Pic du Midi d'Ossau
2,884 m
France
Also known as Pic du Midi d’Ossau, Pico de Midi d'Ossau, +3Also known as
Pic du Midi d’Ossau · Pico de Midi d'Ossau · Pic de Mieidia d'Aussau · Midi d'Ossau · Пик-дю-Миди-д'Оссо
- Elevation
- 2,884 m
- Prominence
- 801 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 23 Jul 2026
Trip reports from July 2026 say the lower iron rung at the exit of the first chimney is missing, with only one rung left set rather high; the first chimney is harder than its historical grade. Many parties bypass it or use the line to the right.
topopyrenees.com
Routes
1Sources differ: II+ (Wikipedia (PD, II+, 550 m)) · French 3b (Camptocamp) · T6 (rando-marche.fr) · 5a move on the slab at the top of the first chimney (topopyrenees.com)
The classic ascent of the Pyrenees' best-known volcanic spire: a walk from the Anéou car park near the Col du Pourtalet to Refuge de Pombie and the Col de Suzon, then three short chimneys (two of about 20–25 m at III/III+, one of 40–80 m at II) and the Rein de Pombie scree to the Pointe d'Espagne. Abseil anchors on the chimneys; helmet essential.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 7.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,267 m
- −104 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,884 m
- Time Up
- 5h 20m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 47m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at Anéou (Cabane de l'Araille, about 1,720 m) on the D934, 1 km below the Col du Pourtalet, the path drops to cross the Gave de Brousset, climbs through the Cirque d'Anéou to the Col du Soum de Pombie (2,129 m, about 1 hour) and descends slightly to Refuge de Pombie (2,032 m) beneath the south-east face. From the hut cross the large Pombie scree field north-west to the Col de Suzon (2,127 m, 30–35 minutes) and follow the crest left to the foot of the first chimney. The alternative approach from Lac de Bious-Artigues (1,422 m) via the Col Long de Magnabaigt reaches the Col de Suzon in 2–2½ hours. First chimney (2,320 m): 20–25 m of III to III+, with a smooth exit slab; the iron rung that helped has partly disappeared, and some parties use the easier but more rockfall-prone line to the left or bypass it on the right. A path continues right to the second chimney (2,420 m), about 25 m and slightly steeper, best climbed by the crack on the right. Above, ledges and short steps of II lead north-west to a small stone wall at about 2,520 m, where the route turns left (south) up a ledge system to the third chimney, the Couloir du Portillon: 40–80 m of II to II+, topped by an iron cross (the Portillon, about 2,660 m). Cairns lead up the loose Rein de Pombie to below the Pointe de France (2,878 m); a slightly airy traverse south reaches the highest point, the Pointe d'Espagne (2,884 m). About 3–3½ hours from the hut without queues. Descend the same way. In mist, finding the top of the third chimney at the iron cross is critical; downclimb it rather than abseil to limit stonefall, then abseil the two lower chimneys from chained anchors (a 25 m chimney needs 2 × 30 m ropes or a 50–60 m single rope; 40 m is too short). On summer weekends queues of an hour or more form at the chimneys, and most accidents on the mountain happen there, from stonefall and slips. The summit is often capped by cloud and the rock is delicate when wet.
Start
Parking d'Anéou1,728 m
- Train or bus to Pau, regional line 524 to Laruns, then line 525 ('Pic Bus') from Laruns to Gabas, Bious-Oumettes and the Col du Pourtalet, which runs only from 1 July to 31 August (two buses a day in 2026).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parking d'Anéou → Pic du Midi d'Ossau | 7.3 | 1,267 | 104 | 5h 20m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Parking d'Anéou1,728 m
On the D934 about 1 km north of the Col du Pourtalet
- Col: Col du Soum de Pombie2,105 m
- Hut: Refuge de Pombie2,033 m
- Col: Col de Suzon2,131 m
- Feature: Portillon2,652 m
Iron cross at the top of the third chimney; key landmark on descent
- Summit: Pic du Midi d'Ossau2,884 m
Key Passages
- First chimney (III/III+, smooth exit slab)
- Second chimney (III+, steepest)
- Third chimney / Couloir du Portillon (II–II+) and iron cross
- Rein de Pombie scree
- Airy traverse from the Pointe de France to the Pointe d'Espagne
Equipment
0/9 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
The twin-topped remnant of an ancient volcano that dominates the Ossau valley and is visible from Pau, 50 km away. Not high by Pyrenean standards (2,884 m), but its normal route involves three short rock chimneys up to III that make it a genuine first alpine climb.
