A magnificent, demanding and varied loop in Andorra to climb the Tosa de Siscaro, Pic de la Cabaneta's neighbor. From the summit, a short alpine route along its northern ridge leads to some fine slopes, before returning directly to the Siscaro refuge. The views over the Andorran Pyrenees are spectacular. A long, physical route for an exceptional outing, in a very wild, seldom-visited setting.
Technical summary
■ Departure point: parking lot at the entrance to vall d'Inclès, Soldeu, parish of Canillo, Andorra
■ Type of route: ski touring, loop route
■ Climbing distance: 8 km
■ Difference in altitude: +1050 m
■ Difficulty: F-2.3-E1
■ Maximum gradient: 30/35°.
■ Estimated total time: 5h to 7h ■ Min and max altitude: 1760 m / 2818 m ■ Direction: all
Difficulties: some steep sections to climb (30° or a little more)
Access to the place
Between Canillo and Port d'Envalira, turn off at Soldeu to enter Vall d'Inclès. Park in the first parking lot, as the road to the Badalosa bridge is closed to traffic.
Map & topo
The ascent and ski itinerary on the map and topo are indicative.
1st part: from the parking lot to the Siscaro ponds (2h to 2h30)
Cross the torrent at the parking lot and walk up the opposite side of the road to find the trailhead on the right (signposted to Soldeu). Climb gently southwards through the forest until you reach a fork in the road on the left, where you take the yellow-marked path heading north-east. Follow the summer path markings as far as possible. Gradually ascend, gradually sloping to the east. There are a few short, steep sections before finally coming out on a flat area, where the trail takes off on a long traverse around a small massif, leading to the Siscaro refuge (from where the topo photo was taken). Continue the traverse without losing altitude, heading south and finally coming out on a flat area that gives access to the Siscaro ponds.
Part 2: from the ponds to the summit of the Tosa de Siscaro (1h30 to 2h)
Cross along or over the first two Siscaro ponds to the east towards a wide, clearly visible combe. Climb up to pass over the 3rd étang du Siscaro and reach the bottom of a basin closed by a sort of cirque. From here, either head down to the bottom of the cirque (summer trail) or, if there's no snow like today, climb the steep slope to the left to reach the Siscaro west ridge. Then follow the ridge's overall line, staying a little on the south-facing slope, and head for the rounded summit.
Part 3: North ridge to starting shoulder (30')
From the summit, walk due north down the first ledges, then follow the thread of the rocky ridge without too much difficulty. Further down, on the left, you'll find a characteristic shoulder overlooking the valley to the west, which leads straight to the refuge du Siscaro at the very bottom. This is the ideal place to put on skis.
4th part: ski descent (1h to 1h30)
Depending on the snow, there are different possibilities. If there's little snow, follow the South-West slope, then after a flat spot, the larde couloir West. Further down, cut off as best you can to pass along the south-facing slope on the other side of the talweg. The descent back to the height of the refuge is obvious, though tricky today due to the lack of snow. Slide down onto the flat area in front of the refuge, cross the small wooden footbridge and switch to the north-western slope to descend into the forest, between the fir trees, more or less following the route of the summer path. Depending on snow conditions and snow quality, this section can be tricky to ski.
At the bottom of the slope, you'll find a path that allows you to glide smoothly down to the Badalosa bridge. There's still a good distance to negotiate, sliding, pushing poles or skating back to the start parking lot.
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