Pic d'Anie
2,507 m
France
Also known as Pic d’Anie, Auñamendi, +1Also known as
Pic d’Anie · Auñamendi · Пик-Ани
- Elevation
- 2,507 m
- Prominence
- 844 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The classic ascent from the Aspe valley: about 1,100–1,250 m from the Abérouat car park (about 1,440 m) above Lescun, on the GR10 through forest to the Cap de la Baitch shepherds' hut, then up past the Anie lake basin and across the bare limestone pavement of the Arres d'Anie to the summit, with a few easy hands-on moves. About 3½ hours up.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 8.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,151 m
- −81 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,507 m
- Time Up
- 5h 02m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 36m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the large car park just before the Refuge de l'Abérouat above Lescun, follow the GR10 west through the Braca d'Azuns forest on a shaded balcony path below the Orgues de Camplong. After about 45 minutes the path comes out onto a grassy plateau below the Cabane d'Ardinet and reaches the Cabane du Cap de la Baitch (about 1,690 m) in roughly 1½ hours. Leave the GR10 (which continues to the Pas d'Azuns) and turn left, cross the stream bed and zigzag steeply up to a small flat and the basin of the Lac d'Anie (about 2,040 m), which is often dry in late summer. Above the lake the route enters the karst of the Arres d'Anie: limestone pavement full of fissures and shafts, marked by cairns and old paint, with few landmarks. Pass near the Col des Anies (about 2,084 m) and follow the cairned path that skirts round the west side of the peak, drops slightly, climbs a small easy chimney and heads south-south-west on yellow-marked easy rock to the summit (2,504 m). An alternative line goes east of the peak below the Pic de Countendé to the south ridge. The west side is shaded and can be slippery. Descend the same way; the western line is the easier way down. There is no water above the Cap de la Baitch, and the lapiaz is a serious place in fog or with patchy snow: do not set out in poor visibility. Allow 6–6½ hours round trip.
Start
Refuge de l'Abérouat1,436 m
- Train or bus up the Aspe valley to Bedous; no public transport to Lescun or the Abérouat was confirmed.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Refuge de l'Abérouat → Pic d'Anie | 8.2 | 1,151 | 81 | 5h 02m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Refuge de l'Abérouat1,436 m
Large car park just before the refuge
- Feature: Cabane d'Ardinet1,565 m
- Feature: Cabane du Cap de la Baitch1,678 m
Leave the GR10 here; last water
- Col: Col des Anies2,095 m
- Summit: Pic d'Anie2,507 m
Key Passages
- Steep zigzags from the Cap de la Baitch to the Anie basin
- Arres d'Anie lapiaz (route-finding, fissures and shafts)
- Small easy chimney and rocks on the west side of the summit
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
The westernmost 2,500 m summit of the Pyrenees: a pale limestone pyramid rising out of the vast karst of the Arres d'Anie above Lescun, a long but non-technical hike with views from the Atlantic plain to the high peaks of Aragon.
The Pic d'Anie stands at the western end of the high Pyrenees, between the Aspe valley, the Barétous valley and the Spanish Belagua valley. It is the last summit above 2,500 m before the range drops towards the Basque Country, and its isolated pyramid is a landmark from much of Béarn. Around it lies a vast karst area, the Arres d'Anie and the Pierre Saint-Martin massif: a desert of fissured limestone pavement riddled with crevices and shafts.
The two normal routes, from the Abérouat above Lescun and from the Arette-La Pierre Saint-Martin ski resort, are both walks of about 1,000–1,250 m of ascent with a few easy hands-on moves near the top. The difficulty lies in the terrain rather than any single passage: hours of sharp, waterless lapiaz with few landmarks, crossed on cairns and old paint marks, where fog or patchy snow can make finding the way genuinely difficult.
On a clear day the summit view takes in the Atlantic plain to the north-west and the Aspe and Ossau peaks to the east, with the Mesa de los Tres Reyes, the highest point of Navarre, just to the south.
Climbing Notes
Good hill fitness for 6–6½ hours with about 1,250 m of ascent is the main requirement, together with sure footing on sharp limestone and a few easy scrambling moves. Navigation is the key skill: carry a GPS track and map, and do not set out in poor visibility. There is no water above the Cap de la Baitch hut, and no shade above the forest, so carry plenty and start early in summer.
The usual plan is a day trip from the Abérouat car park above Lescun, or from the Arette-La Pierre Saint-Martin resort on the Barétous side. The Refuge de l'Abérouat at the start offers half board for those arriving the evening before.
The west side of the summit stays in shade and can be slippery or icy; with snow, the chimney and hands-on passages become awkward and crampons and an ice axe are needed. In winter and spring the ascent is a snowshoe or ski-mountaineering outing for experienced parties.
History
The first known ascent was on 28 July 1771 by François Flamichon, a royal engineer-geographer, followed by Henri Reboul on 28 July 1786. Military surveyors climbed it repeatedly in the 1820s, and Henry Russell made the ascent with the guide Lacazette in September 1866.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter ascents on snowshoes or skis for experienced parties; navigation hard in the lapiaz
- Feb
- Winter conditions; avalanche risk on the approach slopes
- Mar
- Spring ski ascents from La Pierre Saint-Martin
- Apr
- Snow patches hide fissures in the lapiaz
- May
- Lingering snow on the north and west sides
- Jun
- Mostly snow-free by late June; long days
- Jul
- Main season; hot and waterless above the Cap de la Baitch; afternoon storms
- Aug
- Main season; start early for the heat
- Sep
- Often the best month: clear, cooler, fewer people
- Oct
- Good in dry spells; first snow makes the west side slippery
- Nov
- Early winter; short days
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Refuge de l'Abérouat (Ligue de l'Enseignement 64): book directly on +33 5 59 34 71 67 or aberouat@laligue64.org. Open 15 February – 30 October in 2026.
- Rules
- Do not set out in poor visibility: the lapiaz has fissures and shafts and few landmarks
- Getting There
Lescun; Bedous (Aspe valley); Arette (Barétous valley)
Pau Pyrénées (PUF); Biarritz (BIQ)
- Car: Aspe valley road (N134) to Bedous, then the road to Lescun and the signed minor road to the Abérouat car park
- Car: from Arette up to the Arette-La Pierre Saint-Martin ski resort for the western normal route
- Public transport: train and bus up the Aspe valley to Bedous; onward transport to Lescun was not confirmed
Hazards
- Weather
- Remoteness
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,442 m
Refuge de l'AbérouatRefugeStaffed
29 beds · 15 February – 30 October (2026)