The Pic du Midi d'Ossau stands alone at the head of the Ossau valley in the Béarn, less than 5 km from the Spanish border at the Col du Pourtalet, entirely within the commune of Laruns and the core zone of the Pyrenees National Park. It is the eroded remnant of a volcano active about 278 million years ago, and its andesite towers rise abruptly from the surrounding pastures and screes, with no glacier. From the north it shows two summits, the Grand Pic (2,884 m) and the Petit Pic (2,812 m), split by the Fourche; from the south the Pointe d'Aragon makes a third. The highest point of the Grand Pic is the Pointe d'Espagne, with the Pointe de France (2,878 m) just north of it.
There is no walkers' route to the top. The normal route from Refuge de Pombie on the south-east side climbs three chimneys of grade II to III+ separated by paths and ledges, then a loose scree slope to the summit. The climbing is short, but it is polished, prone to stonefall from the many parties above, and serious in mist or rain. Several hundred climbing routes cover the other faces, and the Tour de l'Ossau, a day-long walk around the base, is popular with those who do not climb.
The peak is a regional emblem, nicknamed 'Jean-Pierre' by the Béarnais, and the normal route is very busy in July and August. Mid-week, early in the morning or in September, the chimneys are much quieter and safer.
Climbing Notes
You need to be comfortable climbing grade III rock in boots or approach shoes, abseiling, and moving fast on loose ground; most guidance and the Pombie hut warden insist on helmet, harness and a rope long enough to abseil the 25 m second chimney (50–60 m single or 2 × 30 m). Without that experience, go with a mountain guide: guide offices in Pau and the Ossau valley run the ascent as a long day, typically EUR 110–135 per person in a group or about EUR 450–550 for a private guide in 2025–2026.
Fitness for 1,400 m of ascent and 8 hours is required for a day trip from Anéou; many parties sleep at Refuge de Pombie to start early, ahead of the queues and of the afternoon cloud that often caps the summit. Altitude is not an issue. In June there is often snow in the chimneys and on the Rein de Pombie, needing crampons and an ice axe. Respect the national park rules (no dogs, bivouac only between 19:00 and 09:00) and watch for patou guard dogs with the flocks near the Col du Soum de Pombie.
History
Shepherds and surveyors reached the summit in the late 18th century: a triangulation cairn on the top was noted in 1787, and French Wikipedia credits Béarnais shepherds on 19 August 1790 working for the geodesist Junker. An attempt in 1552 by François de Foix-Candale is disputed. The first fully recorded ascent was by Guillaume Delfau with the shepherd-guide Mathieu in October 1796 or 1797 (sources differ). Pyreneists including Henri Brulle, Henry Russell, Robert Ollivier and the Ravier brothers explored the faces from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. A 2016 survey measured the summit at 2,883.84 m.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter climbing only; chimneys iced
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Winter conditions; ski-touring around the base
- Apr
- Spring snow; avalanche risk on the approach slopes
- May
- Snow in the chimneys; Refuge de Pombie open some weekends, unstaffed otherwise
- Jun
- Hut staffed from June; lingering snow in the chimneys early in the month
- Jul
- Main season; long queues at the chimneys at weekends; summer bus to the Pourtalet
- Aug
- Main season; very busy; afternoon storms and cloud
- Sep
- Often the best month: stable weather, fewer parties
- Oct
- Hut staffed until early October; cold, verglas possible in the chimneys
- Nov
- Early winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Refuge de Pombie (FFCAM) is booked online only, from mid-March, at refugedepombie.ffcam.fr (max. 15 people and 2 consecutive nights per booking). It is often full several days ahead in July and August; overflow places are in a marabout tent. Phone the warden before 18:30 for bookings with young children or without meals.
- Fees
- Overnight at Refuge de Pombie (half board available); card payments not accepted at the hut, cash or cheque only
- Summer bus line 525 Laruns–Col du Pourtalet: EUR 2.50 single, EUR 4.50 return (2026)
- Rules
- Pyrenees National Park core zone: dogs are banned, even on a lead (except working livestock and guide dogs)
- Pyrenees National Park core zone: no camping; bivouac allowed only between 19:00 and 09:00, more than one hour's walk from the core boundary or a motorised access, for one night
- Fires banned in the park core at all times
- Vehicles over 9 m are banned on the D231 between Gabas and Bious-Artigues
- Getting There
Laruns (about 30 km by road); Sallent de Gállego and Formigal on the Spanish side
Pau-Pyrénées Airport (PUF)
- Car: from Pau via Laruns and Gabas on the D934 towards the Col du Pourtalet; park at Anéou (Cabane de l'Araille) about 1 km before the col
- Alternative start: Lac de Bious-Artigues (1,422 m), reached by the D231 from Gabas
- Bus: line 524 Pau–Laruns all year; line 525 ('Pic Bus') Laruns–Gabas–Bious-Oumettes–Col du Pourtalet only from 1 July to 31 August
- Ossaulib' on-demand transport connects with the regional lines in the Ossau valley
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,032 m
Refuge de PombieRefugeStaffedBooking required
45 beds · Staffed June to early October; 15 places in the unstaffed winter room (no gas; carry out rubbish)