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Update 2024: It has been reported to me that many people take this route over two days and sleep near the lakes.
Please refer to the rules: camping is prohibited except in the two designated areas, fires are prohibited, dogs are prohibited, drones are prohibited, picking is prohibited, etc.
As a community, we have a duty to preserve our beautiful Pyrenees! ;)
There are several ways to reach Lake Orédon.
- By road from Saint-Lary. Take the D929 towards Aragnouet. At the village of Fabian, leave the D118 and continue on the D929 towards the Néouvielle lakes until you reach the Lac d'Orédon car park, the starting point for the
hike.
- By mountain from Barèges: via the Hourquette d'Aubert, the Col de Madamète or the Col de Barèges.
Join the trailhead at the end of the car park (signposted).
(S/E) The trail climbs through the woods on the edge of the lake and then follows the mountain stream that flows into Lac d'Orédon. After skirting the lake road, you will reach a plateau on the edge of the forest and, a few minutes later, the two Laquettes lakes.
(1) The trail passes by the Laquettes and turns north-west towards Lac d'Aubert and its dam.
(2) Continue to the car park and join the section of road that descends towards the end of Lac d'Aumar, then turn left to reach the banks at a footbridge at an altitude of 2,197 metres. Turn right to take a short section ofthe GR®®10which runs alongside the lake and the road to a junction (signposted).
(3) Leave theGR®®10on your right, which leads to the Col d'Estoudou, and take the path on your left that climbs towards the Col d'Aumar. This path winds its way up above the lake and leads to the pass.
(4) Beautiful view of the Néouvielle and the Estibère valley. Follow the path that climbs towards a promontory behind which you will find Lac Supérieur.
(5) Go around the lake and then head south to reach the shores of the small Lac de l'Île.
(6) Walk along this lake, then continue to the bottom of the valley along the stream on the cairned path.
(7) Just after crossing the stream, you will come to a fork. Leave the stream, which continues at the bottom of the valley, and turn right towards the south-east towards the adjacent valley. The path climbs gently towards a promontory behind which lies Lac d'Anglade.
(8) The path veers eastwards and descends towards Lac du Pé d'Estibère.
(9) Continue eastwards along the lake, then through the forest, veering south until you emerge from the woods onto a grassy plateau. You will then see the magnificent Lac de l'Oule below, behind the trees.
Cross the plateau heading south to reach a path.
(10) Turn east to descend straight down to the lake through the trees and join the wide path at the edge of Lac de l'Oule.
(11) Turn right heading south to walk along Lac de l'Oule and quickly reach the junction for Col d'Estoudou (signposted).
(12) Leave the lake path and turn right onto the GR®10, which climbs through the woods towards the pass. Halfway up the slope, the path leaves the forest and winds through a wide meadow to the Col d'Estoudou. There is a beautiful view of the grassy mountains of the Saint-Lary-Soulan ski resort (Crête de Graouès Blanques) to the east and the Néouvielle to the west.
(13) Leave theGR®10on your right, which leads to the edge of Lac d'Aumar, and follow the small path on your left that descends through the woods towards Orédon. This fairly steep and rugged path quickly leads to the Refuge d'Orédon and then to the car park (S/E).
Visorando Member
Moderate 
Very difficult 
