4 hiking ideas around Loudenvielle and Saint-Lary Soulan

Do you love the Pyrenees ? The best way to get closer to its snow-capped peaks, emerald lakes and picturesque flora and fauna is to explore them on foot. Here are 4 hiking ideas, accompanied by sumptuous photos and well-informed advice, to allow you to enjoy the Pyrenees in complete peace, with family or friends. Don't forget sunscreen, hiking shoes, a picnic and let's go!

La Soula and Lake Caillauas, a sporty hike

During your stay in the pretty Louron valley, and after visiting the magnificent village of Loudenvielle and its picture-postcard lake, you can extend your route in the upper valley, to the Pont de Prat, located at an altitude of around 1200m.

Once parked near the hydroelectric power station, you take the stony path on the right leading you to the first slopes of Soula.

This hike is done in 3 stages:

• The initial ascent is full of charm along a winding path in the heart of a magnificent Pyrenean forest.
• A second part of the path in the heart of the Clarabide gorges, easy but more spectacular, takes you to the Soula refuge at the bottom of the valley.
• A third part, starting from the Soula refuge, much more sporty and in a high mountain setting, allows you to climb the last 500 meters of altitude difference to the sumptuous Caillauas lake !
  

Duration: Approximately 1.5 hours to the Soula refuge. + 1.5 hours to Lake Caillauas.

Elevation gain: Approximately 400m to the refuge. +500m from the Soula refuge to Lac de Caillauas.

Arrival at the Soula refuge

A final effort to reach the sumptuous Lac de Caillauas

An effort that deserves a gourmet comfort at the Refuge de la Soula!

Lake Oô and Lake Espingo, When one lake hides another!

The hike to the famous Lake Oô is a classic of its kind, to be done with good shoes and a camera to bring back a souvenir of this majestic natural spectacle.

• Once your vehicle is parked at Granges d'Astau (large car park available), you begin the gentle climb towards Lake Oô, along a magnificent valley.
• The slope becomes steeper from the first bends, but remains within reach of anyone in good health!

The climb is mainly in the shade and the arrival at the lake offers you a magnificent spectacle, the waterfall in the background adds a spectacular side to this typical view of the Pyrenees.

Walk along the valley with its conifers and its panorama

Lake Oô and its spectacular waterfall!

If you wish to extend your hike to Lake Espingo, which is located one level above Lake Oô (but what a level!), you must take, just before arriving at Lake Oô, the path which climbs to the left of the lake.

• The first part of this second ascent to Lake Espingo is magnificent, offering constant views of Oô as you get closer to the waterfall. You'll also come across one or two other pretty little waterfalls along the way.
• The second section, steeper and more stony, takes you to the Espingo Pass at an altitude of around 2000m and, after a final, substantial effort, opens up a breathtaking panorama (which is already a bit breathtaking) of Lake Espingo. The lake is nestled in a magnificent cirque where a few wild horses add even more beauty to the landscape.

All you have to do then is descend quietly through the pastures to reach the lake and enjoy a well-deserved rest!

The Tramezaigues Valley and the Rioumajou Hospice

Here is a peaceful, family-friendly hike in a picture-postcard valley! Leaving Saint- Lary Soulan, head towards the Bielsa tunnel, then after about 5km, turn left towards the village of Tramezaigues. After a climb by car of about 8km, you reach a shaded parking lot on the edge of the torrent, which is the starting point for many hikes in the magnificent Rioumajou valley.

Today's hike takes us peacefully towards the Hospice de Rioumajou, along a superb torrent, in a truly postcard-perfect setting!

The climb is gentle, the path wide, so much so that a few vehicles sometimes come to take us out of our contemplative state!

• After a short hour of hiking, the path widens and opens onto a vast cirque made up of pastures and peaks in the distance approaching 3000m!
• A break is possible at the hospice, for a drink, a snack or lunch, even if we found the prices a little prohibitive, we are used to better in this kind of place!

The Lakes of Orédon, Cap de Long and Aumar, the Lakes route!

Taking a trip along the road to these high mountain lakes is, for me, a must-do in the region. Leaving Saint-Lary towards Spain, you take the D118 and, before Aragnouet, you turn right onto the D929. The road which then winds through a deep wooded valley is magnificent. It is the starting point for several hikes in the magnificent Massif de Néouvielle.

At the bottom of the valley, the climb becomes more spectacular when you take the pretty and picturesque Edelweiss hairpin bends, which mark the arrival at Lake Orédon.

Lake Orédon

You then have two options:

• Either you drive down to the large Orédon car park, the starting point for many hikes, or a magnificent picnic spot.
• Or, you continue your ascent by car to the spectacular dam and lake of Cap de Long, nestled in the hollow of the Néouvielle massif whose peak culminates at 3091m.

The Cap de Long lake is extraordinary in every way. It is the largest reservoir in the Pyrenees and the most imposing dam, at 101m high!

As for the road leading from Lake Orédon to Lake Aumar and Lake Aubert, located at an altitude of almost 2,200 m, the latter is now closed to traffic for a large part of the day in summer (from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.), which is a great benefit for nature.

You can take the hiking trails that lead to the discovery of these high-altitude lakes. Here, the routes abound. One of our favorites is the "Orédon, Aubert, Aumar" loop, 3 hours round trip and a positive elevation gain of around 350m which will allow you to appreciate these three magnificent lakes!

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