The route was completed from 28th June to 12th July 2013.
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Saturday, July 13, 2013
Friday, July 12, 2013
Day 15 - Refuge Baysellance to Gavarnie via the Vignemale
View Pyrenees 2013 - Day 15 in a larger mapDay 15
Day 15, the final day of the trip started out super-early. I was keen to get up and down the Vignemale and back down to Gavarnie in time for the bus to Lourdes.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Day 14 - Refuge la Grange de Holle to Refuge Baysellance
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Day 14
This was by far the shortest day of the trip. A relaxed stroll up the GR10/HRP to arrive at the Refuge de Baysellance before lunchtime. I could in theory have climbed the Vignemale in a couple of hours and headed back down the valley, but given it was clouding over, and there was no rush, I chose to hang around at the hut for the rest of the day, making it feel like very long wait until dinner time.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Friday, July 5, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Day 7 - Espot to Espitau de Vielha
Distance: 33km, Ascent: 2450m, Descent: 2210m
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Day 7 began from Casa Felip in Espot at 6am. The first section to Estany de Sant Maurici I done twice before in the opposite direction. It was quite cold and windy when I reached the lake, so I took a brief shelter from the wind before heading into the national park proper.
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Day 7 began from Casa Felip in Espot at 6am. The first section to Estany de Sant Maurici I done twice before in the opposite direction. It was quite cold and windy when I reached the lake, so I took a brief shelter from the wind before heading into the national park proper.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Day 5 - Refugio Vallferrera to Tavascan via Pica d'Estats
Distance: 23km, Ascent: 1550m, Descent: 2300m
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After breakfast with the 4 Catalan guys, I left the Vallferrera Refuge just before 6:30am. The climb towards Pica d'Estats was more convoluted and interesting than it looked on the map, and once past the 2 lakes it was continuous snow cover until the rocky col of Port de Sotllo at 2893m. I wasn't quite sure of the route to Pica d'Estats after the col, but gathered that it was best to descend a little before skirting around to meet the voie normal from Refugi Pinet. I contoured right around until I met the easy-angled north east ridge, and soon found myself on the summit with the customary enormous iron cross draped with Catalan flags, and nobody else around.
The initial descent was fast down soft runnable snow, but then I cut across to the col north of Pic de Sotllo via a steep snow slope, and even steeper descent on the other side. Once back on the snow it was easy but trackless descent into a dramatic bowl to drop out near the Refuge de Broate.
The section of trail below Ref. de Broate was awash with wild flowers, and once down to Pla de Boavi I took a late lunch stop before picking up the pista down to Tavascan.
I checked into the Hotel Llacs de Cardos and had a quiet evening.
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After breakfast with the 4 Catalan guys, I left the Vallferrera Refuge just before 6:30am. The climb towards Pica d'Estats was more convoluted and interesting than it looked on the map, and once past the 2 lakes it was continuous snow cover until the rocky col of Port de Sotllo at 2893m. I wasn't quite sure of the route to Pica d'Estats after the col, but gathered that it was best to descend a little before skirting around to meet the voie normal from Refugi Pinet. I contoured right around until I met the easy-angled north east ridge, and soon found myself on the summit with the customary enormous iron cross draped with Catalan flags, and nobody else around.
The initial descent was fast down soft runnable snow, but then I cut across to the col north of Pic de Sotllo via a steep snow slope, and even steeper descent on the other side. Once back on the snow it was easy but trackless descent into a dramatic bowl to drop out near the Refuge de Broate.
The section of trail below Ref. de Broate was awash with wild flowers, and once down to Pla de Boavi I took a late lunch stop before picking up the pista down to Tavascan.
I checked into the Hotel Llacs de Cardos and had a quiet evening.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Day 4 - Arinsal to Refugio Vallferrera via Pic de Coma Pedrosa
Distance: 15km, Ascent: 1560m, Descent: 11300m
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I made a super-early start, leaving the hotel in darkness at 5:16am, thinking it might be possible to climb Pic de Coma Pedrosa and Pica d'Estats in the same day. However it took just over 5 hours to reach the summit of Coma Pedrosa and the clouds were already bubbling up, so the idea of attempting Pica d'Estats in the afternoon was quickly abandoned.
I met a couple from the Czech Republic at the summit who had recently climbed Perdido. We chatted for a few minutes before I headed off towards the Portella de Baiau to drop back into Spain. The descent was down steep loose scree at first, but lower down I was onto steep snow and faffed around putting the crampons on and using the ice axe to get down to the edge of the frozen lakes, Estanys de Baiau.
