The Turon du Néouvielle

The Turon du Néouvielle

I wanted to climb a peak over 3,000 m as part of a ski tour for the first time. I chose the Turon de Néouvielle which has the first recorded ascent of a Pyrenees peak over 3,000 metres in 1797.

I also chose it because it is the least technical of the “3,000” peaks and therefore very accessible, provided you are in good physical shape as it is a long route. The round trip is nearly 30 km over 7 to 8 hours with an elevation gain a little over 1,700 metres.

An idyllic valley

Just before we got to the lakes, the low cloud cover showered us with refreshing little snowflakes.

We continued towards Lac d’Estelat, and the clouds parted, giving way to brilliant sunshine, so we had the chance to enjoy the gorgeous landscapes and identify a range of possible routes to reach our goal.

Leaving Lac d’Estelat to our left, we climbed the steep idyllic vale that leads to the ridge separating the Turon de Néouvielle from the Pic de la Coume de l’Ours.

Feeling like you’re “on top” of the world

I loved this feeling of being on the “roof of the world” with the Pic de Néouvielle next door, and much lower, at 2,000 m, the immense lake and dam at Cap-de-Long, the Pic Long and then, in the distance, the famous Brèche de Roland.

On our way back already

As we prefer loop itineraries, we headed down by following the ridge overlooking the Lac de Mainportet, enabling us to stay at the maximum altitude at all times. We had to take quite a few shortcuts before reaching the Lac de la Glère which we circumvented on the right. The last slopes took us into the valley leading to the Plateau du Lienz, and we crossed paths with hikers heading to stay at the Refuge de la Glère.