Pic de Saint-Barthélemy and Étang d'Appy from Appy

Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the Pyrenees. From Canigou to Mont Valier, the summit of Pic de Saint-Barthélemy offers breathtaking views of the entire eastern Pyrenees and the Ariège plain.
The ridge path and the pretty Étang d'Appy lake are a pleasant addition to this beautiful route.

The significant elevation gain and length of this route are its main difficulties (²).
See practical information (¹).

Details

n°2063649

Creation:
10 May 2019

Last update:
–

Last review:
03 Aug 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 12.57 km
Average duration: 7h 55
Difficulty: Difficult
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 1,520 m
Descent: - 1,515 m
Highest point: 2,342 m
Lowest point: 987 m

Country: France
Areas: Pyrénées, Massif de Tabe
District: Appy (09250)
Start/End: N 42.791679° / E 1.732905°
IGN map(s): Ref. 2147ET, 2148ET
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Description of the walk

From Tarascon-sur-Ariège, take the RN20 to Luzenac. Head towards Lordat, then follow the D20 (Route de la Corniche) towards Axiat, then Appy. Park in the car park above the village.

The route is entirely on trails, most of which are marked, except between the fork and the Col de Girabal. However, this section does not present any major difficulties in terms of orientation.

(S/E) From the car park, head north-east along a yellow-marked path. Cross the Ruisseau de Camelong stream. Pass under the power lines. Between the two power lines, ignore the path on the left leading to the climbing site.

(1) Leave the path on the left, which winds upwards and joins the Étang d'Appy.
Continue straight ahead on an unmarked path. It crosses a beech forest and joins the Girabal stream, which it crosses at the edge of the forest. Enter the small plateau of Jasse de Sédars. Cross the Jasse, leaving the hut on your right.

(2) Follow the path that runs alongside the Sauquet stream, passes through a rocky narrows and climbs up a small valley with an imposing rock in the middle. Just above the rock, you will come across some orris (old summer pasture buildings). Continue to the Col de Girabal (sign).

(3) From the pass, turn right onto the^GRP® trail, which follows the ridge and climbs steeply to reach the Pic de Saint-Barthélemy (¹).

(4) Descend via the same route to Col de Girabal.

(3) Continue straight ahead, heading west, on the^GRP® trail, which follows the ridge and climbs rapidly to a summit at 2,169 metres, then descends to the Col de l'Étang d'Appy (sign).

(5) Turn left onto the well-marked^GRP® trail that descends to the lake.

(6) Walk along the left side of the lake, go around the Jasse de l'Étang on the right and continue straight ahead towards the south-west, passing a small pass. The marked trail crosses a plateau and descends, skirting a beech forest on the right, then turns left (south-east) before reaching the fork encountered on the way there.

(1) Return to the car park by following the path you took on the way there to the right until you reach (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 987 m - Appy car park above the village
1 : km 2.24 - alt. 1,451 m - Common fork for outward and return journeys.
2 : km 3.45 - alt. 1,661 m - Cabane de Sédars
3 : km 4.78 - alt. 2,004 m - Col de Girabal
4 : km 5.62 - alt. 2,340 m - Pic de Saint-Barthélemy
5 : km 7.48 - alt. 2,028 m - Col de l'Étang d'Appy
6 : km 8.51 - alt. 1,758 m - Étang d'Appy. Jasse de l'Étang.
S/E : km 12.57 - alt. 987 m - Appy car park above the village

Notes

(¹): a few slightly tricky sections on the ridge between Col de Girabal and Col de l'Étang d'Appy. However, these can be easily negotiated with the help of your hands.

(²): if necessary or if you are short on time, you can save nearly 200 m of elevation gain and 1.7 km of distance by returning via the same route you took on the way there. This avoids the steep climb beyond the Col de Girabal and the long detour via the Col de l'Étang d'Appy.

Please note: there is a much shorter route starting from the Monts d'Olmes station.

