Pic du Pibeste

de fr

Round trip hike on a good path on the southern slope with Mediterranean-type vegetation, arriving at the station of the old cable car (1935-1969).

Details

n°49024900
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.44 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 792 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 792 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,321 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 558 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Red moon in mid-August...
Sunset
Night view of the valley
On arrival, the old cable car station

Description of the walk

Park below the church of Ouzous, in the Pibeste car park, which has around ten spaces.
There is an information board detailing several hikes and a picnic table.

The hike is signposted "Pibeste" and marked in yellow.

(S/E) Follow the road up to the church and pass in front of it, then in front of the town hall. At the fork in the road, turn right.

(1) The road turns into a forest track and then a footpath. Pass a memorial stone dedicated to Jean-Michel Theas, an emergency doctor who died suddenly in the mountains.

(2) Just after the bridge over the stream, take the path on the left that cuts across the bend in the forest road. Join the road again and continue along it.

(3) The climb becomes steeper. Climb the southern slope via a series of sixteen hairpin bends. You will arrive at the jasse, a grassy plateau where horses graze. Cross it and follow the path straight ahead, which climbs more gently. View of the cable car station. Arrive at the Col des Portes.

(4) Continue along the path to reach the Pic du Pibeste.

(5) Return to the village and the car park (S/E) by following the same route in reverse.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 558 m - Pibeste car park
  2. 1 : km 0.44 - alt. 582 m - Road/forest track
  3. 2 : km 0.72 - alt. 602 m - Bridge over the stream
  4. 3 : km 3.02 - alt. 954 m - Viewpoint
  5. 4 : km 4.66 - alt. 1,230 m - Col des Portes
  6. 5 : km 6.24 - alt. 1,320 m - Pic du Pibeste
  7. S/E : km 12.44 - alt. 558 m - Pibeste car park

Notes

Station of the old Pibeste cable car at the summit. The view is splendid in 360° and a terrace allows you to take a break for lunch while feasting your eyes.
A room is available for shelter.
Panorama to the north: the plain of Lourdes; to the south: the plain of Argelès-Gazost and the high peaks of the Western Pyrenees.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 13 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
g70
g70

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A return walk with no particular difficulties.
We set off late in the morning on a beautiful spring’s day (the second one!), but the route is mostly shaded.
A bit of effort is required halfway through to reach the Col des Portes.

Machine-translated

LéaT
LéaT
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very quiet route on Monday, very well marked with superb views!!!
It took us 4 hours and 12 minutes to complete the round trip, including photo breaks, orientation table stops and a picnic break at the summit.

Machine-translated

Vincent Lafori
Vincent Lafori

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike... a bit too crowded 🥹

Machine-translated

M Do
M Do
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Thank you for your track and topo
Very beautiful viewpoint

Machine-translated

User 8988565
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Beautiful hike with magnificent views at the end
Fairly shaded on the first part of the route
I set off early (7.30 a.m.) because it was very hot that week
It took me 3.5 hours there and back with several photo breaks
the path is quite rocky and not very wide in the hairpin bends, so make sure you wear good shoes
on the last 500 metres, I veered slightly off the path to go through the forest, where the terrain is more pleasant.
I came across some cows on the descent, which were not easy to pass in this narrow part of the route

Machine-translated

Ksennin
Ksennin

I don't know if it's steeper, but there's a much shorter route if you park in Segus, about 3.5 km there and back, if I remember correctly.

Machine-translated

User 27081233

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very, very good app... beautiful hike...
"Just" good for the sake of it, because there are obviously better ones, but it's still worth it...
I hear there's another steeper route... does anyone know?

Thanks Visiorando, I really enjoyed the app and you can count me among your Premium members very soon!

Machine-translated

User 19148592

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A beautiful hike to start the week's holiday, with a nice climb to the summit and the old cable car station, what a view! Pau, Tarbes, Lourdes... Magnificent panorama. The rest of the hike is also good.

Machine-translated

Ksennin
Ksennin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Very beautiful route, not that exposed to the sun, very nice reward at the end, allow 1.5 hours for the climb and 1 hour for the descent.

Machine-translated

Cyrille81370
Cyrille81370

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2025
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 in March on a pleasant trail under beautiful sunshine. Quite a climb, but well worth it. The view is magnificent, and we even found snow at the summit.
It's best to wear sturdy footwear, and walking poles are more than useful.

Machine-translated

yvesmerciey@free.fr
yvesmerciey@free.fr

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike on a good, even trail. We did it with 10 cm of snow above 1,000 m, which explains why we didn't meet many people, except for some trail runners.
Magnificent views of Lourdes and the Gave de Pau valley. The disused cable car station is very striking in this location.

Machine-translated

giulianomarcel
giulianomarcel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2025
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 to do at this time of year, because with the trees bare of leaves, you get magnificent views both uphill and downhill; as long as the weather is good, it's magical!
It's quite busy, so it's impossible to get lost.
The climb is a bit tough but steady.
Dogs are allowed, but must be kept on a leash, which is justified because there are not only hikers but also quite a few trail runners, and the paths are not very wide in places.

