The Pic des Tres Estelles

A challenging hike, but well worth the effort! A magnificent reward at the summit of Tres Estelles.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.04 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 8h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,262 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,273 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,097 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 854 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Area: Pyrenees
  • ⚐ City: Escaro (66360)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 42.53676° / E 2.316051°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2249ET, 2249ETR, 2250ET, 2250ETR, 2349ET, 2349ETR
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

In the village of Escaro, start by taking the track opposite the museum and climb up to a crossroads where there is a small picnic area.

(1) Take the DFCI-CO 76 track opposite, which winds upwards. After about 40 minutes, you will come to another crossroads where you should take the DFCI 95 track on the left, towards Col de la Llosa. After about 15 minutes, you will arrive at the Pas du Grau crossroads.

(2) Turn left towards Tres Estelles, following the red and yellowGRP® Nature Reserve markings. You will cross a forest track five times... Be careful, because on the fifth and final time, there is a very steep climb before you reach a flat section. Continue climbing tirelessly, following theGRP® markings to Col des Tres Estelles.

(3) You're not there yet, as you are now at the pass and not the summit. Turn left onto a small, unmarked but obvious path to reach the triangle with three stars at the summit and enjoy an exceptional 360° view.
Allow 10 minutes between the pass and the peak. Allow a good two hours between Pas du Grau and the summit.

Descend back to the pass and turn left towards Escaro-Sahorre via Founguéré. At first, the path is unmarked but obvious. Don't worry, yellow markings will gradually appear.

After a good half hour, you will pass the original spring called "Font de Prat d'Avet".
After an hour, you will reach the Founguéré forest house on your way.

(4) Continue down the winding path and leave the Thorrent intersection (hamlet of Sahorre) on your right.

(5) After the "Cabanils" junction, rejoin theGRP® Nature Reserve trail, which will take you directly back to Escaro, 1.5 km further on. Pass the cemetery and follow the road back up to the village to return to your vehicle.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 882 m
  2. 1 : km 0.46 - alt. 908 m - DFCI 076 track
  3. 2 : km 4 - alt. 1,201 m - Pas du Grau
  4. 3 : km 8.17 - alt. 2,055 m - Col Tres Estelles
  5. 4 : km 11.71 - alt. 1,520 m - Founguéré Refuge
  6. 5 : km 14.6 - alt. 1,033 m - GRP intersection
  7. S/E : km 16.04 - alt. 880 m

Notes

Founguéré forest house: please respect this place and leave it in the condition in which you found it.

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

Worth a visit

Escaro Mining Museum.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
titi670
titi670

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It's quite a climb up through the forest! Once you reach the ridge, you can enjoy superb views of the surrounding peaks, with a pretty cross marking the summit. The return route follows a rockier path for about 2 kilometres, offering varied landscapes and magnificent panoramic views of Canigou, the Tower of Goa and Saint-Martin Abbey.

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Tristan_Minier
Tristan_Minier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

I did the route today. There was still a little snow on the ridges, but just a thin layer, which made it look magical with the animal tracks (fox, deer, roe deer and... big dog? Or a wolf?). Even in summer clothes (shorts, T-shirt, trail shoes) it's fine, but bring a windbreaker anyway. The descent was a great moment for me, running non-stop down to the village, pure pleasure.

However, I would recommend taking the "cami del Matxos" and following it all the way to the top, as the route always takes you back to the DFCI, which is much more bucolic than a DFCI path...

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ValerieSDG
ValerieSDG

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We set off from Escaro, taking the GRP trail behind the church.
A beautiful route on soft, shaded ground. It climbs quite a bit in the forest. On the ridge, there is a beautiful view of the surrounding peaks and a pretty cross at the summit. The return route is more stony for about two kilometres, offering beautiful varied landscapes and a magnificent view of Canigou, the Goa tower and St Martin's Abbey. The hike ends in the forest at Escaro.
A beautiful hike!

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pier road
pier road

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this hiking idea.
Not many people (early October, some sections don't seem to get much traffic), pleasant and beautiful views all around
The letterbox at the summit is a nice touch
Be careful, there are very few markings on a large part of the descent (at the beginning, after that it becomes clear again), but the terrain makes the direction obvious.
However, the walking time seems to be overestimated. It took me 5½ hours (excluding breaks) at a good pace without being a mountain goat.

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jice14
jice14

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We're not pros, but we really enjoy hiking. This hike requires some effort, but it's definitely worth it. In June, we were lucky enough to walk through magnificent landscapes still in bloom, with snow-capped peaks in the distance, the names of which I unfortunately can't remember, including Canigou, no doubt. A superb view from the summit. Really lovely.

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P.O Express
P.O Express

Thank you very much
I should have specified that during the spring/summer months, it would be best to start very early in the morning in order to finish this circular loop around 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. to avoid the intense heat....

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renegely66
renegely66

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 04, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike with stunning views, especially of Canigou. However, the hike is not easy to do in late spring or early summer.

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