Tour of Pic de Malcaras and its lakes

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike as a couple, meeting a few people doing the circular, but we were mostly alone for most of the route. Only the section in Andorra was very busy. It was my first long-distance hike, and the 14 kg rucksack added a real challenge, but nothing insurmountable!

The route is very well marked, but the trail often deviates from the paths, so you should not follow it all the time. It is better to stay on the GR trails marked on the various maps.

We didn't take the chairlift, which was open that weekend, preferring to take the path between Roc del Vaquer and Punta de Peiraguils. This adds a little extra elevation, but offers a beautiful view of the valley and the lakes below.
The estimated walking times are accurate. It took us six hours on the first day, including plenty of breaks for picnics and to refill our water bottles, and about five hours the next day from Étang de la Goueille to the bottom of the main descent (where you join a wide, flat path).

I recommend this hike, which is very beautiful, but keep in mind that some sections are quite tricky!

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Date of your route : May 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent 'hike' with breathtaking scenery, but very strenuous and demanding, over varied terrain (trails, scree, rocks, grassy slopes, streams, snow, ice), especially before the snow melts and with a heavy rucksack!
We did the hike in reverse, starting from the Soulcem lake: the first climb was difficult, we camped near Llacuna Superior (a peaceful, flat spot near a stream) then we went via the Tristagne peak as recommended in a comment: the climb is very steep but the summit is worth it!
The descent along the ridge is steep and rocky: it's not hiking, it's climbing!
We then reached the Fourcat refuge almost entirely in the snow, slipping and climbing, digging our feet into the snow-covered walls (walking poles recommended).
When we reached the snow wall along the Picot, we decided to turn back as we were not sufficiently equipped or qualified, after several false hopes of 'final' climbs. The refuge saved us from a storm of wind, rain and hail.
Finally, we decided to leave this circular to reach the Izourt lake: a much quieter and equally beautiful descent with a very different landscape.
I'd really like to complete this circular hike without snow, a little later in the year.

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Date of your route : Jul 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Please note: the chairlift has not been open in summer since 2020 => allow an extra 1½ hours (471m elevation gain, moderate difficulty)

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Date of your route : May 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Caution! Departing on 30 May, we found ourselves snowbound at the summit after an 8 km climb. Impossible to cross without equipment! This hike should be done later in the season.

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Date of your route : Jul 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

SUPERB hike, very difficult if done in one day. (We had to condense it because storms were forecast for the next day :-) ..)
Breathtaking scenery, typical of the Ariège region.
We set off at 6.30am from Lake Soulcem, heading for the Picots and Fourcat ponds.
We added the climb to Pic de Tristaina, a superb summit with a beautiful arrival point, pretty cairns and a beautiful cross! A must-do.
We continued along the ridges to the top of the chairlift in question, then descended through the Soulcem Valley via a small path. The descent was tricky with our legs on fire :-D
We got back to the dam at 8:30 p.m. :-)

The first part (up to the Fourcat pond) is technical because it's a steep climb over scree, rocks, difficult terrain, and constant changes in elevation.
The section after Pic de Tristaina (do it, it's really great) is just as difficult, with the same terrain and varying elevation, but downhill. ;-)

This hike is magnificent to do over two days, preferably in good weather as it can be slippery on the boulders and scree. There are many majestic ponds with cool blue water, abundant wildlife and beautiful flora .

Only go if you're not afraid of sore legs, haha :-)

A must-do hike + Pic de Tristaina is the BEST!!!

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Date of your route : Sep 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

We did the route in the opposite direction to the one indicated (Soulcem-Port de Causarans-Port de l'Albeile-Refuge de Fourcat-Picot-Soulcem), and so didn't take the chairlift. Over two days with a night at the lake, the first day took 8 hours including breaks, and the return trip took just under 5 hours.
A beautiful hike, but above all a challenging one, with lots of rocky terrain, scree, and variations in elevation, although not significant (+100m here, -100m there), often when you least expect to have to climb back up =). Be careful in bad weather, as the trails are steep in places, and the presence of rocks doesn't help matters.

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Date of your route : Aug 27, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Magnificent! We did this hike as a family (ages 11 to 16). We stayed at the Fourcat refuge and added an extra day of "relaxation" so we could take our time climbing to the peak of Fourcat and enjoy the surroundings (landscape, wildlife, flora). There were lots of people from the Tristaina lake onwards!
The scenery is truly superb. For us, the most challenging part was between the refuge and Goueille lake.

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Date of your route : Aug 15, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Superb hike! We planned to do it in three days based on the reviews and our limited experience, but in the end, thanks to beautiful weather and a relatively steady pace, we finished in two days.
The cable car opens at 10 a.m. and costs €6.80 if I remember correctly, but we didn't take it because the weather was beautiful and we had time (and for the challenge!).
There isn't much flat ground; it goes up and down a lot, as the elevation curve clearly shows, but it's worth it because the scenery is spectacular and varied!

As an anecdote, we delayed our departure by a day due to bad weather and slept three to a small stone cottage (a former shepherd's hut? Perfectly dry, there are several nearby, empty) an hour's walk from the start to save time on the hike, and started directly in the countryside the next day, so you could say we did it in 2 days + 1 hour
It wasn't planned, but it's a good alternative if you're coming from a little further away by car!

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When would you recommend it?

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Date of your route : Aug 05, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

This is a challenging hike that deserves its rating! I usually count on an hour less than the estimated time, but on the first day, it took me an hour longer than estimated. However, the breathtaking landscapes, each more beautiful than the last, made it worth it.
For the bivouac, I preferred to continue a little further than what is indicated in the route, so I slept at the Tristaina pond (a very pretty spot with large rocks to shelter from the wind if necessary).
However, be aware that the cable car only operates in good weather and from 9.30am. So I ended up waiting an hour and then walking back up a pass I had crossed earlier, as it was raining. In case of bad weather, I recommend going directly from the Tristaina lake to the Pointe de Peiraguils (there is a path, see IGN map).
The markings are clearly visible, but some very rocky sections require extra caution.

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We completed this route over three days: Friday 14/7/17 morning + Saturday + Sunday morning... and thankfully so, because it's a very strenuous and difficult hike, especially with a backpack weighing over 10 kg. There are sections with cables along rocky walls. Fortunately, the chairlift saves you from (yet another) climb, because by the third day, you really start to feel the fatigue (note that the chairlift starts at 10 a.m.). Doing this hike over two full days must be really tough, so I strongly advise against it! And we're experienced hikers!
Otherwise, the hike is unforgettable for the beauty of its landscapes, the succession of lakes, peaks... in short, everything that makes the Pyrenees so charming (don't forget your filter water bottle, as there is water everywhere).
Signposting: good overall, but we had an IGN map with a compass.

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So the reliability of the description is disappointing just in terms of the difficulty? Not for the route description?

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Date of your route : Aug 29, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A great hike, magnificent scenery... However, I strongly advise against it for beginner hikers like me.
Not being particularly athletic, this hike turned out to be a real ordeal. It took us nearly six hours of walking to reach stage 2, where we decided to spend the night before descending the next day to the starting point.
The paths are well marked, but there is a lot of climbing and with a 10kg backpack, you feel tired very quickly. I sincerely believe that this hike is greatly underestimated. In my opinion, it is not average, it is just very difficult.
Nevertheless, I would like to thank the Visorando website and the people who posted this hike, because despite the difficulty, the scenery is simply magnificent. I plan to do it again when I have more experience because this route is really very difficult.

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Hello everyone,
Do you know the prices for the Creussant chairlift and its opening dates? Thank you.

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