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Pyrenees GR10: Part 4, Cauterets – Luchon

Highlights

Fourth stage of the mythical crossing of the Pyrenees via the GR10 long-distance trail

Wonderful high mountain stage of the Pyrenees traverse

Well preserved flora and fauna

Wonderful mountain scenery in the Pyrenees

Great walking over passes and summits, over 2000m in altitude

Only carrying a light rucksack on most days

Holiday Profile : 7 night/8 days – 6 or 7 days independent walking moving between accommodation

Dates : Everyday (subject to availability) from 15 June to 30 September

At a Glance

Part 4 of a superb trek traversing the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Coasts

Price

From £ 1,095 per person

Every journey is tailor-made and can be personalised to your travel style, preferred accommodation and budget.

All highlights

GR 10 Trek

This self-guided walking holiday is the fourth part of a wonderful & dramatic 415km crossing of the Pyrenees Mountain chain between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean along the GR10 long distance trail. You’ll amble through stunning scenery that varies enormously, with flower filled meadows, sparkling lakes, cirques and high summits. You’ll get a taste of many different cultures, from the Basque country by the Atlantic to Catalonia by the Mediterranean. Each valley you pass through has its own distinct flavour.

This section of the GR10 long distance trail goes from Cauterets to Bagneres-de-Luchon, and is made up of two parts. The first part of the itinerary takes place in an area called Toy. The word ‘Toy’, formerly Thoys, means child or small and refers to the youthfulness of the villages. You’ll walk from Cauterets to Bareges, via the high valley of Luz-Saint-Sauveur and the col de Riou, where there is a splendid panoramic view, visiting villages renowned for the benefits of their thermal waters.

In the second part of this walking holiday, from the Gaubie bridge to Bagneres-de-Luchon, the itinerary makes its way through a succession of lakes, mountain passes, at more than 2000m in altitude, and mountain villages. You will cross the Natural Reserve in Neouvielle and its remarkable glacial lakes, before reaching the villages of Saint-Lary-Soulan and Germ, the famous Espingo lake refuge and finally Bagneres-de-Luchon, known as the “belle of the Pyrenees”.

Accommodation & Meals

6 nights in hotels, in double rooms
1 night in a shared dormitory in mountain refuge. Bring a sleeping bag liner (blankets provided)
Half board

Navigation, Walking Notes & Maps

The vast majority of this walking holiday follows the GR10 (Grande Randonnee) long distance trail which is very well way-marked with red and white markings. There are also a number of signposts along the trail. The walking follows clear paths for its entire duration. Some small sections follow local or unmarked trails, for example to access accommodation, but these are easy to follow. On this particular walking holiday we use the Cicerone guide books. As well as the walking notes we supply walking maps. You’ll be provided with detailed 1:25,000 walking maps.

Luggage Transfers

On this walking holiday you can choose to have your main luggage transferred between accommodation so you only have to carry a day rucksack with picnic lunch (supplied by the guest houses and included in the holiday price), water and spare clothes, waterproofs, camera etc. On this holiday several local taxi companies are responsible for transporting your main luggage. Please limit the weight of your bags where possible to 15kg.

Travel Info

How to arrive in Cauterets

– By air :
Lourdes-Tarbes airport (35km)
Pau-Pyrenees airport (80km)
Toulouse-Blagnac airport (204km). Flights from the UK to Toulouse with Easy Jet, Ryan Air, Flybe, BMI regional & British Airways.

– By train :
Train from Bordeaux or Toulouse to Lourdes.
Bus SNCF from Lourdes to Cauterets (departures from in front of Lourdes station) : Allow 1h travel time.
Cauterets bus station open from 9h to 12h30 and from 15h to 18h.
Return to bus station in Luz St Sauveur to Lourdes – arrival in Lourdes.

– By car :
From Tarbes follow Lourdes, Argeles- Gazost, then Cauterets.
Location : Paris 894km, Bordeaux 278km, Toulouse 204km, Nantes 602km.

