Pic de Mortiers - Les Camporells from Formiguères station

At the Mont-Louis roundabout (66), where there is a large stone monument, head towards Les Angles, Matemale and Formiguères on the D118. Leave Les Angles on your left and continue on the D118 towards Formiguères. At the entrance to the village, head towards the ski resort on the left. Please note that the road is narrow for about 100 metres. Then continue straight on, going uphill after the group of houses. The road widens. Continue along the numerous hairpin bends.
Description when there is no snow: wooden barrier across the end of the road, go up to the right. Park 100 m before the car park on the right before another wooden barrier.

Outside of snowshoe trailmarkings

(S/E) With the wooden barrier on your right and your back to the forest, turn left and walk about 20 metres towards the end of the tarmac road. On your left, you will find a wide grassy track heading north-northwest. The track then turns west and descends slightly. You will arrive at a large open crossroads in a clearing.

(1) Continue slightly to the right , now descending steeply northwest for 100 metres. Turn right, continue downhill and then, at the first left-hand bend, join a track suitable for vehicles.
Note that further on, the other left turn also leads to the lower track suitable for vehicles.

Yellow markings

(2) Turn left onto this wide track. Pass a fountain on your right and quickly cross the dels Plans de l'Orriet road bridge over the El Galba. Turn left.

Red and yellow markings for the^GRP® Tour du Capcir

(3) End of the track open to motor vehicles. Wooden barrier. Information board. Benches.
Follow the red and yellow markings to the left. From here, the path climbs up to Pic de Mortiers.

(4) Pass Barraca de la Jaceta and Barraques de la Jaça de la Llosa. Continue along this track, which further on becomes a well-marked path.

(5) Continue left, still on the^GRP®. Leave the climb to Porteilla d'Orlu on your right.
Cross the wooden footbridge.
Note that 200 m further on, on the left, there is a memorial stone erected in memory of two gendarmes who died in an avalanche on 27 April 1979. The view from this sombre spot is very beautiful. The^GRP® turns west, then south-southwest.
Ignore two fairly close junctions on the right heading due west (each marked with a red and yellow cross) leading up to Estany del Diable.
Simply continue the climb along the^GRP® trail^. After crossing the first stream in a marshy area, the slope becomes steeper. Then cross the Peira Escrita stream and climb towards a kind of pass, which can be reached via a safe rock ledge.
You will then reach a much flatter area with clear red and yellow markings.

(6) Variation: practical information.
Leave the markings temporarily and head right, due west for about 150 m.
You will soon rejoin the red and yellow markings on numerous wooden posts.
Turn right onto the^GRP® Tour des Pérics, continuing due west. Follow the large old cairns and the red and yellow markings to the summit of Pic de Mortiers, where an iron cross stands.

(7) To the west is the Ariège. View of Pic de Brasseil, known as Dent d'Orlu, and Pic de Tarbesou.
It is a very beautiful spot with a 360° panoramic view. You may wish to take a break here after all your efforts.
Remember to descend by following the same path back to the junction of the two GRP®^trails.

(8) Variation: practical information.
This is a rather confusing spot for hikers. It is the junction of^{the GRP®} Tour du Capcir and the^GRP® Tour des Pérics, both marked in red and yellow.
Continue downhill towards the refuge. The lakes will soon come into view. Head for the Refuge des Camporells, which you will see at the last moment.
You can take a break and get something to eat during the season.

Followthe yellow markings all the way to the finish if you follow the trail.

(9) Variant: practical information.
Head left towards the grassy track at the start. The rest of the route is uphill.

(10) Leave the track and take a steep path on the right. Follow this well-marked path, which heads due north. Do not enter the avalanche corridor on the right. Join the stony track.
Note: the path described here is well marked and used by animals grazing in this area. They do not contribute to erosion as they walk on solid, stony ground.

(11) Cross the track again and follow the path opposite, which climbs steeply through abandoned grazing land.

(12) Caution: the path climbing opposite is above a drop on the right-hand side. If you are afraid of heights, simply follow the track to the left, following the yellow markings.
Otherwise, continue westwards until you reach a large cairn in the middle of the path. Continue towards a signpost a little further on.

(13) Serra de Mauri. Signpost. Junction with the track. Follow the yellow markings.
The route continues downhill to the car park.
Turn right and you will come to a large Y-shaped junction (elevation 2351).

(14) Leave the track and turn right onto a narrower track which quickly turns into a wide, stony path in poor condition.

(15) At this point, there are two paths that lead to the same place. On the left are the yellow markings. Opposite is another route option. Further on, find the yellow markings again and continue along the track on the right towards the mandatory car park indicating the authorised limit of the track suitable for vehicles.

(16) Look for the yellow markings opposite, at the foot of the Calmasella chairlift pylon.
Caution: steep downward slope. Then turn south-east, parallel to the ski slope at the edge of the forest. Join the road and follow it to the right for 100 metres.

(17) Caution: look for the well-marked yellow trail on the left that leads into the forest.
The path leaves the forest and ends at a ski slope. Do not descend this slope.

(18) Cross the ski slope, heading south-east to find the well-marked path opposite in the pasture at the foot of a snow cannon post. Follow the yellow markings due east to find the track.

(19) Stone oratory.
- Either continue left along the track to the car park.
- Or cross the track and head opposite, towards the few buildings of the ski resort. Climb slightly towards the car park (S/E).

Between difficult and very difficult. But an overnight stay at the Camporells refuge is entirely possible.

Alternative route: at (6), continue on the^GRP® to the left towards (8), thus saving 260 m of elevation gain and loss without going to Pic de Mortiers.

Variation: at (8), turn left above the^GRP® and at a crossroads, at an altitude of 2312, continue straight ahead. The path climbs steeply to join the regulated access track to the refuge, saving you 85 m of ascent and descent without going to the refuge and its beautiful lakes.

Alternative route: at (9), you can simply follow the yellow trail to (13).

This is a mountainous area. You will need: rain gear, water, snacks, GPX track, description, map, GPS or Visorando app, camera, good walking shoes, and a walking stick.

There is a water source before you reach the refuge and sometimes at the Camporells refuge. There is a fountain between (2) and (3) and many places where water flows at a high rate, but a filter or disinfectant may be necessary when herds are grazing. I did not see a water tap at the station.

Camporells refuge. Change of owners in 2019.
Camporells refuge
Community of municipalities of the Catalan Pyrenees

Hike completed by the author on 23 June 2019. Still some snowfields but no danger.