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From Oloron-Sainte-Marie, head towards the Col du Somport (N134) as far as Asasp. After the church, at the bottom of the descent on the N134, turn left towards Lurbe Saint-Christau and Saint-Christau. Drive for about 1 km, then, at the junction of the D238 and the D918, go straight on along the D918 towards Arudy and drive another 1 km uphill. At the “Au Bon Coin” restaurant on the right, leave your car in the second car park on the left.
(S/E) Take the D918 downhill. Pass the Saint-Christau thermal baths on your left and turn right at the next junction onto the tarmac road that climbs slightly. Continue for about 800m, following the signs on the yellow “Mail Arrouy” boards as you pass a large quarry.
At the next junction, turn right again onto the road that climbs gently alongside the meadows. The road turns into a stony track and begins to climb a little more steeply. Pass two hairpin bends and continue climbing until you reach the information board on the Oloron Piedmont hiking trails.
(1) Take the path on the right and begin the ascent. There are no markings, but simply follow the only visible path. The gradient becomes very steep and remains so for much of the climb.
(2) At this point, on the right, you can see a huge boulder whose regular shape might suggest the hand of man... Clearly, nature is solely responsible!
Continue the climb through the forest on the stony path, which can be tricky if it’s wet!
(3) Cross a ford and continue climbing.
(4) Pass through the barbed wire fence to reach the pastureland, where it becomes difficult to follow the route to Mail Arrouy. The markings are often partially worn away, and there are numerous animal tracks... Continue climbing through the forest.
(5) Upon reaching a clearing, pass in front of a shepherd’s hut and head towards the metal cattle enclosure to the left of the hut, continuing to climb. Then proceed west-south-west along the same contour line for 400m and resume the ascent to the left towards Mail Arrouy, which is now clearly visible. The climb takes you through fields, brambles and holly thickets, following the animal tracks as best you can... The vegetation thins out and you finally reach the foot of Mail Arrouy, where you’ll occasionally spot a fading trail marker... The final ascent is almost like rock climbing over large blocks of dolomite, but you can easily imagine the magnificent panorama that awaits us at the summit...
(6) The summit, with a 360° view of the region: Béarn to the north, Oloron, then the Aspe Valley to the south-west, and the Pyrenees range to the south. Follow the west-south-west GPS route precisely to begin the descent.
(7) Leaving the ridges of Mail Arrouy, heading west, pass the first marker with the yellow signpost indicating the direction to follow for the rest of the descent. Turn north and follow the animal trails through the woods, bushes and wetlands... The markings on the hiking trail are still barely visible; it is essential to be very careful and to use a GPS if possible. Keep heading south-west. As you emerge from the forest, the trail continues with a steep descent to the Cabane des Bergers.
(8) Pass the hut on your right and continue the descent; the path becomes more visible, but is still just as steep! Walk for about 1 km, passing two hairpin bends marked by animal hoofprints until you (finally...) come to a stony track.
(9) On the right, two splendid ‘no entry’ signs ...... So turn left and follow the Route Forestière du Binet, pass through a metal gate and continue the final descent towards the D918.
Cross the D918 to return to the car park at the starting point, opposite the “Au Bon Coin” inn (S/E).
Visorando Member
Moderate 
Easy 