PARKING :
Parking in Cauterets :
– Free : Bus station, Place de la gare, Thermes Cesar (town centre).
– Parking : Parking Municipal underground, Rue de Belfort – Tel : 0033 562925557, or 0033 562925034 (Mairie), or 0033 562925050 (tourist office)

Parking in Luchon :
Free : Behind the post office, from the phone box, in front of the train station, Luchon exit.

How to leave Luchon :
From Luchon train station by bus SNCF or TER direction Montrejeau ; then train conections to Toulouse or Pau, Bordeaux, Paris.

How to get to Cauterets from Luchon :
Train (or SNCF bus) from Luchon train station to Montrejeau ; then T.E.R train from Montrejeau to Lourdes, line Toulouse to Irun) ; from Lourdes, SNCF bus to Cauterets.
www.ter-sncf.com to confirm timetable.

We recommend arriving by train to avoid returns to Cauterets to recover your car, because the return journey is long by public transport and very expensive if you to take a taxi. If you have to come by car, we recommend that you leave your car in Cauterets on the first day and return

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At a Glance

Strenuous

6 days independent walking moving everyday between hotels and two mountain huts. It is graded strenuous, although the average days include 6 hours 30 - 7 hours walking and 1000m of ascent & descent. The hardest day, however, includes 1650m of ascent. Details are provided with the descriptions below. Paths are generally good and well defined, although they are often rocky and mountainous in character. You should have a good head for heights and be able to navigate. This walking holiday is graded strenuous. See more information about walking grades.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival

Part 4 of the GR10 trek starts at Cauterets. Situated at 950m altitude, Cauterets has an authentic, Pyrenean mountain charm and is well known for its thermal spas. Time to discover and enjoy the town. Choice of optional walks if you have time.

The Turon des Oules and the plateau du Lisey
Possibility of doing a forest walk in the direction of Turon des Oules 1380m, this is a high altitude thermal station with old hotels that date from the turn of the last century, it's possible to continue to the Plateau du Lisey (add on 30mins).

The Gaube lake from the Pont d'Espagne
From Cauterets, take the shuttle from the Pont d'Espagne and hike to the magnificent Gaube Lake.

Distance: 12km, duration: around 5h, altitude gain: +850, descent: -850 (Turon des Oules and Plateau du Lisey).
Distance: 5km, duration: 1h45, altitude gain: +300m, descent: -300m (Gaube lake).

Overnight: Cauterets

Day 2: Cauterets - Luz Saint Sauver

From Cauterets, the walk will lead you to Luz-Saint-Sauveur, another well-known thermal spa village. You will pass the col de Riou, that separates the valley of Cauterets and the valley of Luz. From the mountain pass the panorama is immense with views across the Bareges Valley, Neouvielle Massif and the cirque of Troumouse.

Overnight: Luz Saint Sauveur, Walk: Distance: 22km, duration: 8h15, altitude gain: +1200m, descent: -1400m.

Day 3: Luz Saint Sauveur - Barèges

Today's walk will allow you to discover the flora and fauna of the high Pyrenees, such as the mountain isards and the playful marmots. The valley of light, 'vallee lumiere' is a real joy for walkers on this easier day.

Overnight: Bareges, Walk: Distance: 15km, duration: 5h45, altitude gain: +1000m, descent: -500m.

Day 4: Bareges - Oredon refuge

Today's walk is in the sumptuous natural reserve of Neouvielle particularly appreciated by walkers for its beauty. The col Madamete and the lakes Aumar, Aubert, Lacquettes and Oredon are on today's walking itinerary.

Overnight: Oredon Refuge, Walk: Distance: 19km, duration: 7h30, altitude gain: +1250m, descent: -650m.

