Pic de l'Oussouet

This summit offers a beautiful view of Pic du Montaigu, a prominent peak in the Pyrenees range overlooking the Bigorre Valley.

Details

86950
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.33 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 912 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 912 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,862 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 950 m

Description of the walk

Park at the edge of Chemin deth Hourcades, which leads to the Cotdoussan Valley (altitude 948 m). Take care not to obstruct traffic.

(S/E) Take the track heading south-west, which winds its way up to a junction with a dirt track (altitude 1,100 m).

(1) Turn right, heading west, onto this track, which also winds upwards with a steep gradient. Continue to Courrades de Bazust (altitude 1,295 m), where you will rejoin the track you left further down.

(2) Go through a gate and continue straight ahead on a track to the south which winds its way up to a plateau (cattle park).

(3) From there, turn left and follow a path towards Cuq Crémail, passing a green hut below on your right. Continue to a fork (altitude 1,540 m).

(4) Take the path on the right towards the south. This path runs along the hillside, bypassing Cuq Crémail and joining the Col du Roc or Col de la Courade.

(5) Take the highest path, not the more marked one below. Follow this path south then south-east as it approaches the ridge.

(6) At the fork, turn left and continue on the path that passes directly below Pic Peyrenère, a rocky peak that can be climbed from its southern slope. Continue south-east along the ridge to Pic de l'Oussouet.

(7) Enjoy the view, then turn back. Follow the ascent route in reverse to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 950 m - Parking Chemin deth Hourcades
  2. 1 : km 1.5 - alt. 1,101 m - Dirt track junction
  3. 2 : km 3.14 - alt. 1,296 m - Junction with the carriage road
  4. 3 : km 4.78 - alt. 1,507 m - Plateau, cattle park
  5. 4 : km 5.06 - alt. 1,541 m - Trail junction
  6. 5 : km 6.45 - alt. 1,586 m - Col du Roc (1587 m)
  7. 6 : km 7.05 - alt. 1,687 m - Junction
  8. 7 : km 8.18 - alt. 1,862 m - Pic de l'Oussouet (1873 m)
  9. S/E : km 16.33 - alt. 950 m - Parking Chemin deth Hourcades

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Mlise64
Mlise64

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Very pleasant hike, no major difficulties.

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pyrole
pyrole

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Lovely walk. Good exposure. Always enjoyable, even when you do it again.

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jaja_sl
jaja_sl

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 04, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hike starting from the village, therefore lower than the route indicated.
Depending on your fitness level, you can take the shortcuts or not. From the barrier, it may be worth taking the shortcut, then returning to the trail, which is much less steep, to the pass.
The start of the Cuq-Crémail bypass trail is not very visible among the many tracks, so be careful after the green hut to avoid climbing to the first summit.

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labuscasse
labuscasse

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2019
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A few minor details: The starting altitude is given as 948 metres, then lower down as 958 metres.
The starting point can be given as the start of the grass track, which is of very good quality and has plenty of parking space.
On the grass track, you can easily cut across the hairpin bends on the way up and down.
From point 2, you can cut across the hairpin bends of the track; yellow or orange markings indicate the passages. You rejoin the road at the barrier.
After passing above the green tin hut, leave the track and you will see a very clear trail leading to the summit opposite. Take a path that is not very clear at first, which branches off to the right.
I went straight ahead and climbed up to Cuq Crémail.
You only see the summit at the last moment.

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parmentierjl
parmentierjl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Magnificent views of the villages and towns of the north, then of the snow-capped peaks towards the border ridge.
Very easy in good weather, but if it is foggy, do not stray too far from the ridge, as there are many paths...

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Phtedesco
Phtedesco

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 31, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant, easy hike

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laurensan
laurensan

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very beautiful hike on the first 2,000 metres of the Pyrenees with stunning views of Bigourdin and Montaigu. We observed a group of vultures basking in the sun on the ground.

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narguy
narguy

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 10, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Sunglasses and smiles in mid-December.
We really enjoyed the hike, even though we didn't complete the whole route because we took the wrong path very early on due to a lack of attention...
But once we got back, the views we discovered were beautiful, with very different characteristics depending on the slope.
We're still a little unsure about leaving the green hut below on the right, because if we had followed the path ahead, the hut would have been on our left. Perhaps someone can enlighten us if we ever go back to do the whole hike.
But thank you very much for the guidebook! Thanks to you, we were able to enjoy these wonders to the fullest!

Guillaume

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Kiki6464
Kiki6464

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Just a small error regarding the altitude of the summit, which is 1,873 metres and not 1,854 metres as stated in the guidebook!
A very pleasant, wild hike, with lots of sheep coming to visit me during my picnic at the summit. I was able to photograph some magnificent white-collared blackbirds!
Thank you for this guidebook.
Yvette d'Arros Nay

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thomas.boutreux
thomas.boutreux

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely spot that is particularly interesting at the end of winter and beginning of the season: beautiful views of the high mountains of the Pyrenees on one side and the entire Tarbes plain on the other. At this time of year, snow continues from 1700-1800m, so you'll have to turn back before the summit. The view alone is worth the trip, as the area is very pastoral and you'll also come across pretty flocks of sheep. The only slight downside is the climb to the first ridge, which is along a wide carriage road that is a little less interesting, but this is quickly forgotten.

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