Country:
District:
In summer, before 10 a.m., you can try to park your vehicle in the village of Gavarnie, for example near the horse and donkey car park. But after 10 a.m., you will have to park in the paid car park or drive up to the ski resort.
(S/E) Walk through the village towards the unmissable Cirque, which faces south.
Cross the Pont Brioule bridge near the police station and continue along the right bank.
(1) You will reach a fork in the road with a beautiful sign pointing towards the Espuguettes refuge, the Hourquette d'Alans and the Gloriettes dam.
This is where you prepare for the two-hour climb to the Espuguettes refuge.
Turn left and begin the climb, first along the Ruisseau d'Alans, which flows down from Petit Piméné and Les Espuguettes, then into the Bois de Pailla.
At the edge of the Bois de Pailla, on the plateau of the same name, just over an hour after leaving Gavarnie, you will see the roof of the refuge.
(2) At an altitude of 1,782 metres, near a National Park sign, ignore the fork to the right towards the Cabane de Pailla and the climb to the Swan couloir, and climb the last 250 metres of the slope to the north-east, following the well-marked tracks and looking for the best route to the refuge.
(3) Reach the refuge (2027m) in 2 hours and enjoy the site to discover all the surrounding peaks!
Then the refuge, or if you prefer a homemade picnic, anywhere on the Cardous plateau can be a good place to settle down for an hour.
The refuge is also the starting point for the Hourquette d'Alans, the Cirque d'Estaubé, the Brèche de Tuquerouye...
Make the most of being there to push on at least as far as the Espuguettes spring (2,090 m), towards the slopes of Pimené.
(4) Descend to 2025m heading west-southwest to find the junction for the Cabane d'Alans.
(5) Turn right and reach the Cabane d'Alans and its cattle pasture, 45 minutes after leaving the top of the plateau via a well-marked trail.
(6) Continue on to the abandoned ruins of Cazaux-dessus.
(7) Turn sharply right (a signpost prevents you from going wrong) and continue downhill through the woods along the Pimené torrent.
(8) You will reach a footbridge over the Gave de Gavarnie. Cross it and enter the car park of the Marboré hotel-restaurant before reaching the Grand Rue de Gavarnie.
Turn left to return to the starting point (or right if your vehicle is in the pay car park) (S/E).
Visorando member
