We haven’t yet covered many hiking kilometres in the French Pyrenees. We’d like to change that. On a brilliant day, we want to head into the mountains for a somewhat relaxed walk with beautiful vistas. This hike to Le Soum de la Pène seems to meet our expectations. The panoramas are marvellous, especially with the many paragliders floating through the blue sky. But it turns out to be a hike full of adventure and exertion as well!
Charming mountain town of Argelès-Gazost
Our base for Le Soum de la Pène hike is the lovely town of Argelès-Gazost. It’s situated in the heart of the French Pyrenees. That’s why it’s an excellent base for sports enthusiasts. In the lively centre, we see colourful streets full of flowers. We also come across thermal baths, for which the town has long been known. The stately mansions also give Argelès-Gazost the necessary allure.
We see plenty of sporty people in town. As hikers, we’re clearly in the minority. The majority are clad in cycling gear. For the most part, they’re middle-aged or older men. They use Argelès-Gazost as a starting point for a strenuous climb to the top of the famous cols of the Pyrenees. The renowned mountain giants from the Tour de France are not far away. The Tourmalet, Luz Ardiden, the Aubisque or the Hautacam are the goals of the cycling enthusiasts.
Le Soum de la Pène est formidable!
At the Argelès-Gazost tourist office, we ask for tips for a nice walk. Preferably one with beautiful views. And because we want to walk in a relaxed manner, as far as we’re concerned, it doesn’t need to be a real calf-biter. But we don’t find the lady’s first suggestions suitable. Those are hour-long circular walks suitable for young and old. We’d like something a bit longer and slightly more challenging. Our contact person doesn’t need to be told twice. “Le Soum de la Pène est formidable pour vous”. She shows us some photos and tells us it’s a four-hour walk of average difficulty. The start is a few minutes’ drive from Argelès-Gazost. She’s convinced us; we’ll do that tomorrow.
Relaxed journey to Arcizans-Dessus
The next morning, the entire breakfast room is filled with men in lycra. We’re the only ones in hiking gear. They look at us a bit oddly. But we’d rather walk to a mountain top than cycle there, panting and groaning. Thankfully, tastes differ.
It’s a brilliant day. The sun shines uninterruptedly. Hardly any clouds in the sky and almost no wind. Ideal weather for a relaxed walk with beautiful views. In the car, we drive to Arcizans-Dessus in just over 10 minutes. That place is our starting point for Le Soum de la Pène hike. On the way, we overtake groups of cyclists. This stretch of road is still relatively easy. But later they’ll have to exert quite a bit of effort to reach the top of the Aubisque.
Arcizans-Dessus is a village in the Hautes-Pyrénées department. It’s not large; we estimate that barely 100 people live there. But it does have a village hall. That’s where we park our car. The village seems deserted. Probably many residents have moved to larger towns in the area in recent years.
Le Soum de la Pène, a marked trail
We immediately see the yellow signposts of our hiking route. Lovely, a marked trail. No fuss with GPS tracks or reading a route description. No, this will be relaxed walking and enjoying the already beautiful view.
But soon it becomes clear that we’re going to climb. We ascend towards the Col du Liar. Wasn’t this supposed to be a not too strenuous walk? We quickly look up the route in the app the tourist office lady had recommended. We’re in for almost 700 metres of elevation gain on this first stretch! Silly of us not to check this beforehand. We relied entirely on our informant’s words. Fortunately, the landscape is fantastic. The mountain ranges are beautifully covered in green. That promises something when we’re a bit higher. Then the view will surely be even more spectacular.
Paragliders
In the distance, paragliders float through the air. With their colourful air cushions, they stand out beautifully against the green mountain ridges and blue skies. As we walk further, our eye falls on the starting point of the sportsmen. So we make a small detour to observe that up close.
At the small car park, there are several camper vans and vans. Young people and various couples are barbecuing and having drinks together. Almost everyone has a dog with them. Most are lying lazily in the shade of the camper van; others are running through the hilly landscape. It looks a bit like the surf culture we also saw in Biarritz.
Occasionally, one waits for the right thermal. Then he runs down the mountain. A moment later, the wind picks him up, and he floats freely as a bird through the air. It’s a fascinating spectacle, but my wife thinks it would be even more fun to do this herself sometime. Another new item for her bucket list! Not for me. I’d rather keep my feet on the ground; I have enough trouble with that already.
