The Cirque de Lescun – an overview

It is unclear when the village of Lescun was first established, but the reason people settled here is easy to see. The accessibility of pasture land, the abundance of good water and the security provided by the topography make this an obvious site to put down roots. Since anyone can remember agriculture has been the main influence, shaping the visible landscape - in the village, on the “plateau”*1 and in the mountains themselves. A typical Lescunoise farmhouse, for example, is built with three floors. The ground floor forms a barn providing spaces for agricultural equipment, winter quarters for animals and, often, a “saloir” where cheese, one of the main products of this type of farming, is stored. The farming family would live on the middle floor while, above, hay stored for the winter provides superb heat insulation to help cope with the harsh winters.

A shepherd’s cabane in the Valley D’Ansabere

*1 The area of agricultural land between the village and the mountains is known as the plateau. *2 See the “Eating and sleeping” on the information page.

During the spring and early autumn the plateau provides grazing for livestock. In the summer months (July to September), however, the animals are taken up to the higher pastures where they are tended by shepherds, exploiting the milk yield to produce the highly prized Pyrenean cheese. It is this practice, known as the transhumance, that has allowed walkers and climbers access to the

higher mountains for, without it, the landscape would have quickly reverted to impenetrable forest. These days, tourism is playing an increasingly important part in the economy of the region. For the visitor, this means that accommodation is increasingly easy to find*2 and the recently established community shop in the main square will meet most requirements. Opportunities for eating out, on the other hand, are limited.

As the village is some way from the start of the walks, those who have arrived by car are at a distinct advantage and the route descriptions make the assumption that the reader has a vehicle at their disposal. (If you don’t have a car you should not be put off. Everyone here seems very happy to give people lifts, particularly if they can be easily identified as walkers!)

One of the unique characteristics of Lescun is that it provides a variety of ways into the mountains. Seven valleys branch off the plateau, each leading to a totally different walking experience. Whether you visit for a week or a year you will never exhaust the possibilities that the Cirque holds within its magical folds. This work describes all areas of the Cirque, from the Valley of Lhers in the East , through the high mountains in the West, to the more modest Crete D’Ourtasse which rises North of the village. All of the walks, however, pass through stunningly beautiful terrain with views changing and developing as altitude is gained. The sculpted limestone of the region provides the material for a natural architecture which is often compared to the Dolomites and the tortured rock of the Arres D’ Anie are said to be unique in the world. And for those whose interests extend beyond the physical challenge of the ascent and the grandeur of the landscape, to the indigenous flora and fauna, another dimension to the experience of Cirque awaits. From early spring, and throughout the summer, myriad wild flowers bloom in the meadows around the village, in the mountain pastures and even on the highest summits. Isards – wild deer known as chamois in the Alps – are often seen browsing lean patches of high-altitude herbage while the marmotte appears to prefer to graze near shepherds’ “cabanes”.

From the village the Billare dominates the skyline

One of the unique characteristics of Lescun is that it provides a variety of ways into the mountains. Seven valleys branch off the plateau, each leading to a totally different walking experience. Whether you visit for a week or a year you will never exhaust the possibilities that the Cirque holds within its magical folds.

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Ornithologists will be particularly enthralled by the range of birds that make the Cirque their home, even if only temporarily. Most common is the vulture, the rubbish disposal merchant, that patrols the skies in search of carcasses to tidy up. But others ,too – eagles, kites, falcons – are all common. Each of the route guides begins with an overview of what can be expected and, although I have not adopted a formal grading system, I have described the types of difficulty that might be encountered and given an idea of the time each route should take. It is also assumed that walkers will not be venturing into the mountains during the winter when snow will change the character of the landscape beyond recognition.

A swallowtail butterfly

Aquilegia thriving in the poor soil and harsh climate.

Unmistakable silhouette of a vulture A very cheeky marmotte

For most walks the season will be from May to October although, naturally, Spring will come later some years than others. The maps provided are simply to give the reader a “sense” of the walk and the terrain. You should also carry a 1:25000 IGN (Institut Geographic National) map number 1547 OT - the equivalent of an OS map in Britain - and a compass (See LINKS page)