Pic de l'Ourtiset

This route takes you through an exceptional site with its mountain landscapes, fauna and flora. From the summit, you can see the whole of the Pays de Sault, the Ariège and Catalan Pyrenees and, if visibility is good, the Pic de Bugarach above the Carcassonne plain and the Montagne Noire.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.48 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 460 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 459 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,933 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,461 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the Col de Tourrrugue.

(S/E) At Col de Tourrugue, take the track that climbs opposite (south) of the pastoral refuge, then the wide path on the left that runs alongside it.

(1) Cross the track once, then head south to cross it twice more and reach a crossroads.

(2) Climb up the track on the right towards the Col de Seillis, passing in front of the Refuge d'Ourtiset.

(3) 100m before the fence that crosses the pass, climb up to the right along the winding path that leads up to the ridge, then climb up to the left to reach the Pic de l'Ourtiset.

(4) From the summit, continue down through the mountain pines, cross the fence and continue down the small path that leads to an area where a few pines grow, then crosses over to the other side of the meadow and reaches a flat area.

(5) Enter the forest on the right, follow the path, then climb up through the forest before descending along the path on the left. Turn right at the next junction.

(6) In the clearing, turn right and descend through another forest. At the bottom, climb up the Route des Sapins on the right to reach the Col de Tourrugue (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,488 m - Tourrugue Pass
  2. 1 : km 0.22 - alt. 1,517 m - Crossing of the track.
  3. 2 : km 1.01 - alt. 1,610 m - Crossroads, on the right.
  4. 3 : km 2.28 - alt. 1,733 m - Path on the right.
  5. 4 : km 3.14 - alt. 1,932 m - Pic d'Ourtiset
  6. 5 : km 4.17 - alt. 1,662 m - Crossroads, on the right
  7. 6 : km 5.57 - alt. 1,516 m - Clearing, on the right
  8. S/E : km 6.48 - alt. 1,489 m - Tourrugue Pass

Notes

Location: Col de Tourrugue (Rebenty forest), 40 km south-west of Quillan via the D117 (towards Puivert), D613 (towards Belcaire), D29 (at Espezel), D20 (at Rodome) and Route des Sapins.

Car park at the pass.

Yellow markings.

Difficulties!
Steep climb then descent between (3) and (5).
Avoid this route in foggy or stormy weather.

Worth a visit

Along the way:

  • very diverse mountain flora.
  • Numerous birds of prey (griffon vulture, golden eagle, etc.)
  • flocks of sheep and cattle grazing in summer pastures
  • Marmots
  • Remarkable views

Nearby:

  • TM71 Cave Reserve visitor centre
  • themed trail of the "Route de Vauban"
  • Rodome: equestrian farm
  • Natura 2000 site in the Rébenty Valley

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 13 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
pelofy
pelofy

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, fairly easy hike. In good weather, the view of the Ariège Pyrenees and the Sault plateau is extraordinary
tip: between markers 4 and 6, follow the yellow markings

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patrick colin
patrick colin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike that we unfortunately couldn't complete due to three sheepdogs guarding the flock along the way... one sheepdog is fine, but three is too many!
Best done outside the summer grazing season, which I will do again in the autumn.

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Annie62
Annie62

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The first third is on drivable paths with a gradual climb. Then comes the climb up the rock face. The view is spectacular. The markings for the descent are very difficult to follow. Bring a GPS to help you find your way.

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chespeel
chespeel

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike in the sunshine with beautiful views at the peak. Two orientation tables at the end of the climb. Take care on the descent as the orientation posts have fallen down. Best done in good weather to enjoy the views.

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aureleeloo
aureleeloo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This hike is really nice, it's very accessible, the climb to the peak is also accessible, I would even say it's a family hike. The view at the top is impressive, with a 360-degree view of the Aude valley, the Catalan Pyrenees and the Ariège Pyrenees! Apparently you can see marmots in spring, but we went too early! A wonderful discovery in the Aude Pyrenees!

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Nataliyah
Nataliyah

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful viewpoint. Accessible to all. However, please note: the pine tree road leading to the pass, the starting point of the hike, is not paved for the last (long) kilometres: it is a stony path not recommended for low-clearance cars.