I took a lunch stop beside the basic metal shelter of Refuge de Baiau, sitting in warm sunshine, before wading the meltwater stream from the lakes and picking up the GR11 down to Pla de Boet. I reached the Refuge de Vallferrera just before 3pm, and initially intended to continue a bit further. But once I'd sat down and relaxed, I realised it made more sense to stay at the refuge and get a proper meal and bed for the night.
The evening meal was sociable chatting with 4 Catalan guys from Barcelona who were hiking a 4-day circuit from Tavascan called La Porta del Cel (Heaven's Gate). Today they had climbed Pica d'Estats from Refugi de Pinet, and tomorrow they planned to finish back in Tavascan.
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I made a super-early start, leaving the hotel in darkness at 5:16am, thinking it might be possible to climb Pic de Coma Pedrosa and Pica d'Estats in the same day. However it took just over 5 hours to reach the summit of Coma Pedrosa and the clouds were already bubbling up, so the idea of attempting Pica d'Estats in the afternoon was quickly abandoned.
I met a couple from the Czech Republic at the summit who had recently climbed Perdido. We chatted for a few minutes before I headed off towards the Portella de Baiau to drop back into Spain. The descent was down steep loose scree at first, but lower down I was onto steep snow and faffed around putting the crampons on and using the ice axe to get down to the edge of the frozen lakes, Estanys de Baiau.
I took a lunch stop beside the basic metal shelter of Refuge de Baiau, sitting in warm sunshine, before wading the meltwater stream from the lakes and picking up the GR11 down to Pla de Boet. I reached the Refuge de Vallferrera just before 3pm, and initially intended to continue a bit further. But once I'd sat down and relaxed, I realised it made more sense to stay at the refuge and get a proper meal and bed for the night.
The evening meal was sociable chatting with 4 Catalan guys from Barcelona who were hiking a 4-day circuit from Tavascan called La Porta del Cel (Heaven's Gate). Today they had climbed Pica d'Estats from Refugi de Pinet, and tomorrow they planned to finish back in Tavascan.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Day 3 - Across Andorra from Upper Madriu Valley to Arinsal
Distance: 27km, Ascent: 1900m, Descent: 2680m
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Day 3 started out with a long descent to Encamp that took longer than I expected, so it was around 11am and scorching hot when I dropped into the town, and was struggling to remember where the supermarket was. I felt a bit time-pressured since I had originally planned to reach the Coma Pedrosa Refuge today, but that was already looking unlikely, so I decided to have a proper early lunch stop in the park at Encamp.
It's always difficult seeing people lazing around a swimming pool when you've set yourself a challenging hike. I didn't want to dilly dally too long in Encamp but found it hard to get going again in the full mid-day heat, with a 900m climb to Coll d'Ordino.
The section through to Arans was all quite hot and tiring, and the col over to Arinsal has a steep rough trail on both sides that lacks any nice graded zig-zags, making it feel hard work. So I felt fairly jaded when I reached Arinsal, and was disappointed but not entirely surprised to find the supermarket shut on a Sunday evening. I needed food pretty much straight away, so dived into the bar next door to order burger and chips. It was about to get dark and the options for camping did not look great, so I booked into a hotel on the main street with the plan of a super-early start tomorrow to make up the time on not reaching the Coma Pedrosa hut this evening.
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Day 3 started out with a long descent to Encamp that took longer than I expected, so it was around 11am and scorching hot when I dropped into the town, and was struggling to remember where the supermarket was. I felt a bit time-pressured since I had originally planned to reach the Coma Pedrosa Refuge today, but that was already looking unlikely, so I decided to have a proper early lunch stop in the park at Encamp.
It's always difficult seeing people lazing around a swimming pool when you've set yourself a challenging hike. I didn't want to dilly dally too long in Encamp but found it hard to get going again in the full mid-day heat, with a 900m climb to Coll d'Ordino.
The section through to Arans was all quite hot and tiring, and the col over to Arinsal has a steep rough trail on both sides that lacks any nice graded zig-zags, making it feel hard work. So I felt fairly jaded when I reached Arinsal, and was disappointed but not entirely surprised to find the supermarket shut on a Sunday evening. I needed food pretty much straight away, so dived into the bar next door to order burger and chips. It was about to get dark and the options for camping did not look great, so I booked into a hotel on the main street with the plan of a super-early start tomorrow to make up the time on not reaching the Coma Pedrosa hut this evening.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Day 2 - Refuge des Bouillouses to Upper Madriu Valley via Pic Carlit
Distance: 39km, Ascent: 2410m, Descent: 2135m
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Day 2 began bright but cold. The usual stale bread and coffee that passes for breakfast at French (and Spanish) refuges, and I was soon on the trail above the Bouillouses dam passing through scrubby vegetation and small lakes with Pic Carlit looming ahead.
