The Pic du Midi, with its rocky twin-peaked summit (2884m), is a classic Pyrenean landmark, visible for kilometres around. From Gabas, it's a steep 4.5-kilometre climb on a road up a wooded ravine (or take the daily Sarl Canonge bus) to the artificial Lac de Bious-Artigues, so named because it flooded the artigue – a Pyrenean word for "mountain pasture" – that formerly existed beside the infant gave. Just below the dam, where the bus stops, are the stony terraces of Camping Bious-Oumettes (tel 05.59.05.38.76; closed mid-Sept to mid-June), which also has a small shop (roughly the same season). Beside the lake are the Refuge Pyrénéa Sports (tel 05.59.05.32.12; daily mid-June to mid-Sept, weekends spring/autumn), and a good snack bar, the Cantine de Bious. The area within immediate reach of the road gets very crowded in summer and the refuges are likely to be full at weekends, so it's worth phoning ahead.A round trip of the peak, excluding the summit, takes about seven hours. It can be broken by a stay at the CAF Refuge de Pombie (tel 05.59.05.31.78, [email protected]; closed mid-Sept to mid-June), below the vast southern walls of the mountain. From the lake, follow the GR10 up the left bank of the gave and past the turning to the Lacs d'Ayous. Cross the Pont de Bious and continue upstream across an expanse of flat meadow until you come to a signpost indicating "Pombie Par Peyreget" to the left. There follows a steepish zigzagging climb to the timber line and a long traverse right to the junction with the HRP path (1hr from Pyrénéa Sports). Keep left, with the ground falling away on your right. At the Lac de Peyreget, you can either follow the HRP steeply left towards the Col de Peyreget, or alternatively keep right – due south – to the gentler Col d'Iou. From the latter, traverse leftwards, following the contour to the Col de Soum, where you turn due northwards towards the Refuge de Pombie (about 4hr). The path continues north, then west back to Pyrénéa Sports (about 3hr) via the Col de Suzon – where the standard ascent of the pic begins – the Col de Moundelhs and the Col Long de Magnabaigt. There's a path south off the mountain from the Col du Soum, and another – part of the HRP – from the Refuge de Pombie. The latter leads due east down the valley of the Pombie stream, through meadows full of daffodils, orchids, violets and fritillaries in June, when you might also catch a glimpse of lizards. At the Cabane de Puchéoux, a shepherds' hut, cross to the left bank of the stream and carry on down to the next bridge. A non-HRP path continues on the left bank past the Cabane d'Arrégatiou and comes out at the southern end of the Lac de Fabrèges. The right-hand HRP crosses the bridge and descends through woods to the Gave de Brousset at Caillou de Soques (about 2hr from Pombie), where you meet the Col du Pourtalet road (which leads to the Spanish frontier) and can hitch back to Gabas.
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