Outdoor Activities

The Pyrenees is a heaven for outdoor enthusiasts with a wealth of activities in and around the mountains.

The two major centres of Luchon and Saint Lary offer all year round activities, including: canyonning, parascending and downhill skiing.

Discover the amazing gorges, beautiful rock formations and crystalline waters of the famous Mont-Perdu and Sierra de Guara canyonning areas in Spain. There are several companies offering guided trips to the numerous canyons in France and Spain: H2O based in Luchon and Sarrat Evasion in Saint Lary.

The Pyrenees is a cyclists' dream, offering challenging climbs, flowing switchback descents or gently rolling terrain through picturesque countryside. Follow in the wheels of the most famous bike race in the world, the Tour de France, with many of the famous climbs close to Chez Lingarole. Cycling, whether on the virtually traffic free roads or on marked mountain bike tracks is an ideal way to discover this beautiful area. We can advise you on suitable routes, including the best cafes to stop at to refuel. Mountain bikes and hybrids can be hired on a daily or weekly basis from Luchon. We have secure bike storage and fully equipped bike workshop facilities.

If you’re looking to descend mountains on two wheels, why not hire “la trottinette”, an all-terrain scooter with suspension. With a choice of routes, descend approximately 15km from Superbagneres to Luchon, with a height loss of 1,200m.

Within just a few kilometres, there are several rock climbing sites including:

Troubat, major crag only 2km away, developed for competitions, on open SW-facing hillside with gorgeous views. Grades are mainly 6's to 8's, and the best are the harder ones.
Thebe, adjacent to Troubat, has 15 climbs from grade 4 to 8a on south facing limestone.
Ore, small but nice woodland crag; mainly Grades 6 and 7, with some tufa.
Cierp-Gaud, with bolts, dropped by the roadside. Several tiers, mainly Grades 4 to 6. Some bouldering. The lower tier is one minute from the roadside and has a pleasant base where woodland meets meadow.
Saint-Pe d'Ardet, a major crag with Grades 4 to 8. Faces south but overhangs and trees provide shade at various times of the day. There is a wonderful natural swimming lake and picnic meadow five minutes walk away.
Pic du Gar, situated 25km away and accessible from the summit of the col de Mente. There are 4 areas here with grades ranging from 6a to 7c+ and one at 8.

For something a little less strenuous, hire a donkey from the neighbouring d'Oueil valley and ride up the valley to the stone circle of the Port de Pierrefite where you can enjoy some beautiful views towards the frontier mountains.