Pic du Pichaley via the Bastan lakes

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Hike passing by the Bastan lakes to reach Pic du Pichaley, which offers a 360° view.
This hike is accessible to all up to the Bastan refuge, but becomes more difficult after that. The short climb up the Pic du Pichaley is very steep.

Details

n°713264
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.54 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 539 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 533 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,624 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,107 m
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Photos

View of Lake Superior from the Col de Bastan
Path passing near the upper lake
mini lake between the Lower Lake and the Middle Lake
view of the lake

Description of the walk

From Saint-Lary-Soulan, take the road up to the Pla d'Adet resort. At Espiaube, just after the Chalet de l'Ours, turn right onto the Col de Portet road. Park in the car park.

(S/E) From the Col du Portet, join theGR®10(west).

(1) At the first ford, continue on theGR®10 trailtowards the west. The trail will then turn north and you will walk along the Lac de l'Oule from above.

(2) When you reach this fork, take the right-hand path; the left-hand path descends towards Lac d'Oule. Continue until you reach a junction of three paths.

(3) All three trails lead to the Bastan refuge. Take the left-hand trail, which will take you past the magnificent Lac Inférieur de Bastan. Go around the lake on the right and climb eastwards (GR®10).

(4) Continue on theGR®10(north) to go around two small lakes and then follow the largest of the lakes in the middle of Bastan. You will reach the Bastan refuge.

(5) Continue climbing slightly towards the Lac Supérieur de Bastan. Just before the lake, at a fork, leave theGR®10and take the path that branches off to the right (north-east), leaving the Lac Supérieur on your left. The path becomes increasingly steep until you reach the Col de Bastan.

(6) Take the path on the right (south) on the ridge leading to the Pic du Pichaley. The path becomes very steep.

(7) Once you reach Pic du Pichaley, enjoy the 360° view of the Néouvielle Reserve and its many lakes, as well as the Pic du Midi de Bigorre. Continue along the trail south of the peak.

(8) Be careful to take the path to the east that leads to the Col de Jétas and not the path that continues straight south. Pass the Col de Jétas and continue south-east.

(9) At this point, you can either take the trail that passes by the Pic de Mantarrouyes or a trail that continues straight ahead and avoids the peak (the one shown on the map). Watch your step, as the ground is slippery. Continue south on the trail.

(10) Leave the trail to join a ski slope that leads to the Col du Portet.

(11) At the Soumaye ridge, you can avoid taking the ski slope to the Col du Portet by cutting across a small path on your left (as shown on the GPS route), which will also take you there (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 2,209 m - Parking - Col de Portet (2214m)
  2. 1 : km 0.9 - alt. 2,157 m - Fording
  3. 2 : km 3.52 - alt. 2,140 m - Fork in the road to the right
  4. 3 : km 3.83 - alt. 2,141 m - Intersection
  5. 4 : km 4.86 - alt. 2,203 m - Lacs du Milieu
  6. 5 : km 5.57 - alt. 2,248 m - Refuge de Bastan
  7. 6 : km 6.65 - alt. 2,480 m - Col de Bastan (2440m)
  8. 7 : km 7.11 - alt. 2,624 m - Pic du Pichaley
  9. 8 : km 7.39 - alt. 2,525 m - Towards the Col de Jétas
  10. 9 : km 8.65 - alt. 2,394 m - Bypassing the Pic de Mantarrouyes
  11. 10 : km 9.62 - alt. 2,333 m - Ski slope
  12. 11 : km 10.08 - alt. 2,287 m - Soumaye ridge
  13. S/E : km 10.54 - alt. 2,211 m - Car park at the Col du Portet

Notes

Wear good shoes for the climb up Pic du Pichaley.

Remember to bring enough water.

For walkers, you can turn back at the Bastan refuge to avoid the difficult part of the hike. The section between the Col du Portet and the Bastan refuge is a must!

This route passes through a protected area, which may be subject to special regulations:

Worth a visit

Incredible 360° view from the top of Pic du Pichaley.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 32 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
User 14257455
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

One of the most beautiful hikes I did this summer.
The lakes, the herds, the 360° view from the peak.
The "lakes" section is quite busy because it is really parish specific to Brittany, but the alternative route via the Pic du Pichaley is much less so because the ridge is not accessible to everyone.

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User 8406484

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The Pic de Pichaley is not marked, so you need to have a head for heights as the ridge is very impressive. Like many others, we turned back when we reached the Col de Bastan, which is already very impressive.
The end of the hike is not marked
Otherwise, the rest of the hike is really beautiful and accessible. There are numerous lakes where you can swim.
I will definitely return

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Doris31210
Doris31210

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent hike on 2 August
A minor setback despite the announcement that the pass was open, the pass was closed until 6.30pm, so we had to take the cable car to get to the start, adding 1km to the hike
The cable car closes at 5pm, so you need to plan to leave fairly early as we just managed to catch the last one
There were no difficulties until the last lake

However, the climb to the peak is quite tough, but our efforts are rewarded as the lake changes colour as we climb
You have to use your hands a little for the last part before the peak
The view from the top is magnificent, with a 360° panorama of all the lakes. It's spectacular
The return trip is sometimes a little difficult to follow, especially the last part where we couldn't find the path, but with the trail we were able to find our way
It's also worth noting that this hike is in full sun from start to finish, so avoid it in very hot weather

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Lasamp
Lasamp

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed in late June.
This hike is very beautiful, especially the view from the top of the peak with all the lakes.
The route and description are accurate.
As mentioned in previous comments, the climb up the peak after the upper lake is steep, so be careful on the last part (there is a risk of falling rocks and you may need to use your hands).
The descent on the south side is easier.