Yellow markings up to the fork (1450 m), then unmarked path to the Col de Girabal. Yellow markings on all ridges and up to the Étang d'Appy. Yellow markings between the Étang d'Appy and the car park.
Author's notes: distance of outward journey: 5.9km; elevation gain: +1360m; duration: 3h45

Worth a visit

Set back from the mountain range, the Pic du Saint-Barthélemy is one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the region.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5

Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5

Route interest
5 / 5

CA_TERRA

03 Aug 2025 at 17:45 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Distance = 14.3 km with 1,527 metres of elevation gain

A beautiful hike completed on 3 August 2025. Perfect weather
Not really a family hike in my opinion. You need to be fairly fit and well equipped (walking sticks, water, food, etc.)

The start is well signposted, but the paths are very uneven (stones, etc.)
The fork for the peak is not very clear, but the general orientation helps a little. Follow your GPS carefully... The climb to the fork at the Col de Girabal is not easy...

The climb to the Pic de Saint Barthelemy is well signposted and you rejoin the GR. It was worth it with the fantastic weather we had that day.
The descent is very stony but walking sticks are a great help. A must-do hike.

The climb back up to Pic de Girabal isn't easy (even though it's only 200 m below Pic de Saint Barthelemy), and you'll need to use your hands in places as it's very steep among the rocks. Be careful.

After a very steep descent to Appy. As on the way up, it will be hard on your knees and joints, so be patient... Nothing to complain about on the return route, which is very well signposted...

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Eric C7.

31 Jan 2024 at 21:33 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

It was great, leaving early at 8am and returning at 4pm. The route was easy going until we reached the Sédars hut. After that, snow became part of the route and the path disappeared, but the way forward was obvious. The slope was tough, but the view was breathtaking, and it limited the number of curious visitors who would crowd around the Appy pond. 1,400m elevation gain over 12km round trip.

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roco

27 Oct 2022 at 15:18 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike, easily accessible and well marked. Between points 2 and 3, the path was not very clear (probably due to the dead leaves covering it...), but it is very easy to find point 3!
I highly recommend swimming in the lake to round off the walk.

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EstelleKbs

20 May 2022 at 11:32 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I agree with the previous comments, the hike is fantastic! No particular difficulties. The path before the pass disappears into the grass, but with the GPS track and the view of the summit, it's not complicated.
The climb is quite steep before reaching the peak, but once you're at the top, the 360° view quickly makes you forget that. It was already quite warm on 14 May, so be sure to bring plenty of water.

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Thierry83220

27 Mar 2021 at 19:07 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Still too much snow to complete the entire route (ice on the climb up to the Col de l'Étang), so Lake Appy will have to wait until next time (or when I'm travelling in the other direction). I took a detour via Pic St Barthélémy and descended along the stream (completely covered in snow) via the Col de Girabal.
Thank you for the route, which I will do in a few weeks.

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Neutenq

05 Sep 2020 at 13:20 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with magnificent views from the summit.
The path through Jasse de Sédars is a bit unclear in the tall grass, but with the help of cairns, you can find several trails leading to the Girabal pass.
The climbs over rocks and descents are hard on the knees, so you need to take care with your footing!
We made the ascent in 2 hours 40 minutes (including breaks) and, after a nice break at the summit, the descent in 4 hours with 3 good breaks to admire the beauty of the surroundings.
There were few people up to the pass, but it became very busy between the peak and Appy.

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Emma_pask

08 Jun 2020 at 10:14 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very long circular, but well worth the detour. The path leading to the first pass is very poorly marked, so don't hesitate to head straight for the pass rather than getting lost in the pseudo zigzags marked on the ground...
The climb to Pic de St Barthelemy and Pic d'Appy is quite tough, but the panoramic views make it worthwhile. The circular route is not very busy, but the ascent to the peak and the Appy lake are very popular with hikers, especially at weekends.

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Martin F

25 May 2020 at 15:33 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

It's a wonderful hike with beautiful views of the high Pyrenees. We finished the hike by taking the long route, going up and down via the Étang d'Appy. We tried to go up via the Girabal stream and the Jasse de Sédars, but I found the path very overgrown and difficult to follow. This, combined with thick fog in the morning, made me decide to stick to the familiar path. Even with this long route, the ascent took 3.5 hours and the descent 3 hours (not including long breaks).

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entropiek

25 Jun 2019 at 23:29 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful parish-specific to Brittany walk, but the 1,500 metres of elevation gain do hurt the knees a bit.