Port de Vénasque - Port de la Picade - Pas de l'Escalette loop

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This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful hikes in the Pyrenees. The climb is long and difficult, but the panoramic views will make you forget your aching legs. Once past the azure blue Boums du Port, the Port de Venasque fault offers the most beautiful balcony overlooking the Maladeta and its lord, the Aneto. The Port de la Picade with its superb panoramic views, the Pas de l'Escalette and the Crabidès ridge complete this unforgettable hike.

Details

n°779144
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.64 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,311 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,308 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,478 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,377 m
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Photos

Pic Aneto
First snow of autumn on the Maladeta
Panoramic view of the Maladeta and Aneto
Crepides naines

Description of the walk

Access: from Bagnères-de-Luchon, take the D125 towards L'Hospice de France. Car park. Please note that during weekends and holiday periods, the area is very busy and parking can sometimes be difficult.

(S/E) Take the path south, cross the Ruisseau de la Pique and continue to a fork (signpost).

(1) Continue straight ahead and head towards Port de Vénasque. Cross the Pont de Penjat bridge over the torrent and follow the path that begins to climb. The hairpin bends become tighter as you climb the Culet wall.

(2) Pass through the Trou des Chaudronniers (scree): continue along the well-marked trail, then leave it on the right to reach the Refuge du Vénasque.

(3) You can take a break here. Then return to the trail and continue climbing. Don't forget to look back along the way to admire the Boums du Port.

(4) Last switchbacks towards Port de Vénasque: the stony path climbs steeply to reach the narrow gap in the rocks at Port de Vénasque.

(5) Opposite are the Maladeta and Aneto mountains, immediately to the right is the Pic de Sauvegarde and, to the left in the distance, the Pas de la Picade. Descend about a hundred metres on the Spanish side.

(6) Take trail No. 23 (yellow markings) on the left towards Port de la Picade.

(7) Begin the climb to Port de la Picade: at this point, the trail is made of loose stones. Continue to the port.

(8) Port de la Picade is the highest point of the hike (2,475 metres). Enjoy the view, then continue along the stony path, which has a tricky section with a steep slope but possible crossings. Reach Pas de l'Escalette.

(9) Continue along the well-marked trail that returns to France and begin the descent towards the Crête de Crabidès. Reach the latter.

(10) From the ridge, there is a beautiful view of the Pic de Mine on the left. Continue straight ahead to the Pas de Mounjoye (boundary marker no. 336).

(11) Leave the ridge and turn left towards the Roumingau pastures. There is a beautiful view to the west of the ridge and the Pic de la Pique. Continue to a crossroads.

(12) Turn left and return to the Hospice de France car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,384 m - Hospice de France Towards - Pique (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.24 - alt. 1,411 m - Port de Vénasque sign
  3. 2 : km 2.95 - alt. 2,037 m - Trou des Chaudronniers
  4. 3 : km 4.02 - alt. 2,248 m - Refuge de Vénasque
  5. 4 : km 4.9 - alt. 2,409 m - Stony paths
  6. 5 : km 4.99 - alt. 2,458 m - Port de Vénasque
  7. 6 : km 5.16 - alt. 2,383 m - Trail no. 23, on the left
  8. 7 : km 6.59 - alt. 2,395 m - Unstable rocks
  9. 8 : km 6.81 - alt. 2,474 m - Port de la Picade
  10. 9 : km 7.59 - alt. 2,392 m - Pas de l'Escalette
  11. 10 : km 8.76 - alt. 2,280 m - Crête de Crabidès
  12. 11 : km 9.62 - alt. 2,067 m - No Mounjoye
  13. 12 : km 11.83 - alt. 1,722 m - Crossroads, on the left
  14. S/E : km 13.63 - alt. 1,384 m - Hospice de France

Notes

Mountain equipment strongly recommended: good shoes, warm/rain gear, walking sticks, etc.

(4) Water and refreshments available at the Refuge de Vénasque.

Parking at the Hospice de France: very busy during holidays and weekends.

Worth a visit

(5) At Port de Vénasque, for the very brave, climb to the summit of Pic de Sauvegarde (2,736 m). Challenging passage with an overhanging slab. Avoid in case of rain or fog.

(9) At Pas de l'Escalette, on the right, you can climb Soum de l'Escalette (2,466 m).

