Family hike at the ansabère lake!

Discover the Ansabère lake hike with Chloé from Kinda Break!

Just because school has resumed doesn't mean that adventures in the great outdoors have to end! The Lake Ansabère hike in the Aspe Valley in the Pyrenees is a magnificent hike, accessible to all and very fun, offering a great variety of scenery and atmospheres.During a 5 hour walk you will cross streams, a forest, plains and valleys, you will meet sheep, cows and horses, you will discover a shepherd's hut and the making of sheep cheese, then you will finally access the magnificent Mountain Lake of Ansabère on which the needles of Ansabère are reflected like a mirror and where nests billions of small tadpoles ready to become frogs!

School has resumed, but that doesn't mean that adventures in the great outdoors have to end! Often when the start of the school year arrives, holiday items - including the hiking backpack, footwear and other accessories - are all too quickly stowed away in the back of the garage with such bitterness because they won't be seen again until next year's holiday. It's such a pity!
The start of the school year and its share of things to do, administrative tasks and others ... plunges us into an anxiety-provoking routine that just a simple hike can calm in no time.

So put aside the homework, the papers and the mental load for a day or a weekend and go to the mountains. It's a breath of fresh air that will help you cope better during stressful moments and help all members of the family relax. It’s also important to show children that just because school has resumed, outdoor adventures don't have to come to an end! On the contrary, this high-altitude valve will provide them with oxygen so that they can calmly face the difficulties of returning back to school.

Direction lake ansabère in the aspe valley in the pyrenees!

A perfect hike for children is a hike where they will meet animals and water points. I know that you already know that kids are crazy when it comes to jumping in puddles for example, so imagine them crossing streams and catching tadpoles in their hands!

Here the hike begins when crossing the Gave of Ansabère and several streams and water points, running around in the water is pure delight!
The setting of the Lescun circus is fabulous, the Ansabère needles in the background are impressive.  In the heart of the Lescun circus, you cross pastures guided by the sound of bells on the necks of the cows, enjoying the immensity of these wide open spaces, then you rush into a small forest full of charm whose carpet of green moss plunges you into a magical setting of elves and fairy tales. Leaving the forest, you reach the Ansabère huts where you can fill your water bottles with drinking water directly from the source.
Now is the time to take a break and meet Marcel, the man in charge. Marcel is the shepherd who looks after this summer period from June to October. He watches over his sheep and makes his cheese, which is matured a few meters away in a cave converted into a cellar.Remember to take a little cash along, to buy some good sheep cheese directly from him! After the shepherd's hut, there is still a 45-minute walk before reaching the lake. Alternating small passes and valleys, it starts sharply! Go on, one more effort and the beauty of the Lake will be your reward. Barely arrived at the lake, Leon unpacks his fishing rod, it seems that there are beautiful trout! Meanwhile, Romy doesn't stop grabbing tadpoles in her hands and discreetly slips them into a water bottle in the hope of taking them home! And here is where your stop to picnic.You must go around the lake otherwise you risk missing the magnificent view of the Peak of Ansabère reflecting on to the lake. The bravest can still climb higher to enjoy the view over the lake.

You have gotten into the habit of making your children walk with hiking poles. You have gotten into the habit of making your children walk with hiking poles. Their grandpa was bored during lockdown and he made a walking stick for each of his grandchildren (8 to date). From a hazel tree branch he carved their first names and added a drawing, made a strap and a metal tip.They are very proud of them and it is true that the stick is a huge help on their way up, be careful they don't get it caught up in between their legs on the way down. Ask your children to find a stick on the path and use it throughout the hike.

And what if your children don't like walking?

What do you mean they don't like to walk? Walking is a natural function acquired from the first year. It's innate!I'll even go so far as to say we're all made to walk, so no excuses. It's all about motivation. And believe me, with the diversity of flora and fauna, everything is a pretext to motivate them!

So we left in the morning, around 9am, not too early nor too late for a day's hike. Our son Léon is 8 years old. This summer, at his request, we registered him for 10 days in a summer camp in the Aspe Valley on the theme of mountain Robinson Crusoe (including hiking, bivouac, campfires, grilled marshmallows / flaming bananas and making huts). For him, this hike was a wonderful opportunity to relive his summer camp and to rediscover the magnificent Lescun circus. How proud he was to share with us all he had learned during his summer camp. « Mum look this is thyme, put it in your hand, crush it and smell it! You can put wild thyme on pizzas! » ; « Mum, I found wild mint for your herbal teas! » ; « No Romy, don't pick that flower, it's a Foxglove and it's very poisonous! »…

Our daughter Romy is 4 years old, she had done a few hikes before, but never as long as this one. So we were prepared to carry her on our backs and therefore only took one backpack with us. But it turned out to our great pride that she walked the entire hike on her own (and without complaining)! Do not underestimate the little ones, their weight is so light that they are often more persevering than the older ones!They also do not have the same notion of time and effort as we do and therefore have much higher mental capacities than us! Watch out for the descents, which are sometimes more difficult and dangerous than the ascents for the little ones.

Some magical tips to make your kids walk

Continue to walk

Never openly give them the option of carrying them or stopping the hike. Of course plan for it, but keep it to yourself. If you tell them from the start:« Don't worry as soon as you are tired daddy will carry you or we'll turn back ”might make things more difficult!At the slightest difficulty they will jump on your proposal. Pretend they have no choice but to walk all the way. If they are old enough to walk well (say from 3 years old), I never take the baby carrier because it is clearly showing them the opportunity to jump in it. We prefer to carry them on our shoulders.

The rhythm

Then move at their own pace and not at yours. Slow down and take breaks as soon as they feel the need to and as often as needed. You know the story of the hare and the turtle, it is better to go slower and take a few breaks but get to the finish line than to want to go too fast and have to turn back too soon! It's a real job of letting go for parents, don't you agree?

Make a diversion

Motivate them and make a diversion!It's magic!What do your do when they start to moan?: « Here look at these goat droppings and guess what they ate! » ; « Look at the vulture as it flies high in the sky » ;« The first to see a cow » ; « Who can make the same noise as a cow » ; « And how about picking up some little stones » ; « Isn't it fun to walk in cow dung!? »… let your imagination run wild and you'll see… were they tired? Hey, it's strange to see how fast they can run to be the first to walk in cow dung! A successful mission! you have gained one more kilometre with a smile and good humour!

Hiking essentials

No need to equip yourself from head to toe with the latest hiking equipment.
If you have to invest (and whatever the ages) I would say that the 3 priorities are a good pair of walking or hiking shoes/boots, a very good light, windproof and waterproof jacket and a good practical and comfortable backpack.

Teach your kids to carry their own backpack from an early age. Often we carry them thinking we are doing the right thing, yet they like to be like the grown-ups and carry their own little water bottle and their collected treasures on their backs. Just adjust the weight and height according to their age. For the rest, you can hike very well with classic shorts, leggings and t-shirt. Never forget to take plenty of water, a water bottle per person (1 lighter / child and 2 lighters / adult), never underestimate the amount of water, if you hesitate take more than you think. You get dehydrated very quickly at altitude. Drink small amounts often and drink before you feel thirsty.Then take along a cap, sunglasses, sunscreen, a fleece, a spare T-shirt, a picnic and cereal bars. Some medicines and first aid accessories.
The golden rule after physical exercise is to add a layer. Once at the top or here at Lake Ansabère, put on a sweatshirt or a fleece, or a rainproof jacket depending on the weather and especially before you feel cold. If your T-shirt feels damp, change it right away.