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La Table des 3 Seigneurs, Ascou

Publié le 28 March 2020 | Ariege, France Eng

A lovely loop to discover starting from Ascou, for a panoramic route up the Orlu valley to the Table des 3 Seigneurs: in reference to the Pic des 3 seigneurs that can be seen to the west in the line of sight? The ridge from the Col des Losques, which also marks the northern boundary of the Orlu territory, offers a permanent panorama of the peaks of the Haute-Ariège. The route is not difficult, except for the descending part of the ridge, which must be climbed at sight and off-piste. There are also fine views of the Tabe massif and the Ax-les-Thermes valley.

Technical summary

Type ✦ Hiking
Location ✦ Ascou
Region ✦ Ariège
Country ✦ France
Max altitude ✦ 1489m
Distance ✦ 14km
Dénivelé ✦ 780m
Duration ✦ 4h to 4h30
Interest ✦ ★★

Access to the place

From Ax-les-Thermes, climb towards the Ascou-Pailhères pass. Park below the village of Ascou.

Map & topo

Voir en plein écran

Itinerary description

Hiking to the start

Go up into the village of Ascou and at the watering place/fountain, turn right (east) onto the GR variant route. The path follows a beautiful balcony above the houses to reach a small road higher up. Continue along this road and gently descend to Goulours, skirting the lake. Walk through the hamlet to Lavail, where you'll find the Forge d'Ascou. From here, cross the Lauze to find the GR, which climbs steeply through the forest to the Col de L'Osque.

Course

No great difficulty, even if the distance is quite considerable. On the other hand, while the first part is well-marked (GR), the ridge section and especially the descent to the return are off-trail, with a bit of improvisation.

Part 1: Col de L'Osque (1404m, 45' to 1h)

The trail climbs steeply through the forest, dropping 100m before emerging onto the forest track, which continues to climb in less steep switchbacks. Higher up, the track ends and we continue with a new, steeper section in the forest. At the end, the wide track heads east on a flat or slightly downhill section until it turns south, rises slightly and leads to the Col de L'Osque at 1404m. Beautiful views over the Orlu valley.

Part 2: Table des 3 seigneurs (1300m, 1h to 1h30)

From the col, there's a grassy track (snow-covered today) that heads west and broadly follows the rounded ridge. It climbs a little and then reaches a sort of height at around 1500m. Continue along the main ridge, descending a little. To the south, below you, the Orlu valley and the village of Orgeix. Further on is a small promontory with a few boulders: panoramic view of the Pyrenees, the Tabe massif and the Ax valley.

Descend on the south side and continue as best you can through the broom or between the trees. Keep to the left (south side) to maintain the main ridge. You'll come to a flat area known as Table des 3 seigneurs.

Section 3: Below the Col d'Orgeix (980m, 20')

This part of the hike is totally off-trail, and improvisation is the order of the day as you keep your course and the main ridge.

From the Table des 3 Seigneurs, head west through the broom and forest, passing or avoiding a few jumps and then reaching the high-voltage power line below. Continue to the right into the forest, descend on a mini-trail and, further down, find a house and the arrival of a forest track (concrete blocks on the ground). You're right on top of Orgeix to the south.

Don't follow the track, but cut diagonally north-west through the forest to reach a PR. Turn left and find the junction with the GR 107 under the Col d'Orgeix.

Back

Return to Ascou on the GR 107, which heads north down to the valley floor. Cross the Lauze and climb a few switchbacks to the parking lot below Ascou village.