Tusse de Montarqué from Les Granges d'Astau

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A more demanding hike than it appears, passing by famous lakes in the Pyrenees: Lac d’Oô and its superb waterfall, Lac d’Espingo, Lac de Saussat and Lac du Portillon. The view from the summit of the Tusse de Montarqué is magnificent, set in a cirque surrounded by numerous 3,000-metre peaks, which may inspire ideas for future hikes.

Details

n°45971371
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.61 mi
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 10 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Very difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 6,198 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 6,198 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 9,462 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,750 ft
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Photos

The frozen lake from the Tusse de Montarqué
The Lac du Portillon, with a full view and plunge into the lake, near the Tusse de Montarqué
The Portillon lake, climbing towards the Tusse de Montarqué
Snowfield below Lac du Portillon

Description of the walk

From Bagnères-de-Luchon, head up towards the Col de Peyresourde via the D618. At Castillon-de-Larboust, turn left onto the D76, pass through the village of Oô and continue to Les Granges d’Astau.

(S/E) From the car park, take theGR®®10trail south-south-west through the Badech forest to the first lake of the day, Lac d’Oô.

(1) Stay on theGR®®10, following the right bank of Lac d’Oô; the path climbs slightly.

(2) About 300 m before the Col d'Espingo, leave theGR®®10and continue straight on to the pass.

(3) Turn right, then left (due south) 20 m further on to head down a gentle slope towards Lac Saussat.

(4) Walk along the left bank of Lac Saussat and continue southwards.

(5) At the entrance to the Coume de l'Abesque, continue straight on, then cross the footbridge. The well-marked path heads south-east and winds around several rocky outcrops before reaching the Refuge du Portillon (or Jean Arlaud).

(6) Turn right: there are no markings, but the cairns clearly indicate the path. Just before the summit, climb a small chimney about ten metres high, which presents no difficulty. Reach a small pass offering a fine view of Lac Glacé, then head due south across the broad, flat summit of the Tusse de Montarqué.

(7) From the summit, turn back and follow the same route to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,750 ft - Les Granges d’Astau
  2. 1 : mi 2 - alt. 4,931 ft - Lac d'Oo
  3. 2 : mi 3.44 - alt. 6,253 ft - Abandon GR
  4. 3 : mi 3.62 - alt. 6,447 ft - Col d'Espingo (1967m)
  5. 4 : mi 4 - alt. 6,302 ft - Lac Saussat
  6. 5 : mi 4.95 - alt. 6,877 ft - Passerelle - Coume de l'Abesque
  7. 6 : mi 6.67 - alt. 8,451 ft - Lac du Portillon - Refuge du Portillon (Jean Arlaud)
  8. 7 : mi 7.31 - alt. 9,462 ft - Tusse de Montarqué (2889 m)
  9. S/E : mi 14.61 - alt. 3,750 ft - Les Granges d’Astau

Notes

A challenging hike due to its length and elevation gain. No particular difficulties when there is no snow.
It is possible to split the hike into two parts by staying overnight in one of the mountain huts along the route (recommended).

Worth a visit

Several 3,000-metre peaks are accessible from this valley, starting from one of the refuges:
Le Perdiguère (3,222 m) and Pic Hito (3,176 m),
Pic des Spijeoles (3,065 m),
Les Gourgs Blancs (3,129 m),
Pic Gourdon (3,034 m),
Le Grand Quayrat (3,060 m).

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 3 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
François31
François31

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Route followed (but stopped 150 m before the summit, see why below) on 3 November 2025.
I am sharing my experience on this route mainly to inform hikers who are tempted to do it at the end of the season, when the first snows have fallen and are no longer disappearing due to the permanent cold on the shaded slopes...
Indeed, while there is nothing to complain about on the route up to the gate, the last section to climb to the summit, which is easy in summer, poses problems due to the very hard snow and ice. It turns out that by strictly following the tracks marked by cairns, I was gradually led towards the shaded areas (north/north-east), where passages (open chimneys, ledges) were covered with very hard snow and/or ice... I abandoned my poles so that I could use my hands freely, and I persevered, but I gave up 150 m from the summit, deciding (a little too late, in fact) that it was too dangerous to continue, as I had to think about the descent, which was going to be more difficult...
In conclusion, I wonder if there might be other possible routes on the sunny (south) side to avoid these obstacles, which are too dangerous without crampons, but I didn't have time to explore this.
I would like to thank in advance any hikers who know the Tusse better than I do if they can provide information on other possible routes on the south side. It is a bit frustrating to have to stop so close after a 5-hour climb...

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El Pato
El Pato

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 : No

This hike was done in sport mode on 14 July, which meant we had to leave early to avoid the crowds heading to Lac d'Oô (the second most visited site in the Pyrenees after Gavarnie). As I left Les Granges d'Astau at around 7.10 a.m., I had no problems and was the first to arrive at Lac d'Oô! The first part of the hike is on wide stone paths in the shade. There aren't many nice views of the mountains, and there are still a lot of trees, but you quickly reach Lac d'Oô, where there are plenty of places to get away from it all and enjoy the scenery. But that wasn't my goal for the day, so I quickly made my way up to the heights (the elevation gain increases after that) to reach Lac d'Espingo, which is a little quieter and opens up to more open landscapes. From there, it's a short descent to Saussat, then the start of the "real" climb, at the end of the lake, along narrow, stony paths. Snowfields began to touch the paths (but no problem at this time of year). The narrow path ended after a steep climb at a sort of "rocky clearing" with a clear view of the horizon, below Lake Portillon. Then I arrived at Lake Portillon, swept by the cool wind. There is a magnificent view of the snow-capped mountains, even if not all the peaks are visible due to cloud cover. I had already been here 27 years ago, and as in the Maladeta massif, the glacier has also disappeared here. No time to cool down, we set off again to the right of the lake, towards the Tusse de Montarqué, where the path is not always visible. You have to follow the GPS track, but it's easy, it's right at the top! There are some snowy sections, and this is where the hike is the steepest. You have to use your hands in places, but it's not climbing, nothing complicated. The final effort is really worth it, as it's up there at 2,880 metres that the view is most spectacular: the frozen lake on the right, the Lac du Portillon on the left, peaks over 3,000 metres all around you. Magnificent! Magnificent but strongly swept by the cool wind. The tusse is a kind of unprotected dome. After a few minutes of contemplation, we ran back down as fast as possible. Back to the Astau barns after a 5 hour 12 minute hike (not counting the hour's stop, photos, food and admiring the different sites). At a leisurely pace, I think it's better to allow twice as long. According to my watch, it was almost 2,000 metres of elevation gain and 24 km in total!

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mutmut
mutmut

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I reached point 6 in 4 hours with very few breaks. I didn’t carry on because I didn’t have the right equipment. There are a few technical sections between points 5 and 6. I recommend it

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