Cirque d'Estaubé from the Lac des Gloriettes

From the car park at the foot of the Gloriettes dam above Gèdre, a path leaves on the east side and runs over grassy slopes above the Lac des Gloriettes to the Pont de l'Espuguette, just beyond the head of the lake. On the west bank it follows the gave d'Estaubé up a glacial trough, close to the torrent, among pools and small waterfalls and meadows where cattle graze in summer. A second footbridge, the Pont d'Estaubé, crosses the stream just above a little gorge and cascade, and the path climbs to the Cabane d'Estaubé, an open shepherds' shelter at 1,765 m, with a wide view of the walls of the cirque. Return the same way to the Pont de l'Espuguette, then take the path along the west shore of the lake back to the dam, and cross it to the car park.

It is 6.8 km round with 163 m of ascent (the walk sheet gives 6.9 km, 192 m of ascent and 3 h 30); allow about 2 hours of walking, more with stops. The grade is Easy: the path climbs gently, between about 1,650 m and 1,760 m.

Part of the way is in the core zone of the Parc national des Pyrénées, which the Gavarnie-Gèdre walk sheet says begins at about 1,722 m. Dogs are not admitted in the core zone, even on a lead, and picking plants is banned. The park's rules also ban fires, camping and bicycles in the core zone, and allow a bivouac only more than an hour's walk from a road or the edge of the core zone, between 7 pm and 9 am. The sheet asks walkers not to approach the animals and to go round the herds where they can, says swimming is banned in the core zone and advises against bathing in the stream, and warns of the small gorge and cascade just before the Pont d'Estaubé. The path along the west shore of the lake is narrow and sometimes stony, so wear good shoes.

The road to the dam leaves the D922 beyond Gèdre; its upper part is very narrow, where passing is difficult, and the sheet advises against large vehicles. The car park is small; the walk sheet says to arrive early in the morning in high season and not to park along the road or in front of the cattle pens, and that there is no public transport to the start.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.