The Vignemale is also the site of the second largest of the Pyrenean glaciers (after the one on Aneto), the Ossoue / Osso (with around 0.6 km2), across which the "voie normale", or standard route to the summit travels.

One of its most dramatic aspects is the North Face upon which lie a number of serious ascent routes requiring skill and commitment.

The approach from the north entails a delightful walk up to and around the picturesque Lac de Gaube / Gauba giving increasingly dramatic views of the mountain.

Almost synonymous with the Vignemale is the name of Count Henry Russell, an eccentric of the Victorian era who developed a lifelong passion for the mountain.

The first documented, "official" ascent of this peak was by English landowner and traveller Anne Lister and three local guides in 1838.