Tuquerouye Mountain Hut and the Marboré Glacial Lake as seen from Lac des Gloriettes

The route starts from the Lac des Gloriettes car park.

(S/E) Take the path that crosses the dam’s engineering structure and then goes round the lake on the western side.

(1) Do not take the footbridge crossing the Gave d’Estaubé. Stay on the path on the left bank. Follow the path for a good part of the way along the upper reaches of the Estaubé Valley, climbing alongside the Gave.

(2) At the junction leading to the bottom of the cirque, take the path that climbs straight up (due south) along the left bank of the Gave d’Estaubé.

(3) Leave the Cabane de Labassa in the distance on your left. The slope becomes steeper. Follow the switchbacks to reach a junction.

(4) Turn left (south-south-east) towards the Cirque d’Estaubé (leaving the path to the Piméné and the Refuge des Espuguettes on your right). You’ll reach the Y-junction of the paths leading to Turquerouye and Port Neuf de Pinède (elevation 2236).

(5) Turn right; a yellow sign on a rock indicates the directions. Leave the Deux Bornes on your right and climb up the scree slope (well-marked with cairns). Continue up to the small pass of the Borne de Tuquerouye (elevation 2431), leaving the Borne (elevation 2471) – a striking cone visible from a great distance – on your left.

(6) Continue southwards to reach the base of the Couloir de Tuquerouye, a very, very steep scree slope, 45° in places, bordered by the remains of a small glacier, between the Pic de Tuquerouye and the Pic de Pinède. Take particular care in the couloir (approximately 300 m long). The final section of the couloir becomes even steeper. Reach the Brèche and the Tuquerouye Refuge. Exceptional views: the Lac Glacé du Marboré and its turquoise waters stand out against the backdrop of Mont Perdu (Monte Perdito) (3,348 m) and Cylindre du Marboré (Cilindro de Marboré) (3,325 m).

(7) Descend the Spanish slope of Tuquerouye to the lake via a steep, unmarked but well-trodden path. Reach the northern shore of the Lac Glacé du Marboré (an ideal spot for a break).

(8) Find the start of the path on the southern flank of the Tuquerouye–Pinède ridge. It is a shallow gully, ascending diagonally towards the ridge. The OSM Trails map shows its route. During this ascent, depending on the season, you may come across patches of small edelweiss. Reach the ridge and continue along non-exposed terrain. Head for the summit of Pic de Pinède (Pico de Pineta), situated precisely on the Franco-Spanish border ridge. There is a magnificent 360° view of the Cirque d’Estaubé to the north, the Pimené to the west, Mont Perdu to the south and the Rio Cinca valley to the south-east.

The return to Lac des Gloriettes follows essentially the reverse route of the outward journey as far as the footbridge over the Gave d’Estaubé

(1) Turn right and cross the footbridge. Follow a very well-marked path which skirts the lake to the right (Route de Découverte). Return to the Lac des Gloriettes car park (S/E).

⚠️The description relates to solo hikes undertaken in summer (2021 and 2026).

Parking at the start
The Lac des Gloriettes car park has around a hundred parking spaces. It is not uncommon for them all to be full during the day in summer. Arrive early (before 9 am) to be sure of finding a space. Otherwise, you’ll need to find a spot along the D 176 on the way up.

⏰Estimated time
I completed this route in exactly 8 hours, including breaks and a picnic, setting off from the car park at 8.30 am. I didn’t rush, but that’s still a fairly tight schedule. Allow between 8.30 and 10 hours.

♀️Difficulty
This hike is classified as ‘Difficult’ due to the significant elevation gain along the route and the very steep sections between (6) and (7). It is a challenging route, suitable only for well-equipped mountaineers.
The IBP index is ... HKG, which corresponds to a ‘Difficult’ route for a hiker with a high level of physical fitness.

variant: Between the waypoint (5) and (6), there are a multitude of paths, some marked with cairns. In particular, one of them, after the ‘R’ in ‘...BORNES...” – known as “LES DEUX BORNES” on the IGN map – head west (rather than south-west) to reach a lovely flat area at the base of the “S” in “…BORNES”, at around 2,291 m. On this plateau, there are traces of metal anchors, possibly used to secure a cableway for transporting materials to the top of the breach (during its construction in 1890 or the works carried out in 1927). However, the existence of a hoisting cableway remains an undocumented conjecture.

Water sources
There are no sources of drinking water along the route. Springs, lakes, rivers and surface runoff are not guaranteed to be safe to drink due to grazing livestock. Allow 1.5 litres per person.

Shelters
The Tuquerouye Refuge is the only place offering safe shelter along the route.
It is unstaffed but open all year round. There are 12 beds available.
See the refuge’s website. However, please note that it is very busy in summer. You may have to sleep by the lake if all beds are taken and weather conditions permit.
In an emergency, you can take shelter at any of the huts mentioned or head for the Hourquette d’Alans; on the descent towards the Refuge des Espuguettes, there is a fine rock shelter that can serve as a temporary refuge for several people.
There are no other huts or refuges offering overnight accommodation along the route.

Bivouacking
Bivouacking is permitted more than an hour’s walk from the boundaries of the National Park’s core zone or from any motorised access point, between 7.00 pm and 9.00 am. In this case, the tent must therefore only be pitched after 7.00 pm and taken down before 9.00 am the following morning.

Equipment
Bring standard high-mountain hiking kit: hiking boots, suitable clothing, rainwear, sunglasses, water, food, a survival blanket, a knife, a compass, a map, a whistle, sun cream, lip balm and, if necessary, walking poles. A GPS device or the Visorando app on your smartphone can complement your kit to ensure a truly safe hike.

Trail traffic
- In summer, the route is very busy all the way to the refuge and the lake.
Whatever the season, don’t forget to let your friends and family know your exact route and inform them of any changes by text message or phone call.

Activities at the refuge
Suggested mountaineering routes: North face of Mont-Perdu and the Cylindre du Marboré – Pics d’Astazous – circuit of the Pic de Pinède – Haute Route des Pyrénées (HRP). Source: Tuquerouye Refuge

Météo-France mountain weather report
Check the weather forecast.

If you notice any errors in signposting or place names along your route or on the map you are using, you can become a contributor and report them:
- signposting errors, safety issues, conflicts of use, environmental concerns: click here
- mapping errors, place names: click here

Between Lac des Gloriettes (1) and the start of the Couloir de Tuquerouye (6), the views of the Cirque d’Estaubé and the peaks overlooking it are majestic.

(7) At the Refuge de Tuquerouye (2,666 m), there are views of Lac Glacé and the imposing north faces of Mont Perdu (3,348 m) and the Cylindre du Marboré (3,325 m). The refuge is an exceptional site in more ways than one: geologically, geographically, in terms of natural history, and historically.
A 75 kg cast-iron statue of the Virgin Mary has overlooked the refuge since 1890, the year it was built.

Along the route:
- Numerous vantage points for taking photos of the surrounding wonders.

Nearby:
- The Balcon de Pinéta, 1 hour from the refuge on the Spanish side, with its remarkable view over the valley of the same name;
- The Pic de Pinède, three-quarters of an hour from the lake. Don’t miss the view from up there of the Waterfall du Pla d’Ailhet, hidden at the back of the Cirque d’Estaubé, 960 metres below.
- The village of Gavarnie and its church.
See theGavarnie Tourist Office website.