The going was pretty quick and easy until the final snow slope which reared up enough to warrant trying out the new Kahtoola KTS steel crampons and Camp Corsa ice axe. The axe and crampons were perfect, but I could have done with bringing some thin technical gloves.
I was soon on the 2921m summit of Pic Carlit, with nobody else around. The views were of course extensive and uninterrupted, given that this is the highest peak in the Eastern Pyrenees.
The traverse took me down steep rough scree on the west side of the hill, which provided a rapid descent before the angle eased to lead out to trail junctions below the Estany de Lanós dam, which linked me onto the GR7.
I took a short but much-needed rest for lunch just beside the bridge across the Rec de Lanós before picking up the long contouring trail which lead down to Porté-Puymorens.
The temperature was rising as I dropped down into the valley, so I took another short rest in bar at Porté-Puymorens to buy a cold drink and get out of the sun for a few minutes.
The next section linked past the Puymorens road tunnel entrance, then turned back uphill for the long drag up the Campcardos valley to the Portella Blanca d'Andorra 2517m which is one of 2 places where France, Spain and Andorra all meet. I my case I took the trail down into Spain rather than Andorra, and would not return into France again until Day 13 at the Breche de Roland.
Time was marching on, and all the distances seemed longer than they looked on the map, but I eventually reached the Cabana dels Esparvers crossroads of trails, where I linked onto the GR11 for the climb up to Col d'Illa 2543m to cross into Andorra. By this time it was after 9pm and getting quite cold and chilly. I stopped briefly to put on a jacket and to find my headtorch.
I thought I may need to stop at the next refuge, but there were a few people around and I didn't fancy the look of it, so I just walked straight past and started dropping down zig-zags through rugged terrain.
The light was fading fast, so as soon as I saw the first decent area of flat ground, I threw up the tent at just after 10pm and crashed out for the night, thinking it would be a short walk down to Encamp for breakfast in the morning.
View Pyrenees 2013 - Day 2 in a larger map
Day 2 began bright but cold. The usual stale bread and coffee that passes for breakfast at French (and Spanish) refuges, and I was soon on the trail above the Bouillouses dam passing through scrubby vegetation and small lakes with Pic Carlit looming ahead.
The going was pretty quick and easy until the final snow slope which reared up enough to warrant trying out the new Kahtoola KTS steel crampons and Camp Corsa ice axe. The axe and crampons were perfect, but I could have done with bringing some thin technical gloves.
I was soon on the 2921m summit of Pic Carlit, with nobody else around. The views were of course extensive and uninterrupted, given that this is the highest peak in the Eastern Pyrenees.
The traverse took me down steep rough scree on the west side of the hill, which provided a rapid descent before the angle eased to lead out to trail junctions below the Estany de Lanós dam, which linked me onto the GR7.
I took a short but much-needed rest for lunch just beside the bridge across the Rec de Lanós before picking up the long contouring trail which lead down to Porté-Puymorens.
The temperature was rising as I dropped down into the valley, so I took another short rest in bar at Porté-Puymorens to buy a cold drink and get out of the sun for a few minutes.
The next section linked past the Puymorens road tunnel entrance, then turned back uphill for the long drag up the Campcardos valley to the Portella Blanca d'Andorra 2517m which is one of 2 places where France, Spain and Andorra all meet. I my case I took the trail down into Spain rather than Andorra, and would not return into France again until Day 13 at the Breche de Roland.
Time was marching on, and all the distances seemed longer than they looked on the map, but I eventually reached the Cabana dels Esparvers crossroads of trails, where I linked onto the GR11 for the climb up to Col d'Illa 2543m to cross into Andorra. By this time it was after 9pm and getting quite cold and chilly. I stopped briefly to put on a jacket and to find my headtorch.
I thought I may need to stop at the next refuge, but there were a few people around and I didn't fancy the look of it, so I just walked straight past and started dropping down zig-zags through rugged terrain.
The light was fading fast, so as soon as I saw the first decent area of flat ground, I threw up the tent at just after 10pm and crashed out for the night, thinking it would be a short walk down to Encamp for breakfast in the morning.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Day 1 - Gare de Bolquère-Eyne to Refuge des Bouillouses
Distance: 13km, Ascent: 500m, Descent: 100m
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Day 1 began with a 5am alarm call in Glasgow, followed by a quick taxi ride to Glasgow for a 6:30am Easyjet flight to Stansted, then a Ryanair flight to Perpignan which arrived sufficiently early to make me think it might be possible to catch the earlier train into the Pyrenees, if they were swift with unloading the baggage.
