Refuge des Bésines

The Refuge des Bésines is a managed hut of the Club Alpin Français at 2101 m in the Ariège, municipality of Mérens-les-Vals, high above the Étang des Bésines in the Carlit massif of the Pyrenees. The Montagnards Ariégeois section runs the hut, which opened in 1996 and offers 56 beds in several dormitories as well as a winter room with 16 storage spaces. In the summer season, usually from the beginning of June to at least the end of September, currently announced until the end of October 2026, it is the base for GR 10, Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne and the Tour des Montagnes d'Ax; the snow-free months of July to September are particularly popular. The base can be reached from L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre in around 3 hours and around 600 meters in altitude via a marked mountain path; longer approaches lead up from Mérens-les-Vals or from the Col de Puymorens. The Étang des Bésines, the Lanoux reservoir and peaks such as the Pic d'Auriol are nearby, making the refuge suitable for multi-day crossings as well as day trips and fishing trips. In winter, the winter area is mainly used, usually with skis or snowshoes from the Col de Puymorens; this requires experience in the high mountains in winter and full safety equipment. As everywhere in the Pyrenees, the current weather conditions, trail conditions, closures and avalanche risk should be carefully checked before each tour.