Plo del Naou

de fr

From the Col d'Aspin, this short round-trip hike will take you along the ridges between the Campan and Aure valleys for a superb view of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, the Arbizon and the Perdiguère peaks.

Details

n°5134466
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.05 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 298 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 297 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,752 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,487 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

The arrival
Lake Payolle and the Pic du Midi de Bigorre
panoramic view from the summit
At an altitude of 1,754 metres, looking west - Pic du Midi de Bigorre on the right

Description of the walk

Park at the Col d'Aspin

(S/E) From the pass, follow the path that climbs into the forest. The start is a little difficult for the first few hundred metres, then the slope levels out until you reach a flat or slightly downhill path.
After a short open section, descend a little into the forest, then, at the edge of the forest, begin the final climb.
Approach the ridge, then climb up a slightly steep path to the final summit after two slightly misleading false summits.

(1) Then return by the same route to the car park where you started (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,487 m - Col d'Aspin
  2. 1 : km 3.02 - alt. 1,752 m - Plo del Naou
  3. S/E : km 6.05 - alt. 1,488 m - Col d'Aspin

Notes

The hike is quite steep at the start.
Be careful of snow or mud in winter. Wear good waterproof hiking boots and bring walking sticks for the descent to avoid slipping.

Worth a visit

(1) Plo de Naou: at the summit, a magnificent 360° panorama of the Campan Valley and Lake Payolle, the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, the Arbizon massif, the Perdiguère massif, Arreau and the Aure Valley.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 31 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
dame2médous
dame2médous

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant, easy hike, accessible to many, with lovely views at the end.

Machine-translated

ChristianQ
ChristianQ

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant hike to escape the world, ending at the Col d'Aspin, with beautiful views of the valleys on either side of the ridge... weather permitting!

Machine-translated

User 26638178

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike with a 360° view at the end!

Machine-translated

Philou33510
Philou33510

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Easy and pleasant hike with a beautiful view. Very well marked trail

Machine-translated

Fred32
Fred32

Oops, I did Lac d'Aygue Rouye AND Plo del Naou. Sorry, I mixed up the comments...
Plo del Naou was also very icy on 2 January, crampons recommended... very easy and beautiful.

Machine-translated

25MENAI
25MENAI
• Edited:

Same comment as Osiris 130.
What are you talking about? Another hike somewhere else.
Happy New Year to all//

Machine-translated

osiris130
osiris130 ★

Hello Fred32,
Thank you for your comment, but I think you must be mistaken. There are no lakes on this hike...

Have a nice day.

Machine-translated

Sims1983
Sims1983

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike completed this Sunday. Good turnout, snow-covered trail in several sections with some patches of black ice and mud. Great feeling at the finish line. I recommend it.

Machine-translated

Fred32
Fred32

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Circuit, travelled there and back... because the ground was snowy and very icy. Do not attempt without crampons, the short stretch to reach the lake was very difficult, and I had left my crampons in the car...
But the route was magnificent and the view of the lake was splendid!

Machine-translated

sbouchs
sbouchs
• Edited:

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 : Yes

a lovely outing in beautiful weather with a stunning 360° view

Machine-translated

Berniemas
Berniemas

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful spot for a picnic facing the Pic du Midi and with a stunning view of two valleys on either side of the Col d'Aspin.

Machine-translated

PATRICE31800
PATRICE31800

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello, everyone.
We completed the hike in beautiful weather, and it was exactly as described. The panoramic views were stunning and spectacular. We took the old trail on the way back, which was perfectly passable, allowing us to make a small loop. It was impossible to picnic at the summit due to flies attracted by sheep droppings. Thank you for sharing this experience.

Machine-translated

VL2
VL2
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Even though it climbs quite steeply at the beginning, we did this hike with a little girl under the age of 7 and she had no problems at all.
The trail is mostly in the woods, with a few glimpses of Lake Payolle.
The 360-degree view at the end is well worth the effort.

Machine-translated

jplacome@free.fr
jplacome@free.fr
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk, especially along the ridge trail, which you can take almost at the start by leaving the forest track on the left. The trail, which still has some old yellow markings, winds its way through the undergrowth before emerging on the ridge.