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Bernard Aneto
Bernard Aneto

Stunning panoramic view. Marmots on the north-western slope in a beautiful valley leading to the pass located south-east of Picou Negre.

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bergeret66
bergeret66

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice with snow, so we had to deviate from the original trail, but the view from the summit was fabulous!

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pagueri
pagueri

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

As we were on a road bike and there were two of us, it was impossible to ride up the forest track to the Col de Tourrugue, so we decided to set off from Campagna de Sault, heading north-north-west to the Borne Rouge. From there, we reached point 2 via the path heading SW, then followed the route described to return to the Col de Tourruque. From the pass, we set off again for Borne Rouge and found the descent. Total distance: 13 km and elevation gain: 1,000 m.
If you have time, it should be nice to climb to point 2 via the route marked "Campagna de Sault circular" in the village. This route should be 15 or 16 km in total.
There is a beautiful view from the Pic d'Ourtiset, and vultures came to fly over us. The orientation table allows you to see the surrounding peaks as far as Ariège.
There were quite a few people at the summit, and unfortunately some of them were noisy. Please, when you're in the mountains, respect nature and other hikers: speak quietly! And keep your dog quiet...

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Ssz
Ssz

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Everything was perfect, you just have to be careful at the start and drive all the way to the Tourruge pass, which is quite a long way after Rodome, and not be afraid to follow the path through the forest.
We stopped at the first "Parking rando" sign we came across at the start of the forest path climb and ended up extending our hike by almost two hours on the way up (and an hour and a half on the way back) to reach the pass, which is the actual starting point of the walk.
But apart from that, it's a must-do!

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Maveda
Maveda

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Departure and return from the Col de Tourugue, good weather, steady climb, exceptional landscapes across the three departments of Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude and Ariège, exceptional flora to be preserved. Highly recommended.

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darma
darma

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 19, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hike done with a friend, my wife and two children. Somewhat experienced.
A very beautiful hike starting from the Col de Tourrugue. The beginning went very well between stages 1 and 3, then the climb up the pass was a bit difficult halfway between 3 and 4: there wasn't really a trail, but you could see the yellow marker posts every twenty metres, so you just had to reach them by any route available in front of you. Where it started to get tough was after marker 4. We crossed a fence and then started to descend, and for some unknown reason we lost the yellow markers, even though we were following the route indicated on the map exactly. Many thanks to the Visorando app on my phone and the power bank that kept it charged. Be careful between markers 5 and 6, we had to rely solely on the compass to guide us, because there were no yellow markers at all, even though we were still on the red line marked on Visorando. Many thanks to them! Then, as we descended, we reached the path with the yellow markers again, exactly as shown on the map, just before the first left turn. Despite losing the markers, we consider the hike to be "good" because there is a beautiful view at marker 4 and places to picnic.

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mourgoutc
mourgoutc

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike starting from the village of RODOME, following the GR 7A trail and then a wide forest track to the Col de Tourrugue pass. The orientation table on the Pic d'Ourtiset (the highest point in the Aude department at 1,932 metres) is very useful for identifying the many peaks in the Pays de Sault and Haute Ariège regions. I momentarily lost track of the yellow markings on the descent through the Ourtiset woods.
It is possible to visit the nearby Pic de Bentaillole (altitude 1965 m), which is easily accessible off-trail from the Col de Seillis.
The Ourtiset refuge is closed in May.
Duration of the hike: 7 hours. Cloudy weather.

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mndl
mndl

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The hike is very beautiful, with lovely views, but it is by no means "average" due to a very vertiginous section for those who are susceptible to vertigo, on a large part of the ascent to the peak.
For number 2, I would have said: "passing in front of the Ourtiset Refuge, climb up the track on the right towards the Col de Seillis."
Throughout sections 4-5 and 6 up to the Route des Sapins, the description is really vague and it's not easy to follow the GPS track once you leave the yellow PR markings (on the descent after the peak). The GPX track takes you away from the markings and no longer corresponds to the description at all...

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