Pic de Bergons

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Starting from Luz Saint Sauveur on foot, the hike is much longer. The summit was shrouded in mist. The climb is pleasant with no difficult sections. There are very few signs on site, with some indicating routes that are different from the one suggested. We didn't try them all!

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Date of your route : Jun 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A good walk on a challenging trail from start to finish, but the result is worth the effort. The route is very reliable. I climbed in thick fog, but the weather was good and there was a superb 360° view over a sea of clouds.
Worth doing even if the access track is a bit daunting, but we managed to get through with a car with a bit of ground clearance.

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

It's a steep climb, though, especially since the road leading to the start is in terrible condition. There's even a sign warning motorists that the road is very bumpy.
So we left the car a little before the start, but that adds quite a bit of elevation gain for a short distance, so you have to be in good shape.

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Date of your route : Apr 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Since the last report in 2024, the track has become even more rutted due to the autumn and winter rains; it's passable, but with caution; I already knew this, so I wasn't too worried, but the other drivers in the group were more perplexed;
there was a small patch of soft snow on the last climb before Bachebirou; it was very windy on the final ridge of Bergons, so we had our picnic below; the view was magnificent, of course; we preferred to make a loop for the return trip, taking the option of carefully following the ridge downhill to the north (watching where we put our feet, but it's not acrobatic) to a fork (at about 1600m, well marked near the forest, and be careful not to go all the way to Turon des Longues (1573m)! we set off again at a 30-degree angle to the right towards the forest, first climbing slightly then following almost the same contour line towards the bottom of the valley, then at the edge of the forest we find the first steep climb we climbed in the morning, then the track and the car park.
another alternative for the loop: descend from Bergons in the meadow towards the north-west, moving away from the south-north ridge, then join the path that comes from the barns of Abié. It is on the hillside at around 1610m and joins the previous fork near the forest.

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Date of your route : Sep 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The path/track leading to the start of the hike is no longer as passable as originally described in 2020. Ruts and holes have certainly formed since then.
A high-clearance vehicle is required. It is not very easy to drive on this path.
The designated parking area has very few spaces, with room for a maximum of seven to eight cars.
It may be better to park near the houses a little further back.
That's why I rated the reliability of the description as average, even though we're not on the hike yet.
Otherwise, it's a very beautiful hike that climbs steeply at the beginning but becomes less difficult afterwards.
The 360° view from the summit is magnificent.

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Date of your route : Jul 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike. One of our favourites. A breathtaking 360° panorama of the cirques and surrounding area.
Parking available for 8 standard-sized cars, provided they are willing to park properly :-)
Done with two children aged 6 and 8. Steady elevation gain.
The summit is full of sheep droppings, but that doesn't stop you from finding a little spot to sit down and admire the scenery.
Thank you

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Thank you, but not everyone is a mountain expert, and it is very easy to add up the kilometres, as another website I just visited does.

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Hello,

I am sorry for you, but the description contained all the information you needed to complete this route correctly and return precisely to the starting point.

On the climb, there are only two hairpin bends and no others where you will encounter barns visible on the IGN paper map or the Visorando digital IGN map, which you should consult before any hike.
There are no barns on the other hairpin bends.
The first is located at an altitude of 1,411 metres (an altitude I have just calculated) and the second, at the start of the hike, is at 1,461 metres, as indicated in the description of the route. Next to this starting point, the map shows a point marked by the IGN at 1,467 metres, which allows you to locate the position of this second hairpin bend and therefore the start of the hike. Furthermore, only this second hairpin bend has a location that allows parking on the right.
There was no need to look at the odometer; all I had to do was follow the track as indicated until I came to the barns located at these hairpin bends and park on the right as soon as possible, and that was it.

i traced a route on the Visorando digital map from the start of my hike, zooming in as much as possible for maximum accuracy, following the track for 2.5 km downstream to pinpoint the exact location of your starting point. The route has been made public and is visible to moderators.

It is located at an altitude of 1,251 metres in a bend and 218 metres from a hairpin bend upstream.
Your starting point is in the forest in an area with no houses and far from barns.

By simply consulting the IGN map, you could have proceeded as indicated above until you reached the hairpin bends and their barns and thus the car park.
The altimeter provides additional accuracy, but yours, with an error of 210 metres in altitude, is in dire need of recalibration.

You could also have checked your position using your smartphone and the Visorando app

The app shows your position in relation to the route via satellites and therefore in relation to its starting point. I would like to inform you that this app has a function that guides you by GPS to the starting point and also during the hike with an audible alarm in case you stray from the route.

I note that, apart from the difficulty in finding the starting point, you still managed to complete the route to the summit.
Finally, the hike is not easy but of medium difficulty, as I indicated in the guidebook.
Best regards, Britanicus100

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Date of your route : Nov 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful day and splendid views: I only encountered three people!
The elevation gain is steady but consistent, with no points where the slope becomes more moderate. The description is problematic because there are many barns, hairpin bends and parking options, and they all look alike to someone unfamiliar with the area like me.
I stopped too low because I saw a sign for hikers pointing to Bergons and had to tackle a climb of more than 800 m instead of the 600 m announced and 2.5 km more. Believing the hike to be easy, I hadn't calibrated my altimeter. It would be very useful to specify on the map the number of kilometres of easily passable track to be covered from the Villenave exit (6/7).

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The spikes are not as good as crampons, but they are still effective enough for this type of hike.
In the Hautes-Alpes, local hiking clubs use them, such as the Briançonnais Hikers and Trail Markers Club (ARBB), of which we were members.
But once you've tried crampons, you can't do without them.
For your information, the aluminium crampons used in ski touring, which are lighter than the steel crampons used for glacier hiking, are sufficient and perfect for winter hiking.

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Date of your route : Apr 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent panorama upon arrival!!! With snow at this time of year, the spikes added to the hiking boots were much appreciated.

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Thank you for posting your review.
Yes, like you, I saw a vehicle at point (2), but I preferred to save my shock absorbers, especially since the walk between these two points is not unpleasant.

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Date of your route : Aug 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with a 360° view at the summit.
Steady, sustained climb.
To avoid sheep droppings at the summit, you can go a few metres lower or climb up to the ridge on the other side of the Bachebirou hut for a slightly different view.
To avoid the slightly steep path at the start, a few cars were parked at the end of the track at elevation 1664 at point 2, but given the condition of the track and its length, we did not regret starting at point 1.

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Date of your route : Aug 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent panorama, summit reached. Short but demanding hike.

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

An easy and pleasant hike, ending with a final climb to the summit offering a 360° view.

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