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Car access to the Moulzoune car park.
In Montferrier (09), take the D9 (towards Montségur) then turn right onto the D909 (route des Monts d'Olmes). About 3 km after the hamlet of Le Ramié, on a straight stretch, turn left onto the forest track called "Route de la mine". This leads to a car park below Lac de Moulzoune at an altitude of 1,350 m. Be careful on the way back, as it is easy to take the wrong track: turn left when leaving the car park and follow the signpost towards the north-west.
(S) From the car park, take the yellow-marked track that climbs into the beech forest towards the south-west.
(1) Follow the Lac de Moulzoune lake and you will arrive at the old Fangas mine.
(2) Leave the forest via a few wide hairpin bends and head for the "Cabane du Vacher".
(3) Continue uphill and reach the Col de la Porteille (old quarry) in 1 hour.
(4) At the Col de la Porteille, continue along grassy ridges on the right, often along the crest, without any difficulty. The view towards the plain is already magnificent, and you can see Lake Montbel very clearly. At around 1,800 metres, note a hut on the left and cross an electric fence.
(5) At the fork with a path on the left, where the trail to the Étang des Truites starts, leave this trail on the left and continue straight ahead, still climbing towards the peak. The general direction is still south/south-west. You will quickly reach a pass at the foot of the Pic massif, from where you can see the view beyond, including Mont Valier. The path then turns sharply south.
(6) After a flat section, the path enters a small wood of mountain pines where the slope becomes steeper. Orange markers are mixed with yellow markers. You will arrive at a second flat section that leads to the rocky ridge overlooking the Étang des Truites.
Climb steeply up the rocky ridge and note the Étang du Diable below on the left. The path is still well marked in yellow. It then crosses the north flank on a slight incline. Cross an easy rocky barrier, using your hands once or twice. The final climb up the sometimes unstable rocks is not difficult in dry weather.
(7) At the summit of Pic de Saint Barthélemy, the view stretches north to Foix and Pamiers, and you can see the Maladetta Glacier in the distance to the west (azimuth 250°).
Then retrace your steps and begin the approximately 3-hour descent to the Moulzoune car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Very difficult 
Moderate 
