Ascent to the Étangs du Fourcat via the Étang d'Izourt

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A beautiful hike that will take you to one of the most beautiful lakes in the Vicdessos valley.
The times indicated are for a trained walker. Allow at least 5 hours to reach the refuge.

Details

n°1480573
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.24 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 8h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,415 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,407 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,446 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,149 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Area: Pyrenees
  • ⚐ City: Auzat (09220)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 42.717137° / E 1.48767°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2148OT, 2148OTR
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Photos

Fourcat
Izourt
Fourcat lake
The Fourcat Lake

Description of the walk

From Vicdessos, go to Auzat, Ournac, Bénasque, Artiès, Pradières d'en haut. Depart from the car park (1150 m) located below the Pradières power station.

(S/E) Climb up theGR®10trail, following the valley.

(1) Go around the Pradières power station, still following theGR®10. The path will take you up a steady slope to the Étang d'Izourt (1650m). This is the end ofthe GR®10, which climbs to the left.
Duration: 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.

(2) Follow theGR®10Aaround the lake on the left, on the east side, to reach the foot of La Caudière (1655m).
Duration: 30 mins.
Cross the small stream to follow theGR®10A, which passes along the left bank, and begin a steep climb along a well-marked winding path. You will arrive at a fairly marshy plateau at an altitude of approximately 1930m.
Duration: 30 minutes.

(3) Cross a footbridge. The path then continues, winding its way through the rocky outcrops to bring you to the Hommes de Pierre (stone pyramid) at an altitude of around 2320m. From here, you will begin to see the Petit Étang du Fourcat and the refuge above it, on the rocky spur.
Duration: 1 hour.
On a gentler slope, continue straight ahead to skirt Petit Étang Fourcat on the right.

(4) Arrive at Étang Fourcat and its refuge.
Duration: 30 minutes.
From the refuge, you can walk to the Étang Fourcat peninsula.

Return via the same route to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,150 m - Parking
  2. 1 : km 0.42 - alt. 1,174 m - Pradière Power Station
  3. 2 : km 3.19 - alt. 1,674 m - Etang d'Izourt
  4. 3 : km 5.34 - alt. 1,928 m - Footbridge
  5. 4 : km 8.54 - alt. 2,446 m - Refuge du Fourcat
  6. S/E : km 16.24 - alt. 1,149 m - Parking

Notes

This hike does not present any particular technical difficulties.
However, its distance and elevation gain (approx. 17 km round trip and 1,300 m of elevation gain and loss) require good physical condition.
However, the trip can be done over two days, sleeping at the refuge at 2,445 m.
Snow cover may be late, particularly between the footbridge over the Caudière and Les Hommes de Pierre.

During the season, water is available at the Refuge du Fourcat. Bring the usual equipment for mountain hiking.

Worth a visit

From Étang Fourcat, you can continue the hike to the Pics de Tristagne (2,878 m), Pic de l'Étang Fourcat (2,859 m) and Pic de Malcaras (2,865 m), or return via the Étangs de Petsiguer.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 9 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
teysmur31
teysmur31

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Start from the Pradilleres car park. The climb to Izourt is fairly easy. Then, just before Fourcat, it gets much steeper and more difficult. The signposting has been completely redone and is very visible. There is lots of water everywhere, which is very pleasant for cooling off. Izourt is very beautiful and Fourcat is magnificent. A very beautiful hike.

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User 3291909

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike. Signposted route. We encountered only one herd of cows, no patou!
Very beautiful pond at the top.
A few steep sections
Took 6½ hours with a few short breaks

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Pascal donard
Pascal donard

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike, with some very steep sections.
Quite a climb, but well worth the effort!

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Cjl
Cjl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 1998
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done quite some time ago (before 2000).
Superb hike with no technical difficulty, as indicated in the guidebook.
One comment: the estimated time for the ascent of 3½ hours for a 1,355m elevation gain is, as stated, valid for good walkers, which corresponds to about 400m per hour. For less experienced walkers, given the significant elevation gain, it is better to estimate between 250m and 300m per hour, which means an ascent time of 5 hours and 3.5 hours for the descent (without stops).

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Aquacyclopode
Aquacyclopode

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

At the beginning of October, there are a few icy sections, notably a slab with a rope stuck in the frost (before the stone man).
You can climb up to Izourt Pond via the right bank of the stream, which is a pleasant path and allows you to take the GR on the way back.
Otherwise, return via the GR10A, a path overlooking the valley, but narrow and sloping, so not particularly pleasant.

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tegon
tegon

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

At the start of the car park, just before crossing the bridge, there is a very well-marked path (as well as the GR) that starts on the right (left bank), which I take before realising that I am not on the GR, but which is marked on the map as a parallel route, and I continue the ascent to the dam (a steady climb, but in the shade and with no visibility except at the end). Two couples of hikers are also taking it. At the dam, as shown by two hikers, you have to go through the stone building attached to the dam. In addition, several paths lead up to the top of the dam (diffuse route). In fact, the GR 10 is marked by a large cairn above the top of the dam.
So I take the vague route along the bank of the Izourt pond. At the first flat section (point 3), a sign indicates: 2 hours to the refuge, which is about right for me.
Magnificent view of the small Fourcat pond and the refuge on the spur. The refuge is closed, so I visit the part that is open in winter.
Taking my time and making mistakes, the climb takes me 5½ hours and the descent, without mistakes, a little less than 4 hours.
I met three hikers above the lake (memorial) and four hikers on the same path up to the Izourt pond, one fisherman on the same lake, and then no one else (towards the Fourcat pond)

.

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Dia Pason
Dia Pason

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant hike, with some fairly steep climbs.

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gabier971
gabier971

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

training for the GR20

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Tenzig11250
Tenzig11250

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 21, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The return trip via a detour to the Goueille pond, the Petsiguer ponds, and Izourt is interesting, after a good night's sleep at the refuge.

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