nothing more.
It's accessible without walking sticks, but good shoes are recommended. There's a lot of water on the waterfall trail, so bring waterproof shoes (a no-brainer for hiking...).
We hardly saw anyone else on the waterfall trail (we did the hike in mid-May).
The waterfalls are magnificent, the route is very pleasant and the risk of falling is minimal if you're careful!
A small detail: once you arrive at the Pont d'Espagne on the esplanade, you have to cross the Pont d'Espagne bridge, then walk down 200 metres and take the trail on the right.
In comparison, the Pont d'Espagne - Lac de Gaube trail is much more monotonous than the waterfall trail 😅
We also made the return trip via the waterfall trail and didn't regret it. It's still more physically demanding than the road but doable despite the fatigue.
Departure 11:45 a.m. / Arrival 7:00 p.m
7 hours and 15 minutes of hiking, including breaks, lunch and photo stops.
Oh yes, and the Pont d'Espagne - Lac de Gaube chairlift doesn't run out of season, which will save you a few extra kilometres haha

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Date of your route : Aug 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We set off from the old Raillere thermal baths (a few parking spaces available). We joined the waterfall trail (GR10) at the foot of a café. The climb is pleasant and very wooded until you reach the Pont d'Espagne. No major difficulties. Just watch out for slippery rocks and tree roots.
Once at Pont d'Espagne, we continued our climb along the GR10 to Lac de Gaube. A little difficult in places (high steps), especially on the descent. Return via the same paths. The view is still as splendid as ever!
There were obviously lots of people, but we let them pass, said hello and everything went quite well!
Total time: 6 hours, including a 40-minute lunch break, about 15 minutes taking photos, chatting with other hikers and stopping to drink, estimated at around 15 minutes. Good shoes and a pair of telescopic walking poles are highly recommended for this route.

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Date of your route : May 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The trail to the waterfalls and the Pont d'Espagne bridge is the most enjoyable part, especially at this time of year (impressive flow, magnificent waterfalls, etc.). However, the climb to Lake Gaube, from the cable car station to the lake, is awful (a crazy world, an unattractive path). The descent to the Pont d'Espagne via the GR10 is currently closed (supposedly for works). Given the disappointment on the way up, I would not recommend this hike.is awful (crowded, unattractive path). The descent to the Pont d'Espagne via the GR10 is currently closed (supposedly for works). Given our disappointment on the climb, we ignored the closure (like a few other hikers) and didn't regret it (pleasant trail and, as a result, not very busy).we returned to La Raillere via the same route we took on the way there (more "sporty" but I couldn't see myself going back down the road with the constant traffic (that's not hiking anymore...)

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Date of your route : Aug 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

We found the waterfall trail very pleasant as we set off early in the morning. Arriving at Pont d'Espagne brings you back to civilisation...The climb to Lake Gaube is very busy in summer, but the lake is magnificent. As mentioned in other reviews, the descent from Pont d'Espagne is much more pleasant via the uphill trail than by road. Please note that if you are very tired, you can take the bus down from Pont d'Espagne to La Raillère and Cauterets.

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Date of your route : Jul 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Wonderful hike. Stunning views from the Pont d'Espagne. Lake Gaube with the Vignemale in the background: magnificent. As it wasn't very crowded, we were able to enjoy it.

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