Machine-translated

Amarette
Amarette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Easy hike in summer, but becomes more challenging with ice patches and deep snow. Small crampons were necessary on the way up, and snowshoes would have been useful on the way down, with a significant thaw.
However, the views are exceptional from start to finish, especially when Lake Payolles is aligned with the Pic du Midi.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Family route at the Col d'Aspin

Visorando Member
Circuit familial au col d'Aspin
↔3.36 km ↗+155 m ↘-155 m ◔1h 25 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Aspin-Aure (Hautes-Pyrénées)
On holiday in the Pyrenees, the weather is fine and dry, so why not take a walk to the Col d'Aspin with our two children (aged two and a half and five and a half).

Walking Payolle - Col d'Aspin loop

Visorando Member
Boucle Payolle - Col d'Aspin
↔10.85 km ↗+516 m ↘-517 m ◔4h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Campan (Hautes-Pyrénées)
Hike offering some beautiful views of Lake Payolle and the Pic du Midi de Bigorre. At the Col d'Aspin, beautiful view of Arreau.

Walking Bassia ridge

Visorando Member
Crête de Bassia
↔7.83 km ↗+629 m ↘-629 m ◔4h 00 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Beyrède-Jumet (Hautes-Pyrénées)
The Crête de Bassia from the Col de Beyrède offers a magnificent panoramic view of the Baronnies de Bigorre to the north and the Pyrenees mountain range from Arbizon to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre to the south.

Walking Crête de Bidour depuis Lac de Payolle

Visorando Member
Crête de Bidour depuis Lac de Payolle
↔12.70 km ↗+681 m ↘-688 m ◔5h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Ancizan (Hautes-Pyrénées)
Cette Crête de Bidour permet de descendre au Col d'Aspin depuis le Plo Del Naou et d'admirer la Vallée d'Arreau. En certaines périodes estivales, la zone de Payolle et les crêtes du Bidour sont assez fréquentées. Il est bon de démarrer la randonnée tôt.

Walking Payolle - Plo del Naou loop

Visorando Member
Boucle Payolle - Plo del Naou
↔13.41 km ↗+863 m ↘-867 m ◔6h 20 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Campan (Hautes-Pyrénées)
Hike along trails starting from Payolle, through the forest to the Col d'Aspin, then following the ridges of the Plo del Naou. At the summit, you can enjoy an exceptional panorama of the Campan and Arreau valleys, part of the Pyrenees mountain range, as well as the Pic du Midi de Bigorre and the Arbizon.

Walking Fréchet-Aure - Sarrancolin

Visorando Member
Fréchet-Aure - Sarrancolin
↔5.13 km ↗+136 m ↘-246 m ◔1h 50 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Fréchet-Aure (Hautes-Pyrénées)
Fourth stage of the Ténarèze: this section of the route takes you back to the GR®105 from Fréchet-Aure. The route continues through Camous, a picturesque village with a rich mining heritage. You will then take a path towards Ilhet, following the old railway line, an industrial relic that adds a touch of nostalgia to the hike. The walk continues to Sarrancolin, the end point of this stage.

Walking Courtaou and Cabane des Esclozes

Visorando Member
Courtaou et cabane des Esclozes
↔8.60 km ↗+265 m ↘-265 m ◔3h 15 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Ancizan (Hautes-Pyrénées)
A lovely, easy hike from the Payolle campsite. This hike can be done on snowshoes. Le Courtaou near Les Esclozes has been restored. The Les Esclozes hut is maintained. A water supply channel is operational. This place was once an important settlement, as evidenced by the number of collapsed huts and barns. The route appears to correspond tothe PR® (no. 19), which is clearly marked in the opposite direction to the description.

Walking Pic de Montaut via the Coq ridge and the Cabane de Collantigue

Visorando Member
Pic de Montaut par la crête de Coq et la Cabane de Collantigue
↔14.65 km ↗+1,092 m ↘-1,092 m ◔7h 20 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Sarrancolin (Hautes-Pyrénées)
A lovely hike done clockwise for a gradual and gentler climb. With two options available, this hike can be adapted to suit different levels. The aim is to meet up at the Collantigue hut to share a meal and a rest.

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.