Toulouse. In the footsteps of escapees on the way to freedom
The Haute-Garonne opened its first road to freedom in the footsteps of escapees who, during the Second World War, fled occupied France for Spain. The first part of this route starts from the Col de Balès and joins Portet-de-Luchon.
From the port of Balès, the name of André Bon resounds like a call. In July 1943, he too passed through the Col du Luchonnais to cross the Pyrenees and join the Free French forces from Spain. This 23-year-old young man was one of the 90,000 people who during the Second World War fled France occupied by this natural border. For some, the journey began at Saléchan station in the Hautes-Pyrénées, which they reached by train from Toulouse thanks to networks of resistance fighters. From there, supported by smugglers, they left for several days of walking through the mountain following different routes. The departmental committee of tourism and the association “Paths of freedom by the Comminges and the Val d’Aran” have reconstructed the one taken by André Bon during his escape. This three-stage path, which combines walking and memory, leads to Lac du Portillon. The last section requires good physical conditions, however the first fifteen kilometers to Portet-de-Luchon are accessible to a family public with good shoes, in about 4h30. This hike with grandiose landscapes, detailed in the Hiking guide of Haute-Garonne Tourisme, nevertheless requires a little organization because it is not a loop. Seventy years ago, the escapees only degrade the road in one direction so it is necessary to plan a vehicle on arrival or to be dropped off at the Col de Balès, the starting point, at 1755 meters above sea level.
The panorama at the rendezvous
The path starts with a track located 50 meters below, on the Bourg d’Oueil side and follows the route of the GR de Pays Tour d’Oueil-Larboust, with yellow and red markings. Very quickly, the view is there, embracing the 3000 meters of the Luchonnais from the mountain pasture of Mont Né and the port of Pierrefite. This pass can be recognized by its cromlech and its white menhir whose silhouette stands out from the valley. The route continues with a short escapade in the Hautes-Pyrénées to reach the beautiful Lac de Bareilles, nestled in a wooded valley. We gladly take a break there, with our feet in the water. The ascent, of about 45 minutes, is a bit steep. Most of the elevation gain of the hike is done there but the arrival at the Col du Lion rewards the efforts of the walkers. We discover a 360° panorama, open on the valleys of Oueil and Larbourst and on the Hautes-Pyrénées side, on those of Louron and Aure. From there, you can reach the peak of the Lion, at 2012 meters. It takes 20 minutes more to climb but it is worth the detour. Once at the Col de Pinata, it’s the start of a long descent towards the Cabane de Jonques and the mountain pasture of Jurvieille, always following the route of the GR de Pays. In autumn, you are accompanied even during the day by the slab of stags and by the spectacle of deer dispersing at the slightest warning. The path then descends into the forest and crosses the right bank to the village of Portet-de-Luchon. André Bon him, had continued after Gouaux-de-Larboust and the barns of Astau beyond the lake of Oô and the lake of Portillon to Benasque, in Spain, where he was arrested before being released a few months later.
Yellow and red markings of the GRP Tour d’Oueil-Larboust
15km from the Col de Balès
Cumulative elevation gain: 500m
Intermediate level
GPX track on www.randohautegaronne.com
Details of the itinerary in the Haute-Garonne hiking guide, free and available from Haute-Garonne Tourisme 14 rue Bayard in Toulouse, at Les Olivétains in Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, at the Comptoir du Lauragais in the Port-Lauragais area in Avignonet-Lauragais and in all tourist offices in the department.