ViaMichelin
Marcadau valley
Michelin Guide
Well worth the diversions
Natural site
The Michelin Guide's review
The easy way through this valley was once a very popular transit route between France and Spain (and one that holidaymakers make use of today). It alternates between meadowy flats, where the pristine Gave du Marcadau meanders over the pebble deposits, and "verrous" – glacial cross cliffs. The path through the verrous becomes steeper as it pushes through rocks and pine forests. The Refuge Wallon (1,865m elevation), the destination of the excursion, stands at the entrance to a pastoral cirque, whose upper valleys are studded with lakes offering many other mountain walks. To go on one of these, you will need to spend the night in the refuge, which reopened in 2022 after renovations.
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