Day 5: Oredon Refuge - Saint-Lary-Soulan

Short transfer (can be avoided, consult us). From the parking area in Artigusse, you'll walk for about 40mins before arriving at Lake Oule. A track leads to the pass or Col de Portet. From the col the trail passes via the ski resort of Saint Lary. It makes its way across high altitude pastures before descending to the village of Vieille-Aure near Saint-Lary-Soulan.

Overnight: Saint-Lary-Soulan, Walk: Distance: 20km, duration: 8h00, altitude gain: +800m, descent: -1850m.

Day 6: Germ - Espingo Refuge

Transfer to Germ (It is possible to include the walk St Lary-Germ in the tour, adding a night in Germ. Contact us for more information). From Germ you will enjoy some superb views of the French/Spanish mountain summits. The mountain lifestyle and agricultural traditions are still very much alive and well in this area. From the village the GR trail crosses the Pas de Couret at an altitude of 2131m, a passage which takes you into the domaine of Luchon. The ascension towards Espingo lake, the Granges d'Astau and the Lac d'Oo provide some marvelous mountain scenery. Possibility to divide this long stage in 2 by adding an extra night, please contact us.

Overnight: Espingo Refuge, Walk: Distance : Distance: 17km, duration: 8h00, altitude gain: +1650m, descent: -1050m.

Day 7: Espingo Refuge - Luchon

The final walking stage of this section of the GR10 will plunge you into high mountain decor. You will traverse the Hourquette des Hounts at an altitude of 2275m, before crossing the mountain pass, the Col de la Coume de Bourg at 2272m. From here you can choose to do a variant (which is not on the GR10), the ascension of the Pic de Cecire. This magnificent summit offers stunning and captivating views in the direction of the Maladetta massif and the Spigeoles. The descent towards Luchon passes by the ski resort of Superbagneres. In July and August, it is possible to take the cable car of the ski resort to avoid the long descent.

Overnight: Luchon, Walk: Distance.: 18.5km, duration: 7h30, altitude gain: +650m, descent: -1950m.

Day 8: Departure

Your walking holiday ends after breakfast.

Enjoy panoramic trails as you reach an altitude of more than 2000m during this 6-day trail, taking you to the high mountain stage of the classic GR10 trek in the Pyrenees

When to Travel

Our self-guided walking trail along part 4 of the GR10 long distance path is available from 15 June to 30 September. This third stage of the trek goes over mountain passes above 2000m and so before 15 June there is a high risk of snow on the trail and some of the accommodation is not open. During the rest of June and early July there is a greater risk of encountering snow fields on the trail than later. The summer months are the driest period in the central Pyrenees, but afternoon showers or storms are fairly common. From mid September night time temperatures tend to be fresher and there is a small risk of fresh snow at altitude. The busiest period in terms of fellow walkers is from Mid July to mid August.

Extra Nights

Extra nights are possible at Cauterets at the start of the trip and in Luchon at the end of your walk.

Combining trips

This is part 4 of a long distance trek across the French Pyrenees. It is possible to do the walking stages either side of this part of the trek. Here are the links to parts 1, 2 3 and 5 of the trek:

–Pyrenees GR10, Part 1: Henday – St Jean Pied de Port

– Pyrenees GR10, part 2: St Jean Pied de Port – Estaut

– Pyrenees GR10, part 3: Estaut – Cautrets

– Pyrenees GR10, Part 5: Luchon – Aulus les Bains

– Pyrenees GR10, Part 6: Aulus-les-Bains – Merens

We also have a high level traverse close by in the Pyrenees National Park: Traversing the Pyrenees National Park

Please consult us for a price on any of the above options.

Tailor Made Trips

If you want to learn more about the region’s culture through tailor-made activities and visits, check out those trips that include a few days in Occitanie. Contact us to add them to your hike.

Walking Through History: Medieval France Adventure

Authentic trip to discover the Tarn: stunning walks, exquisite gastronomy and centuries of captivating history in Toulouse, Albi, Carcassonne and more.