Whilst waiting for the bags to appear, I scoped out the line to the taxi rank so that I could leg it as soon as I grabbed my bag. The taxi driver was up for the challenge of making the earlier train, which would save me 2 hours at Perpignan and get me to Bolquere-Eyne almost 4 hours earlier. I jumped out of the taxi in the road by the station and made the train to Villefranche with about 5 minutes to spare. The fare was an incredible 1 Euro for a journey that lasted the best part of an hour.
Once at Villefranche I needed to switch to the famous Petit Train Jaune which worryingly looked mobbed with Japanese and other tourists, and even more worryingly had a sign up saying it was full. I had the usual scenario at the ticket booth with some guy in front making the most protracted and complicated transaction you could imagine, whilst the minutes were ticking away, and the Little Yellow Train was about to depart at any minute. I just made it onto the train, with no minutes to spare in a tiny packed carriage with no functioning toilets and incredibly slow but scenic journey up into the wild Pyrenean landscape.
Only 3 of us disembarked at Eyne-Bolquere, like something out of a spaghetti western. Deserted, and in the middle of nowhere. The other 2 were hiking southwards on the GR10 towards Eyne, so we soon parted company as I headed north through Bolquere where the shop was not not surprisingly closed, making me glad I'd brought a few provisions to last the first couple of days.
It felt good to enter the calm forest trails after all the frantic travelling, and to be several hours ahead of where I expected to be given the early flight arrival and luck with taxi and trains.
I had originally planned to camp on the first evening, either just before or after the dam at Bouillouses, however given that I had hardly any food, and had missed having any lunch, and was also getting quite chilled with a cold wind blowing off the lake, there wasn't much of a decision to make once I reached the Refuge des Bouillouses.
I was given a very quiet little room on my own, and had to put on every item of clothing I'd brought to try to warm up. The evening meal was spent chatting with a group of Germans who seemed extremely nervous about attempting Pic Carlit the following day without axe and crampons.
View Pyrenees 2013 - Day 1 in a larger map
Day 1 began with a 5am alarm call in Glasgow, followed by a quick taxi ride to Glasgow for a 6:30am Easyjet flight to Stansted, then a Ryanair flight to Perpignan which arrived sufficiently early to make me think it might be possible to catch the earlier train into the Pyrenees, if they were swift with unloading the baggage.
Whilst waiting for the bags to appear, I scoped out the line to the taxi rank so that I could leg it as soon as I grabbed my bag. The taxi driver was up for the challenge of making the earlier train, which would save me 2 hours at Perpignan and get me to Bolquere-Eyne almost 4 hours earlier. I jumped out of the taxi in the road by the station and made the train to Villefranche with about 5 minutes to spare. The fare was an incredible 1 Euro for a journey that lasted the best part of an hour.
Once at Villefranche I needed to switch to the famous Petit Train Jaune which worryingly looked mobbed with Japanese and other tourists, and even more worryingly had a sign up saying it was full. I had the usual scenario at the ticket booth with some guy in front making the most protracted and complicated transaction you could imagine, whilst the minutes were ticking away, and the Little Yellow Train was about to depart at any minute. I just made it onto the train, with no minutes to spare in a tiny packed carriage with no functioning toilets and incredibly slow but scenic journey up into the wild Pyrenean landscape.
Only 3 of us disembarked at Eyne-Bolquere, like something out of a spaghetti western. Deserted, and in the middle of nowhere. The other 2 were hiking southwards on the GR10 towards Eyne, so we soon parted company as I headed north through Bolquere where the shop was not not surprisingly closed, making me glad I'd brought a few provisions to last the first couple of days.
It felt good to enter the calm forest trails after all the frantic travelling, and to be several hours ahead of where I expected to be given the early flight arrival and luck with taxi and trains.
I had originally planned to camp on the first evening, either just before or after the dam at Bouillouses, however given that I had hardly any food, and had missed having any lunch, and was also getting quite chilled with a cold wind blowing off the lake, there wasn't much of a decision to make once I reached the Refuge des Bouillouses.
I was given a very quiet little room on my own, and had to put on every item of clothing I'd brought to try to warm up. The evening meal was spent chatting with a group of Germans who seemed extremely nervous about attempting Pic Carlit the following day without axe and crampons.
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