Snowshoeing in the wild Pyrenees national park

Meet at 9.00 am at Lourdes station. A transfer by car awaits us, bound for the Cauterets massif.

We'll put on our snowshoes and discover the secrets of the Lutour valley. We walk along the torrent through the beech fir forest. The first signs of ungulates can be seen in the undergrowth. On the snow-covered slopes, we can observe the fauna of the Pyrenees. The landscape changes as we leave the forest, giving way to snow-capped peaks.

The path gradually leads us to the Fruitière, a former milk collection and cheese-making centre. We have lunch on the edge of the forest and enjoy the spectacle of nature.

After our meal, we walk along the torrent in search of signs of European otters. It's time to head back to our gîte for the night, at the hôtellerie de la fruitière. Corinne and Patxi give us a warm welcome. We enjoyed dinner by the fireplace.

After breakfast at the hôtellerie de la fruitière, we set off. We descend the valley through undergrowth and return to the starting point from the previous day.

A short car transfer takes us to the heart of the Pyrenees National Park. Leaving the Pont d'Espagne, we head up the Gaube valley. We make our way through the muffled old forest under the murmur of the torrent.

As we make our way along, we come across signs of the isard, which is fond of lichens. We skirt a small lake (laquet) and let the high peaks redraw the scenery. We have lunch by the water in front of a marvellous landscape.

We observe the mountain wildlife. After our picnic, we return to our route. This takes us to the edge of the (frozen) Gaube lake. This huge lake is of glacial origin, with the majestic Vignemale (3298m) as a backdrop. We descend the valley to the Mountain hut du Clot, where we are expected.

After leaving the Mountain hut at Le Clot, we head for the Marcadau valley. We take the opportunity to observe the Pyrenean ibex reintroduced in 2014 (following their disappearance in 1910). Keep your eyes peeled for bearded vultures and golden eagles.

We continue on our way across the Cayan plateau, dubbed "Little Canada" for its scenery. Leaving behind the Pont d'Espagne Nordic ski area, we make our way down into the valley.

We have a picnic in the heart of nature. We take advantage of the place to contemplate the magnificent landscape drawn by the border summits. After our meal, we return to our route. This takes us to the recently Meals Wallon Marcadau mountain hut. A warm welcome awaits us.

After breakfast at the Wallon Marcadau Mountain hut, we're off. Today, we're heading back down the valley towards the Plateau du Cayan.

On the way, we observe the wildlife in the valley and identify the tracks on the snow. We have lunch in the middle of nature. After our picnic, we discover the valley's last secrets, from waterfalls to hidden tracks in the forest.

We take one last look at the Vignemale before returning to our vehicles. We set off for the return journey to Lourdes station, where we bid farewell to each other, our hearts filled by all these moments of sharing and observation. End of the trip.