Pic du Midi d'Ossau, Mountain peak in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France.

Pic du Midi d'Ossau rises to 2,884 meters and forms a pyramid-shaped silhouette in the French Pyrenees. Its sharp double peak of dark rock stands above the surrounding ridges and valleys, serving as a landmark visible from many trails in the region.

François de Foix-Candale attempted the first known climb in 1552, but climbers only reached the summit with certainty in 1797. Since then, the route through Col de Suzon has become the most popular ascent path for mountaineers from across Europe.

Béarnais people call the mountain "Jean-Pierre", a familiar nickname for the whole massif rather than two separate summits. The name Ossau comes from a pre-Indo-European root *oss/*ors referring to watercourses, echoed in villages like Osse-en-Aspe and the Ousse and Ouzom streams. Legends link the peak to the mythical figure Jean de l'Ours, and its outline appears in the graphics of Pau, Laruns and the Section paloise rugby club.

The climb begins in the village of Laruns and follows the Pourtalet route to Refuge de Pombie, where mountaineers can spend the night. From there, the path to the summit requires climbing experience and proper equipment, especially in the steep sections near the top.

The rock comes from a volcanic formation, leaving behind a jagged peak that stands apart from the surrounding mountains. This origin explains the dark color and steep walls that make the profile of this summit so recognizable.