Plo del Naou

The best excuse to go to the Col d'Aspin.

DISTANCE: 10km
APPROX TIME: 2 hours 15 minutes
START: Col d'Aspin
FINISH: Col d'Aspin

I have fond memories of the Col d'Aspin. As a child I travelled here with my parents (from Foix en route to Luz St. Sauveur) and we stopped off at the pass to take a few photographs. Returning to the car, we found it surrounded by cattle - trying to get them out of the way to get in the car, and then trying to get them away so we could reverse and get away was certainly a memory which sticks in the brain. Returning years later, the cows are still here, and remain perhaps the biggest novelty of the mountain pass which joins the eastern and the western Pyrenees. This walk is partly an excuse to come back to the Col d'Aspin, and partly a way of gaining some great views fairly easily. 



For this walk, begin at the Col d'Aspin, trying your best to avoid all of the cattle which appear to love to congregate around the carparking area (don't worry - they're docile, just everywhere!). From here, take the path heading westward into the forest. The path is steep at first, but then the incline becomes more gradual. The forest either side is dense, but the track is very clear and solid underfoot.

The Col d'Aspin, including cows.

You will soon come to a crossroad - when you do so go straight ahead, and continue along the track through the pine forest. You then come out into a clearing before entering the forest again, and then you properly emerging back into the open. This final glade has fantastic views south, back towards the Val Louron and surrounding mountains.

From here, walk up the path towards the top, then veer off through the wood onto another track. Walk along this path, which follows the contour of the hill. The benefits of walking this path are the great views north, including the Lac de Payolle below you and, if you're lucky with the weather, Pic du Midi. The terrain of this hillside is quite unique in this area, with a great abundance of heather covering the area either side of the path. 

Continue along the contour of the hill round until the Plo del Naou (the destination of this walk) is directly between you and the Col d'Aspin. While the cattle seem to love the Col d'Aspin, this little pass seems to be the grazing area of choice for lots of sheep. Much more spectacularly, this area is also a great place to see birds of prey, including eagles and griffon vultures. When I walked this recently, I was fortunate enough to see three of the latter set off from the hillside here and swoop down into the valley towards the Lac de Payolle - another fantastic moment you can find on this walk. 

The view northwards, with the Lac de Payolle in the bottom left.

From this mini-mountain pass, walk up the very steep, indistinct path up the hillside eastwards. While it starts extremely steeply, it isn't dangerous and levels towards the top. While the path is also indistinct, if you make your way towards the top you cannot go far wrong on such a grassy hillock as the Plo del Naou. 

The top itself is marked by a small cairn with a yellow cross on the top. At this point you should be careful as there is a steep drop on the southern side of the hill. 

The Plo del Naou.

Once you have taken in the views, take the path along the ridge back to where we veered off back at the glade. There is a steep drop to the right and it is also relatively steep to the left as well, so be careful. From there, retrace your steps back to the Col d'Aspin.

The Col d'Aspin is one of the places you have to go to in this area. Like the Col du Tourmalet it is perhaps better known by cyclists, but like its more famous counterpart it also offers great views for very little effort. This walk to the Plo del Naou is arguably purposeless as a result - it basically provides a walk from the Col d'Aspin, as opposed to a walk to a particular destination. However, if you do take this hike west of the Col, you're treated with some hidden moments, like spotting the Lac de Payolle or watching the vultures. A great walk from an eventful mountain pass.