The summer pastures of Artignan

A hike with a magnificent, wild, and varied scenery!

WhatsApp Group “From Brittany to Ariège”

We rented the Joliotte cottage in Moulis for the whole family in August and we want to do at least one big hike, something unforgettable, even if we have to end up on our knees.

One morning at 8 a.m., parking at Bocard d’Eylie (Sentein), there are 15 of us, including 4 teenagers, to do the Estives d’Artignan loop. It’s a route I love: 1000 meters of elevation gain, 6 hours of walking, a magnificent, wild, and varied scenery.

The weather is good, and the spirits are high. The start on the trail leading to the Cirque de la Plagne allows us to warm up our muscles for the first half hour. As soon as we enter the forest, it’s best to slow down the pace to tackle the first switchbacks…

The always steady and pleasant trail passes through a beautiful beech forest before opening into the Haou meadow. First moment of awe for some.

The sun has been with us for quite some time when the first mining remains signal that the Urets dam is not far off. Clothes are drying on the dam railing: an unusual sight at 2000 meters! The pastoral cabin overlooks the small lake formed by the dam at the entrance of the cirque.

We are at the foot of Maubermé, the highest peak in Couserans, just a stone’s throw from Spain.

The landscape captivates and enchants us. We munch on some seeds, refill our water bottles at the spring, and set off again towards the Artignan cabin.

The shepherdess tells us that we will meet the flock at Artignan. She gets ahead of us and goes to join them. The group is less cheerful now:

“Do you think we’ll see the Patous?” “It’s possible, we’ll see. The shepherds will be there too, let’s not worry.”

We decide to have our lunch break near the cabin, watching the shepherd bring the sheep down towards us. The herding dogs eye our sandwiches in vain, begging for a few crumbs. The Patous bark for show and stay at a distance, controlled by the shepherds.

We set off again on a wilder section of the route. A mining exploration gallery opens near the trail. The lights from our phones allow us to go a few meters inside. Rails are still visible on the ledge. We hike on the western slope of Mail de Bulard, behind the mine. An exceptional silver-lead and zinc vein, situated between 2400 and 2250 meters, was mined from 1901 to 1919 on a perfectly vertical face!

The panorama we admire from the Serre de Chiche, directly facing the Cirque de la Plagne, Serre Haute, Bentaillou, and Maubermé, makes us forget for a while that the hours of walking are starting to take their toll.

Now, all that’s left is to descend, join the GR10, and find our cars. The trail, sloping through rhododendrons and blueberry bushes, slows us down.

The Bretons are tired but happy to have completed this amazing hike, “ending up on our knees!”