Descending and Climbing to Le Soum de la Pène
As we continue walking towards the Col de Liar, more sports enthusiasts come towards us. This area proves to be very popular with mountain bikers. They hurtle downhill at considerable speed. Fortunately, the hiking route runs along different paths, making it a bit calmer for hikers. Shortly before reaching the pass, we turn right to reach the Pic de Peyre. From there, we descend a short distance. It’s nice not to have to climb for a moment. That’s only short-lived. Because soon we’re climbing again towards Le Soum de la Pène. This mountain ridge is the namesake of our hike. Thankfully, the rocky ridge is just ahead. Then it will be relaxed walking along the crest!
Prayers on Le Soum de la Pène
But we’re in for a surprise. The mountain ridge is narrow and steep in some parts. We scramble, using hands and feet. Directly to our right is the deep valley. One wrong move, and… My wife, a recognised mountain goat, isn’t easily frightened. But even she finds it exciting. Not to mention me. Blessed with a poor sense of balance and fear of heights, I have to take each step carefully and with concentration. After about fifty metres of toiling, we need to catch our breath. We rest with a cup of coffee and process our experiences. Jokingly, I ask my wife if she remembers which numbers are on the playlist for my funeral. We’re unsure whether to go back or continue. Because it seems to be only about 200 metres more, we press on. At the beginning of the ridge, a young couple arrives just at that moment; we saw them earlier. They’re sporty trail runners who came running up. Now they stand indecisively for a while. A moment later, they turn back.
We persevere and continue. We hardly have an eye for the truly fantastic views from the ridge. Putting one foot in front of the other, we slowly progress. Fortunately, it hasn’t rained, because if the many stones were also slippery, it would be really dangerous to do this hike. We stop regularly. As an excuse, I use that otherwise we wouldn’t see anything of the beautiful surroundings. But mainly the stop is meant to let my heart rate drop a bit. As we stare ahead and rest, we’re greeted. “Bonjour,” shouts a paraglider who skims just in front of our heads. Before we can say anything back in surprise, he’s already too far to hear us.
Descending to the starting point
Fortunately, the rest of the stretch along the ridge is a bit easier. That gives us the chance to pay more attention to the surroundings than to every step we take. The landscape remains consistently beautiful. Then begins the gradual descent to Arcizans-Dessus. From this point, we walk on an easy and wide path.
The trail runners we saw above are also arriving. When they reach us, they ask if we completed the entire ridge walk. They respect our perseverance. The woman tells us that she completely froze when she saw the path. She didn’t dare to do it, hence they turned back. Via the forest that runs along the ridge, they found a path that was much easier. We say goodbye; they run down the path at full speed. We take it a bit easier.
By car, we’re quickly back in Argelès-Gazost. We flop down on the terrace of our hotel and order a beer. We’ve certainly earned that after our efforts. Next to us, we hear one tall tale after another from Dutch cycling enthusiasts about their climb. We keep quiet, but if only they knew what we’ve been up to today!
What you want to know about the Soum de la Pène hike
The hike is 11 kilometres in total and mostly leads over unpaved paths and a narrow mountain ridge. At the beginning and end, you walk on paved roads in and around the village of Arcizans-Dessus. During the hike, you ascend a total of almost 700 metres.
The starting point of the hiking route is in the village of Arcizans-Dessus. This is just over 10 minutes by car from Argelès-Gazost. There's a small car park at the village hall. There you'll also immediately see the markings for the hike.
Yes, this hike is clearly marked with yellow signs.
Although the hike is listed as one with an average difficulty level, we don't find that entirely correct. In total, the trip has almost 700 metres of elevation gain. Additionally, the climb over the ridge is narrow with a deep abyss directly next to it. This makes this hike only suitable for people with good fitness and a good sense of balance. Don't do this hike if you have a fear of heights and aren't entirely sure-footed. Only do this hike on dry days. Because when it rains, the stones on the ridge are also slippery.
No, there are no facilities during the route. Therefore, bring sufficient provisions. Especially on warm days, it's wise to have plenty of drinks with you.
Argelès-Gazost in particular is an ideal location to stay. It's a nice town with a number of attractions. Additionally, it's THE place where outdoor enthusiasts gather. That gives a typical atmosphere. In our opinion, Hotel Les Fleurs is an ideal accommodation. In the middle of the centre, good rooms, good breakfast buffet and a cosy terrace where many cyclists rest after their trips. You can also eat well there.
