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Parking at the tunnel on the D173.
(S/E) Pass to the left of the buildings. Find the start of a path, marked in yellow. Very quickly, you will come to a small passage where you will need to use your hands. No difficulty.
Once you have passed this, continue following the yellow markings to the Riou Nère waterfall on the other side of the stream on the left.
The trail, still marked, continues to climb through the mountain pastures, interspersed with rocky areas, until you reach the Port de Bataillence junction.
(1) Leave the yellow markings that go left and continue on a path that heads south. This path is clearly visible. Keep climbing and, after several switchbacks, you will approach a scree slope.
The path climbing up the middle of the scree is clearly visible and easy to follow, with stable rocks. It then winds its way through several hairpin bends between the boulders and, after a final passage, arrives at a small gap overlooking Spain (altitude 2,429 metres).
(2) Port de Bielsa. The landscape is completely different on this southern slope. The view of the valley below is magnificent and very green.
The spectacle is even more striking if you have climbed up in the fog. What could have been a disappointment turns out to be a reward with this clear, sunny view. Sometimes it can be the opposite.
Descend a few metres on the southern slope to take a path that branches off to the right towards the west, on fairly steep slopes.
At around 2,421 metres, a cairn seems to indicate a direct route along the ridge towards Pic de Marioules, but choose to continue westwards along the slope
At around 2,465 m, you will reach a slightly more comfortable rocky section.
At around 2,499 m, join the ridge line, which climbs easily.
(3) At an elevation of 2,561 metres, you will reach the summit of Pic de Marioules. Descend westwards along the ridge line until you reach a pass at around 2,500 metres.
(4) Continue west.
At around 2,487 m, climb up to the right and you will reach the summit of Pic de la Forqueta (2,532 m).
Pass over the second peak of this double summit before descending westwards.
At around 2,492 m, cross another small pass and you will easily reach the last summit, Pic de l'Aiguillette (elevation 2,517 m on OSM)
(5) Descend southwards and leave a path that plunges directly north-west.
(6) At around 2,454 m, without descending to Port Vieux, take the path that crosses northwards on the western slope of Pic de l'Aiguillette. The ground is a little crumbly and, here too, the slope is steep. This path must therefore be taken with the utmost caution..
(7) At around 2,392 m, cross the Col de l'Aiguillette and turn right to descend into the valley on a rather confusing path to the tunnel car park (S/E).
Check the condition of the track between Port Vieux and point 6. I travelled along it a few years ago. It may have deteriorated since then.
Visorando member
Extremely difficult 
Moderate 
