Country:
District:
From Lannemezan, head towards Arreau, and shortly afterwards follow the signs for Loudenvielle. From there, continue towards Pont du Prat until you reach the terminus, and park in the small car park.
(S/E) Cross the bridge over the Nestes du Louron and take the track to the left (a sign and commemorative plaque tell the history of the site).
Climb up alongside the buildings of the Tramezaygue power station. After five minutes, go through a metal gate, which you should close behind you because of the animals.
Fifty metres further on, follow the marked path through a copse, followed by a small clearing lined with hazelnut trees and bushes where mulberry trees are abundant.
(1) Enter the Aubarde wood, with its mixed species and dense beech trees.
A few bends further up, an intersection nicely marked by original signs, like those sometimes seen in American Western films, offers a choice of directions. At this point, follow the path on the left (marked with posts recounting the history of Clarabide and the local flora and fauna), leaving the Pez valley on your right, which leads to the pass of the same name.
Continue along this path, crossing a first footbridge over the water pipe coming from the top of the Aubarde ridge. The wide path, carpeted with dead leaves, slopes gently, which is explained by the fact that it was originally designed for mules and oxen carrying materials needed for the construction of the Caillauas and Pouchergues dams.
After the second hairpin bend, a few metres further on, you cross another footbridge. Further on, the hairpin bends become shorter and are sometimes damaged by runoff water. Higher up, you come to a third footbridge, followed by a small metal bridge over a very damp gorge. After about 300 metres of climbing, the path leads to the Clarabide gorges.
At the top of the forest, the path becomes narrower as it winds around the end of the Aubarde ridge. There is a small drop here, which you cross via a staircase with two small hairpin bends leading to a small platform.
A few metres further on, the Oratoire de la Santéte, the starting point of the Clarabide Gorges, offers a superb view of them.
(2) The trail continues almost horizontally for about two kilometres along the cliff side, reaching the old Soula bridge.
(3) Continue on and you will soon reach the Refuge de la Soula.
(4) Take the path on the left, which winds its way up to Lake Caillauas. Before reaching the lake, you will come to another crossroads.
(5) Cross the Caillauas stream to reach a very discreet path leading off to the right towards a small ridge to cross.
The little-used path is practically invisible and there are few cairns. The path starts on the right, where there is a staircase partly made of concrete and rock slabs, at the end of which, on a platform, there are remains of previous exploitation.
Climb up a scree slope via the path veering to the right, gaining height to reach an EDF hut. Go through the two metal doors, taking care to close them behind you. From there, you will have a superb view overlooking the ravine and the Caillauas hairpin bends.
Then cross two footbridges over the void, which at first glance must be 80 to 100 metres wide, visible through the holes in the honeycomb plates that make up the deck.
The path, which starts at 80 cm, narrows in places as it runs along the edge of the ledge, offering a unique sensation over an impressive drop. Fortunately, in some places, a few shrubs block the view of the drop, clinging to a few cracks on the edge of the ravine.
Shortly afterwards, passing in front of a boarded-up EDF window, the path crosses between the walls of the ruins of the mining barracks. Arriving at a fork, at the level of the EDF's private cable car buildings, there is no direction, two departures, one upwards and the other downwards. Take the latter and, after a short descent via steps, you will reach a platform at the exit of the penstocks leaving the massif.
Continue on to a scree slope; the path is well marked and reasonably steep.
From there, you can see the Vallon d'Aygues Tortes and the Prat Cazeneuve hut in the distance. After two large hairpin bends, the scree area disappears and the path continues to climb to an altitude of 2,160 metres.
(6) Here, the slope gradually levels out. The drop is still there, but less steep. Further on, the path suddenly disappears, then turns sharply left and widens. Step onto a ledge carved into the rock and follow the contour of a large fault, which has been eroded by two to three metres by an avalanche. This is a passage where you need to be very careful. Further on, cross a small stream. The path continues to descend and shortly afterwards reaches the lower part of the Pouchergues lake dam. You need to climb about 50 metres to reach its spillway.
(7) From there, take the path towards the Aygues Tortes valley, where you will come to a fork before arriving at the Prat Cazeneuve hut.
(8) Descend about a hundred metres and further down join the valley where the Clarabide stream flows.
Follow the track north-west, after walking over slightly undulating terrain. When you reach the top of a gap filled with boulders, you will see the path 80 metres below. The slope is steep and you will need to climb down from boulder to boulder. Once you reach the path you saw from above, cross a small plateau where the Neste de Clarabide flows, and follow a trail marked by cairns rising on a small hillock. A few metres further on, there is another descent through scree, which is quickly absorbed, and the Soula refuge can be seen not far below.
(4) Then find the path you took on the way up in the Clarabide Gorges, which will take you back to Pont du Prat and the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Moderate 
Easy 
