I'll be arriving by train for a car-free adventure !

Nature, escape and sports Between Ax-les-Thermes and Orlu

This morning, Nico and I are on the train for a “low-carbon” nature and leisure day. Like a lot of people, we’re paying attention to our footprint on Earth by adapting our lifestyles, especially our travel!

Getting there

©Arrivee Vtt Gare Ax Acrofilm Adt09 2023

©2024 Direction sign Lacamina Julien Delabacca

As it’s the first weekend of the month, we found train tickets for 1€ thanks to the Occitanie Region and SNCF Voyageurs! Arriving at Ax-les-Thermes station, the sky is blue, the weather is sunny but not too hot, in short, the best for this spring day.

Stéphane, from Loc de Sault, is waiting for us in the station parking lot to deliver and rent Nico’s electrically-assisted mountain bike (I was able to bring my own). The rental company shows us the various functions, with different levels of assistance depending on the terrain and our energy level.

As we’re just a stone’s throw from the tourist office, we check out some information, and Jean’s advice is invaluable in fine-tuning our program, including buying some local produce at La Boutique de la Ferme for our snack.

easy rolling

The way is clear!

We drive towards Orlu, following the signs for La Camina, a somewhat atypical itinerary in the image ofAriège, a sort of “all-terrain” greenway shared with hikers, horseback ridersanddonkeys…

We leave the tarmac for a narrow path through a beech forest, where the sun’s rays shine right through. It’s so beautiful, I’m already stopping for a photo. The little technical passage forces us to put our feet down, but the push of the mountain bike over a few meters is very short.

Arriving at the Lac de Campauleil, we admire the view of the Dent d’Orlu (one day, we’ll have to be guided on theseclimbing routes, as we love to climb). The drive through Orgeix is very peaceful, with the Mérens horses, the little stone bridge, the meadows, the apple trees… Ha there’s a food truck! How about a crêpe on the way back?

Crossing the Orlu campsite also makes us want to stay, when we see the tented pitches, the swimming pool, the river running through the middle… it’s all so charming!

We continue to ride on paths that vary between tarmac and forest tracks. We take a short break at theOrlubouldering area, where people are already starting fires on the barbecue and climbers are getting ready with their crash pads.

Games and discoveries in Orlu!

Water, forest and wolves

The alternation of small ascents and descents is a delight with electric-assist mountain bikes, and we’ve already arrived at the Forges site. We find a place to park our bikes under the two-wheeler shelter near the Mountaneô reception area. We start our activities with theescapegameonhydroelectricity: it’s not easy to save the day, but we manage well, as we’re used to these games. The mountain museum is also very nice, with some beautiful images.

We chose the Bistrot des Forges for lunch, although we were also tempted by the burger at La Maison des Loups.

To digest, we set off on the blue trailofOrlu’s Akrobranch’. Evolving in this beautiful forest is quite incredible. We followed this up with a red course, and as we were so comfortable, we ended up on a black course where the zip-line over the torrent refreshed us! What fun!

We’re just in time to see the wolves feeding, where the guide shares his knowledge of this species which is returning to the Pyrenees in the wild…

Now we’ve got to get a move on if we want to catch the train home! We pick up our bikes and ride at full throttle all the way to Ax. Of course, we slow down just as we pass a group of parents with their toddlers on a donkey ride on La Camina!

Back to calm

After all these adventures, the train lulls us to sleep!

After handing in our helmets and bikes, we finally sit down in the carriage of the return train to Toulouse, which leaves right on time! Phew, we can breathe a sigh of relief after such a dynamic day! I suggest to Nico that we take the next train trip, but over two days, to enjoy the Ariege Pyrenees in a different way. I’ve already come up with a number of ideas from the stations at Tarascon-sur-Ariège, Les Cabannes, Mérens-les-Vals and even L’Hospitalet-Près-l’Andorre!

Living intensely

Experiences in the Ariège Pyrenees

Ariege's little extras

The Ariege Pyrenees, your oxygen bubble!

Looking for unspoilt nature, the great outdoors and white water?
In winter, ski, snowboard, skating, snowshoeing, sledging and dog sledding at Ax 3 Domaines, Beille, Ascou and le Chioula, Mijanés and Goulier...

In summer, hiking, mountain biking, paragliding or canyoning...

And all year round, enjoy the benefits of the thermal waters at Ax-les-Thermes, Ussat-les-Bains or the Bains du Couloubret.
And don't miss the Grotte de Niaux and the Parc de la Préhistoire.

Not forgetting the history of our mountains and their heritage, pastoralism and local produce!

Book your next mountain vacation!