Tuc de Labatiadère

Overview

At sunrise

Tuc de Labatiadère, a not very well known name, is the name of the highest point of a range we call more commonly "Crête d'Azet" (Azet ridge), after the name of the famous pass (Col d'Azet, with long history in Tour de France), as well as the nearby village below.

Why introducing such unsignificant mountain ? (1737m, probably the smallest submitted on SP in the Pyrenees range...)
First, despite its modest height, the Azet ridge covers a non neglectible area in superficy, that separates the Aure valley with its tributary valley of Louron.

Snowy Azet ridge

Apart from that, the mountain, exceptionally flat and extended, offers possibilities of practicing sporty activities that cannot be done in many other places elsewhere, for example :

- Snowshoeing: even at the deepest of the winter, when all avalanches indices are dark red in the whole Pyreenes, you can walk the flat Azet ridge in over the deepest snow without any single risk
- Cross country Skiing (not to mix with Ski touring), offering a convenient flat area
- Paragliding: Col d'Azet, as well as the nearby promontory at the village of Ens, offer ideal jumping points, respectively for the first to the East (Louron valley), or to the West (Aure valley)
- In summer also, mountain biking (see the trail on MBPost)

Snowy Azet ridge

Getting There

From the Louron valley

From the A64 motorway linking Toulouse to Bayonne, exit at Lannemezan and take the road into the Vallée d'Aure (direction of Arreau).
The moutain can reached either from the Aure valley or the Louron valley, tributary, since the Azet ridge lies between both.
However the shortest is via the mountain resort of Saint Lary in the Vallée d'Aure.

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Accomodation

In the sea of clouds

Wild camping is not forbidden as we are not in any reserve or national parc. It will be no problem to find a convenient place in the desertic grassy immensities ! However avoid camping in exposed places in stormy weather.

Camping in campsites is possible in both Aure and Louron valley, as well as finding accomodations :

http://www.vallee-aure.com/
http://www.vallee-du-louron.com/

One accommodation is worth mention for large groups of people: La Filature (former spinning mill), in Ancizan, with further information here and here (French). Prices can go as low as 10€ for groups over 10 people. A separate apartment is available too but rates may vary depending on the charges being shared with others or not.

Village of Azet

Images

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