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MICHEL.SOL
MICHEL.SOL

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little November hike! Splendid views. As many people have pointed out, the section between the refuge and the summit is not for Sunday walkers... Take care in wet weather.

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Aude S
Aude S

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Please note that the Portet Pass road is currently (until September) open for ascents only before 8:30 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Otherwise, take the cable car (which is not cheap...). In addition, the number of spaces in the current car park is very limited, so access may be blocked from 7 or 7.30 a.m. if several motorhomes have spent the night there and holidaymakers arrive very early (in the event of daytime storms forecast by Météo France).
Yesterday, Sunday 11 August, there were relatively few summer visitors early on, compared to my previous memories, in the first part up to the refuge, but quite a large number of hikers doing the GR 10. For the second part, which is more mountainous, there were few visitors, as usual.
A magnificent circuit, as always when the weather is fine...
As we were with two young teenagers who arrived at the summit of Pichaley a little exhausted, we descended directly from the pass through the meadows to the pastoral track, without taking the ridge path...

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charne
charne

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A challenging hike. The starting point is inaccessible by car, as the Portet Pass road is closed for most of the day in summer, but you can reach the start of the hike via the Espiaube cable car for €11 return, which takes you to a peak 10 minutes' descent from the start and 15-20 minutes' climb on the way back.
The path becomes less easy to follow on the descent from the Pichaley peak, so it is best to have a GPS with you

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mbelot
mbelot

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike, the various lakes of Bastan are stunning and perfect for camping. Be careful, though, as the climb up to Pic de Pichaley from the Col de Bastan is quite impressive and a little tricky for those who suffer from vertigo. The descent down the Col de Jetas, on the other hand, is very easy.
The return to the car park as mentioned on the information sheet is not necessarily easy to find in the middle of the mountain pastures/ski slopes, but it doesn't matter, as the return journey is not a problem in any case.

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FTAB
FTAB

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb hike for two with a dog on a leash (please respect the park and its livestock at this time of year). Start at the top of the ski resort and follow a loop starting with the lakes. These magnificent lakes are perfect for a break at any point along the way. The most challenging parts of the hike are the small pass after the last Bastan lakes (a steep but short zigzag climb, barely 10 minutes) and the Pichaley peak, where you may need to use your hands for support. Be careful of the first snowfalls, which create slush on the trail, making it difficult to see on this peak.
If you have a dog, it must be comfortable with these two climbs.
In any case, it's a magnificent route offering stunning views, especially after the two climbs (incredible 360-degree views).

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qwentyn
qwentyn

We wanted to drive up to Lake Bastian from the Portet Pass, but the road is closed between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. in July and August, apparently due to roadworks. We decided not to go, even though we saw a few cars driving along the road.

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RAND19
RAND19

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route on 7 June 2022, with beautiful views once you reach the top.
The terrain is a bit unstable from the pass onwards, but with caution, there's no problem. I enjoyed this loop, which I found fun and breathtakingly beautiful. Thank you for sharing

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Britanicus100
Britanicus100

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Having climbed Pic de Madamète the day before and not wanting to overdo it, we only did the lake route, which is already beautiful in itself.
I made a video, which you can find here, showing the route and giving a good impression of the atmosphere on this magnificent trail.

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maryded
maryded

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Lovely walk and superb photos

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saintout
saintout

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

As the hike takes place in the mountains, it is necessary to begin the description with a few basic mountain rules that are extremely important for everyone's safety, including...
- hikers going uphill have priority...
- it is essential to take care not to roll stones or small rocks onto hikers below...
As this route is now freely available on the internet, there are many people who are not very experienced in the mountains, which can make it dangerous. This is especially true as the climb up Pichaley from the Col de Bastan is exposed on unstable ground...
Furthermore, the trail between Pichaley and the Col de Jetas is a little surprising: did someone really go there, or is it just a theoretical trail marked on a map?

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laurent-g
laurent-g

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We decided to do this route in reverse (Pic de Mantarrouyes, then Pic du Pichaley, then the lakes) so that we would arrive at the top early and then come back down for a picnic by the upper Bastan lake. In this direction, I would confirm that the descent from Pichaley is not recommended for those prone to vertigo (it's a bit slippery and steep, but there are rocks to hold on to). The magnificent view of the Bastan lakes from the Pichaley is worth the trip (the Néouvielle was invisible under a sea of clouds). There are relatively few people up to the lakes in this direction, and more after that (who make the round trip from the Portet pass to the lakes).
The return from the lakes is more monotonous (crossing the ski area).

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