Machine-translated

tendon
tendon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A path with a particularly steady climb (including the switchbacks) despite the elevation gain. Done in December, it was not very busy and the weather was magnificent, making for fabulous views throughout the climb as there were no leaves on the trees.
So it's great in winter!

Machine-translated

pyrene79
pyrene79

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
Hike completed on 10 June 2024 in foggy weather until reaching the summit, but the sky partially cleared in the early afternoon, offering beautiful views of the valley and some of the surrounding peaks on the descent.
The obvious route is interesting, climbing through forest, clearings and a few open spaces, where you can observe a beautiful diversity of flora. Quite a few different birds were heard, such as chaffinches and blackcaps.
A beautiful hike to do, in a pretty setting on a south-facing slope, but it requires a minimum of warm-up beforehand.
The start of the hike is quite steep. At the summit, the old building has terraces and an open (and clean) room to shelter in case of bad weather. There is also a water source, which can be useful in summer before starting the descent.
I would do this hike again in good weather to enjoy the view and watch the birds of prey that are sure to take flight from the nearby cliff.
I also met two very friendly people there, mountain lovers who weren't put off by the bad weather!

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Circular Mont de Gez loop from Ouzous

Visorando member
↔14.14 km ↗+737 m ↘-747 m ◔6h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Ouzous (Hautes-Pyrénées)
Starting from Ouzous, this hike takes you along the discovery trail, around Argelès-Gazost and above the animal park. From there, a 500 m climb takes you to Mont de Gez via the south-southwest. The return route passes through Gez and the Bourdalat equestrian centre before reaching the Ouzous car park. This shaded route mainly follows tracks and paths.

Walking Mont de Gez

Visorando member
Le Mont de Gez
↔12.21 km ↗+657 m ↘-652 m ◔5h 20 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Argelès-Gazost (Hautes-Pyrénées)
To the west of Argelès-Gazost, there is a very pretty, not too difficult circuit on well-maintained trails offering two viewpoints over the Gave de Pau valley and a 360° view of the Central Pyrenees!

Walking Balade patrimoniale à Agos-Vidalos

Visorando member
↔4.61 km ↗+167 m ↘-167 m ◔1h 50 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Agos-Vidalos (Hautes-Pyrénées)
Set off to discover this pretty little village between Argelès-Gazost and Lourdes. Don't forget to look up at the sky, where you're sure to spot bearded vultures, black kites and vultures. The flora is also very rich. A perfect walk for families with children.

Walking Short tour of Agos-Vidalos

Visorando member
↔6.26 km ↗+129 m ↘-125 m ◔2h 10 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Agos-Vidalos (Hautes-Pyrénées)
Starting from the Town Hall in Agos-Vidalos, head towards the church in Vidalos. Then, descend towards the Gave de Pau river at the Pont de Boô-Silhen bridge. Walk along the Gave de Pau (left bank) and then climb up to the Vidalos Tower. You can climb the tower (free of charge) and admire the view over the Argelès valley and the Pyrenees mountain range. Return along the Gave de Pau.

Walking The Mont de Gez in a circular fashion from Arras-en-Lavedan

Visorando member
Le Mont de Gez en boucle depuis Arras-en-Lavedan
↔9.33 km ↗+507 m ↘-499 m ◔4h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Arras-en-Lavedan (Hautes-Pyrénées)
An easy and very pleasant walk, ideal if the weather prevents you from going to the high mountains.

Walking Cabane du Col du Prat d'Aürelh (Prat du Rey)

Visorando member
Cabane du Col du Prat d'Aürelh (Prat du Rey)
↔9.78 km ↗+493 m ↘-496 m ◔4h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Ségus (Hautes-Pyrénées)
This hike is not technically difficult but goes beyond the scope of a "Sunday stroll". Its appeal lies in reaching the pastoral summer pastures above the magnificent Batsurguère valley, at the gateway to Lourdes, and taking a break in a perfectly maintained refuge hut. To the west, you can see the Aguée valley, towards the Col d'Espadres. The place is quiet and superb. With a bit of luck, you will be in the company of horses roaming free on the grassy slopes of the pass.

Walking Ascent of Hautacam from Geu

Visorando member
↔14.73 km ↗+1,317 m ↘-1,317 m ◔8h 00 ▲Very difficult
⚑Departure from Geu (Hautes-Pyrénées)
This is a physically demanding hike, reserved for experienced hikers or trail runners. The elevation gain is very significant over a relatively short distance. It is advisable to bring plenty of water and protection from the sun, as a significant part of the route is exposed. Protection from wind and rain is also strongly recommended.

Walking The Soum d'Andorre and the Soum de Conques via the ridges

Visorando member
Le Soum d'Andorre et le Soum de Conques par les crêtes
↔9.08 km ↗+713 m ↘-706 m ◔4h 40 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Salles (Hautes-Pyrénées) (Hautes-Pyrénées)
A very pretty circular reserved for very good walkers who are not afraid of heights. The hike is classified as difficult because of the passage over a ridge, but there are no particular dangers anda good sense of direction is essential. (¹) Part of the return route is quite steep, after the Col de Las Escures. This hike should only be attempted in the absence of snow and rain. The GPX track is essential for this route.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.