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Le Signal du Chioula, Ignaux

Publié le 31 March 2020 | Ariege, France Eng

A pleasant loop from Ignaux skirts the Ax valley before climbing the Sarrat de la Barthe, then the Sarrat de la Conque, to finish at the Signal du Chioula. The summit platform offers a superb 360° panoramic view of the Ariege Pyrenees and Andorra. An accessible, south-facing route to make the most of beautiful winter days.

Technical summary

Type ✦ Hiking
Location ✦ Ignaux
Region ✦ Ariège
Country ✦ France
Direction ✦ South
Max altitude ✦ 1505m
Length of ascent ✦ 15km
Dénivelé ✦ 760m
Duration ✦ 4h to 5h
Interest ✦ ★

Access to the place

From Ax-les-Thermes, climb towards the Col de Chioula. At Sorgeat, turn left to park at the entrance to the village of Ignaux.

Map & topo

Voir en plein écran

Itinerary description

Hiking to the start

Pass through the village of Ignaux and follow the yellow N°14 signs down to Vaychis. Further down, you pass 2 water retention basins on the right. This is where the trail begins.

Course

The route heads west, then back east over the ridges and the Chioula signal. There are 2 sections on the road after Tignac and on the way back. The trails are almost all marked in yellow (PR), except for the descent from the summit, which is off-piste but not very difficult.

Section 1: Reaching Vaychis (30' to 45')

The trail descends for a while, crossing woods and torrents, then rises again. After about xxmn, you pass through fields and the path joins a road just before Vaychis.

Part 2: Tignac to start of ridge (45' to 1h)

Cross Vaychis and follow the road to Tugnac. Pass Tignac and follow the road around to the west, taking in the whole ridge above our heads and leading to the summit. After a long detour, the road heads back north then east towards the Tabe massif and its peaks of Saint Barthélémy, Galinat and Soularac. After a hairpin bend, the road twists upwards to reach a platform at the foot of the start of the ridge.

Section 3: Signal du Chioula (1505m, 30')

Follow the yellow trail to the Signal du Chioula. This is the most strenuous part, with 450m of fairly sustained ascent. Views of the Pyrenees become increasingly open and panoramic. Higher up, the terrain becomes more undulating, and after a few ascents and descents, you reach the Signal du Chioula platform with its south-facing observation table.

Back

From the summit, descend south-eastwards on grassy, broom-covered slopes. Further down, you'll find a well-marked path, which you can follow westwards for a while, before taking the direct descent and joining a track further down. Walk eastwards on the left-hand track. Further on, you come across another track coming from below, then the road from Ignaux to the Col du Chioula. Turn right and return to Ignaux. Just before the village, you may prefer to follow the PR which passes under the road and returns to Ignaux at the parking lot.