A Week in the Western Valleys itinerary
Day 1: Arrival & Valle d’Aspe
Our guide will meet you at the Tarbes/Lourdes airport (or, for an extra fee, Biarritz airport) or a nearby train station. We recomend a morning arrival time. We will then drive around an hour and a half to our hotel in the Valle d’Aspe (Aspe Valley) where we will settle in to our beautiful hotel and have some lunch. In the afternoon we take you to the gorgeous mountain village of Lescun where we do a short and easy (2-3hrs) warm up hike in the hills above the village. There are some remarkable views across the vast Cirque de Lescun with its pillars of rock rising up above the pastrol landscape. We return to our hotel for dinner.
Day 2: Lac d’Ansabère (5-6hrs; moderate)
The Cirque de Lescun, with its ragged sharks jaw of soaring rock spires, is one of the wonders of the French Pyrenees and todays walk, which is a local classic, to the cabins and Lac d’Ansabère (lake of Ansabère)shows it at its finest.
This simple walk takes us up a deeply forested valley and over sheep pastures and wild flower meadows to the Cabane d’Ansabère, a shepherd hut and hikers refuge, which is set right at the foot of some of the most dramatic rock spires in the cirque. From here we can follow a steeper trail which runs up a lush mountain slope to the elf green Lac d’Ansabère. The still waters of the lake beautifully reflect the surrounding mountains and if energy levels allow we can even climb a little higher onto the frontier ridge from where we can peer down onto another, larger lake on the Spanish side as well as take in the view across the whole of the Cirque de Lescun.
We return to our hotel in the evening.
Day 4: Lacs d’Ayous (6hrs; moderate)
After an early breakfast we drive an hour to the east to the neighbouring Valle d’Ossau (Ossau Valley), which many people consider one of the most beautiful and varied of the valleys in the western Pyrenees. We will drive straight to the trailhead for the circuit of the Lacs d’Ayous (Ayous lakes), which is quite rightly considered one of the classic walks of the Pyrenees.
This circular hike is constantly throwing something of interest toward you: pastures filled with docile eyed cows and sheep, soaring mountains, mossy forests, streams filled with fat fish and so many lakes in a multitude of sizes that you’ll soon loose count of the number you’ve passed. But as the scenery around you changes by the minute one thing remains constant: the towering presence of the Pic du Midi d’Ossau just over the valley. There are many vantage points from which to take in the view of this distinctive mountain, but perhaps the best is seeing it reflected in the still waters of the Lac d’Ayous where we will enjoy lunch.
At the end of a wonderful day of hiking we head to the small village of Laruns and check into our comfortable guesthouse.
Day 3: Dec de Lhurs (5-6hrs; Moderate)
Today we explore a different side of the Cirque de Lescun as we head to the pretty Lac de Lhurs (Lhurs Lake) and summit the little known Dec de Lhurs. Along the way we have a huge amount of scenic variety to enjoy. There are the tangled and wild beech forests that are so symbolic of the damper, western Pyrenees, airy drop-offs, postcard worthy rural farming scenes, abundant wildlife (griffon vultures and marmots are commonly seen) and the delightful fish-filled Lac de Lhurs set against a backdrop of fearful rock spires. After a pause for lunch we leave the lake behind and push on higher up the grassy valley to a long ridge with commanding views. From here it’s then just a short scramble up the increasingly rocky slopes (you might need to use your hands a bit, but there’s nothing technical about it) to the summit of Dec de Lhurs (2176m) which offers one of the best viewpoints of the Valle d’Aspe.
After a great days hiking we return the way we came to our hotel and dinner.
Day 5: Pic d’Anglas(7hrs; hard)
Today’s adventure is a superb circular route that passes by three lakes, pauses on a mountain summit (or two summits if you have the energy) and even gives a bit of an insight into eighteenth century mining in the Pyrenees!
The day begins at the edge of the ski resort of Gourette but very quickly we leave all signs of ski lifts and slopes behind as we climb up a wild mountain valley where clear streams flow and shepherds graze their flocks. A steep climb then takes us up onto a plateau with two peaceful lakes and grand views. After a pause we carry on up to a pass and then the easy to obtain summit of the Pic d’Anglas (2459m) for unforgetable views back down the valley. For those who wish, a sharp but technically easy and safe scramble will take us up to the second summit of the day, Arre Sourins (2614m), for even more impressive views. We then descend down a different valley past the large Lac d’Anglas and the vestiges of an abondanded 18th Century mining project before spiraling back down through forest to our waiting vehicles.
Day 6: Lac d’Arremoulit (7-8hrs; hard)
On a fine day in June, when wild flowers cover the meadows in an abundance of colour, snow lies across the high peaks and blocks of ice melt slowly in cobalt coloured lakes, then this hike is simply one of a kind. Yes, it’s a long and tiring day, but with every step of the way likely to leave you impressed you might well come to the conclusion that this is one of the very best day walks that you’ve ever done. The route begins from high in the Ossau Valley, ducks through dense forest for a half hour before emerging into a huge flower meadow full of butterflies and plump marmots. After a heavy climb through the meadows you enter more Alpine territory to reach a pass with dramatic views. Here we have a choice, play it safe by dropping down to the massive Lac d’Artouste (Artouste lake) and then climbing back up the other side to our final goal, or taking the more direct route via the Passage d’Orteig, a goat track-like notch in the cliff face that is absolutely not for the faint of heart. Either way, we eventually arrive at the stunning Arremoulit Lake backed by a wall of solid mountain rock.
We return by the same route and head back to Laruns for our final night.
Day 7: Departure
Our journey finishes after breakfast when we transfer you to your departure airport or train station in a nearby town. If your onward connection is not until later in the day then, for an additional payment, do a short half day hike from the Col d’Aubisque before late afternoon drop off. And if you’ve not yet got your fill of Pyrenean wonders then we can take you straight over to the central French Pyrenees for a week of hiking around the Gavarnie region or across into Spain to the maganificent Ordesa region.