The Ariège                                                            Return to front page

The part of the GR10 that crosses this remote area of France is extremely beautiful and interesting but does present someone trying to combine GR10 with hotel or guarded refuge accommodation with some difficulty as rooms of this type are very sparse.
    
There is a small agency run by Roelof at  www.bergtoppers.nl who can assist with guiding and vehicle support.  Various taxi firms are also available.

When we did this part of the route in 2005, we hired a mini-bus for a party of seven.  Then, generally, we drove , to a road-head on GR10 and dropped off half the party.  The rest then drove to another road-head and walked back along GR10.  After meeting in the middle, the first walking party then drove back to the start again to collect the others.  In the notes below the lift/taxi suggestions mentioned can alternatively be done this ‘relay’ method (please see the lists of hotels/refuges for links to the ones mentioned below).   

1.  Starting at the refuge at  l'Étang d'Araing (which is very good and fully equipped for meals etc and has regular donkey/mule re-provisioning) 

Either:-  Walk on GR10 to the gite at Eylie d'en Haut.  Here there is accommodation in the gîte.  An alternative is to get down to Sentein by road (not too long a walk or lift/taxi) where there is the Hôtel-Restaurant Le Crabère.

Or:- Walk direct to Sentein on the Tour de Biros trail.

Or:- Walk on along GR10 to get to the Aire d'Accueil at La Pucelle (near Passarelle de Grauilles), in the next valley along.  This is however quite a taxing day.  There is a road-head with a popular car park.  Hitching would be possible or alternatively a taxi could be organised to get down to the hotels at Sentein or the Aubege at Audressein (particularly good!)

2.  If staying at Eylie d'en Haut or Sentein the next day takes one to the Aire d'Accueil at La Pucelle.

3.  From La Pucelle to the Aire d'Accueil in the Riberot Valley.  Here there is another popular parking place and camping places (in a very attractive setting).  A lift, or organised taxi, down the valley to the Aubege at Audressein.

4.  Aire d'Accueil in the Riberot Valley to Porte de la Core.  Quite a long day but exceptionally beautiful.  At Porte de la Core there is a Car Park and sometimes a refreshment van.  It is a likely place to get a lift down to Audressein, or in the other direction to Seix or Oust (Hotel La Poste), as it is on a fairly main road.  (We could not get mobile reception at Porte de la Core so an earlier taxi contact would be needed)

Or:-  Continue down GR10 for about an hour and a half to the very attractive looking gite at Esbints  (see picture at bottom)

5.  Porte de la Core to Moulin Lauga (near Couflens).   From here a taxi/lift to Hotel Les Ormeaux at Le Train (near St Lizier).

6. From Moulin Lauga we walked by the Tour de Val de Garbet along the Ustou valley to get to Le Train rather than taking the long loop that GR10 takes via Couflens and Rouze.   (This loop, having an 1,700 m climb as part of a 9.5 hour walk, will be beyond the capability of some.)

7.  Le Train/St Lizier to Aulus-les-Bain (Hotel La Terasse is exellent)

8.  Aulus-les-Bain to Refuge de Bassiès   (See picture at bottom).  This is a good modern place supplied by helicopter.

9.  Refuge de Bassiès to Goulier (Relais d'Endron).   The direct route is via Auzat (edge) and Olbier but the longer route taken by GR10 would involve a night at the Honey Farm at Marc (05.61.61.64.86), the gite at Monicou or road travel to hotels as below.

10.  Goulier to Sigeur (or better Gesties).  Both are villages from where a taxi could be phoned for to go to Vicdessos or Tarascon-sur-Ariège where there are hotels. (We had to go on to Foix as there was nowhere free any closer).

11.  Sigeur/Gesties to Clarans or Station de Ski de fond de Beille.   This is a long day and can be broken if a vehicle is available as this can get up to Col de Sasc (this involves a long trip on a gravel road via Larcat but local shepherds seem go up in normal cars).  Taxis can be met at either Clarans or Station de Ski de fond de Beille.  (Note:  the last part of the climb from Clarans up to Station de Ski de fond de Beille involves the steepest bit of GR10 we encountered all the way along and is inadvisable in wet weather - particularly if going down)

12.  After Beille there is the excellent Refuge de Rulhe and then one arrives at Mérens-les-Vals.  There is a reputedly very good Gite there or one can go by train down to Ax-les-Thermes, about a quarter of an hour’s journey, where there are several hotels.  

13.  After this, one has the also excellent Refuge des Bésines and then one leaves the Ariège to head for the hotels at Bouillouse.

                              Esbints Gite                          Refuge de Bassiès                 Relais d'Endron at Goulier