Lac de Peyrelade, Mountain lake in the Pyrenees near Bagnères-de-Bigorre, France.
Lac de Peyrelade is a mountain lake located in the Pyrenees at approximately 1919 meters elevation near Bagnères-de-Bigorre. The water displays blue-green tones and sits within a rocky cirque formed by steep cliff faces including the Pène-Blanque wall rising 850 meters (2800 feet) above.
The lake lies in the cirque de Pêne Blanque, a hollow shaped by glacial action above the Lesponne valley. Its Occitan name, peyra lada, means "lake in the middle of an immense stone field", referring to the boulder-strewn slopes around the water. The site is now part of the ZNIEFF type 2 protected zone Bassin du haut Adour.
The hike to the lake takes several hours starting from Bagnères-de-Bigorre along a winding forest track. Sturdy hiking boots, plenty of water, and weather-appropriate clothing are essential as mountain conditions change quickly, especially in winter when snow may block access.
The name comes from Occitan: "peyra" means a field of stones and "lada" suggests breadth, so Peyrelade is the lake in the middle of an immense stone field. The lake lies in the cirque de Pêne Blanque, reached by a trail on the left bank of the stream.
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