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 59 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
panyella
panyella

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very beautiful route, a little rocky. The climb is manageable if you know your limits. The path in Spain is less well marked.
Personally, I found the descent endless. Overall, a route that comes highly recommended.

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phejos
phejos

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Magnificent!
Excellent welcome at the beautiful refuge in Vénasque

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Muriel R.
Muriel R.

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very busy until Port de Vénasque, the return trip was quieter: I saw no more than 10 people.
I was glad I downloaded the route onto my watch because there are no signposts (although it's fairly intuitive until Port de Vénasque). I almost missed the little path on the left to go back down.
When I arrived at the Hospice de France at 8:30 a.m., the car park was full. I had to park at the side of the road 100 metres away. When I returned at around 12:30 p.m., there were cars parked along the road for what I think was about 1 km.
The view from the top was exceptional! It's quite a climb: a 1,000-metre elevation gain over 6.5 km from the start

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Dapi
Dapi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very classic and fairly busy route, but well worth it. On a clear day, there are beautiful views of the Vénasque boom, then the Maladetta massif, and finally, on the way back, numerous Spanish valleys. Marmots near La Picade and horses on the way down. A real treat. The directions are perfect, thank you!

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Christelle1488
Christelle1488

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

But what a magnificent hike!!! A good climb, yes, it goes up quite steeply, but you almost reach paradise, with breathtaking landscapes. It was superb, we didn't want it to end.
What's more, the weather was fantastic, so it was a perfect day.
Thank you for this beautiful route

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User 25486916

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A truly magnificent but demanding hike. Bring hiking poles and a hat, as it is sunny all the way in good weather.

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François31
François31

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Trip taken on Sunday, 3 November 2024. The weather forecast predicted beautiful weather, which may explain why the car park at the Hospice de France was full... except that the weather was grey all day! There was also a cold wind until we reached Port de Venasque. No problem following the route, as there were tracks everywhere. This circuit is really very interesting, with magnificent views all along the way. Most of the effort is made up to the Port de Venasque, which then allows you to enjoy the landscape more. Just one comment about the timing: perhaps the estimated time of over 7 hours is a little generous. I'm not particularly fast going uphill, but I'm quicker going downhill and, to my surprise, it took me just under 5 hours, including a few short breaks. I would say 6 hours is more realistic for an average hiker who is used to climbing, but it doesn't matter: This is a highly recommended route, starting from the Hospice de France.

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Dan Viso
Dan Viso

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A pleasant hike in both directions in July, with a personal preference for the opposite direction to the one indicated. No difficulties on this route. Magnificent views throughout and numerous herds of sheep. The patous (sheepdogs) are alert but placid. We will happily do it again.

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philippe marcon
philippe marcon
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent hike, beautiful view of the Maladetta massif and Aneto, route completed on 19/08/24.

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Francis 1964
Francis 1964

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I left early, at 6:20 a.m., as the weather forecast was for eight hours of rain, and I was back in Bagnère de Luchon by midday. Thanks to Visorando for their excellent service. This hike was one of the most beautiful I've ever done. The directions are good, just don't hesitate to turn left after the Port de Vénasque, at the sign pointing downhill. Otherwise, no worries, and luckily so, because there was no one else on the trail. Magnificent views of the Maladetta massif and its glacier, as well as the Pic d'Anéto and many other opportunities to feast your eyes. The weather was ideal.

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Christophe We
Christophe We

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike, but physically demanding!
It's doable in a day, but you should allow for around seven hours with short breaks. The climb up to the Port de Venasque is tough but beautiful, especially along the Boums lakes. On the other side, peace and solitude are guaranteed. There's a magnificent view of the Pyrenees. Then it's back to the Hospice de France with a very long descent, which is hard on the knees. But it's definitely worth it!

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Philippe47
Philippe47

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed in May with snow above 2,100 metres. Crampons required. Quite a long loop in these conditions, offering beautiful scenery.

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Malinois_Alpha31
Malinois_Alpha31

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

What a magnificent hike! Magnificent panoramic views! The blue of the lakes is just magnificent too! The climb up to the port is long, but it's worth it!
We took a break at the peaks, then continued on to the port, where you can see the lakes and mountains stretching as far as the eye can see! On the way back, we went over the ridges, but the descent seemed endless to me, lol!
I did it with my dog and had no particular problems. It took us 7½ hours, including breaks.

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Yanntoc
Yanntoc

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The view, the view, and the view

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jbaudry85
jbaudry85

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