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At Payolle, head towards the 4 Véziaux campsite and take the first track on the right after it. This leads to a small car park from which the trail is fully marked (yellow markings or signs).
(S/E) Starting from the car park, you pass Courtaou d'Artigussy along the Gaoube and, further up, Escloze, where there is a hut open to hikers.
(1) The trail then continues, climbing steeply through the summer pastures. It remains well marked and presents no particular difficulty for about a hundred metres. Once you reach the summit at around 1,500 metres, you will be rewarded with a superb view of the ruins of Courtaou des Esclozes below.
Follow the path that branches off to the left. The climb becomes gentler for about 1.5km until you reach a small plateau with a few erratic boulders at the base of a small hill.
The path describes a wide bend, which can be avoided by taking a short, steep, marked climb between the boulders. Higher up, two more bends lead to the Pla des Gats plateau, where the hut of the same name is located at the bottom below.
(2) You go around the plateau, climbing gradually between a few boulders, heading for a small area of scree opposite, above a small ridge. The scree passage can be tricky in places.
Once you have crossed it, the path passes over a small gorge where the Gaoube river flows. After a final, quickly crossed hill, you will finally see Lake Montarrouye, the destination of the walk.
(3) The return journey follows the same route back to the car park (S/E).
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