If you've been paying attention to earlier adventures in Snowdonia, you'll know that my forays up hills don't always work out exactly as planned. Today's was just such another but I'm far from unhappy at the outcome.
When I woke, the clouds were still low over the mountains surrounding Merens Les Vals, rolling up the valley allowing little glimpses of the scenic hilltops all around, some with dashes of snow on them! The concierge said it had snowed down to 2000m. MLV is at about 1000m but the snowline didn't look that far away at all!
Undaunted, I stocked up on basics and headed up the hill in an attempt to do some sort of mini circuit that would lead me back to Ax Les Thermes tomorrow or the day after. Ideally I'd like to manage an overnight in a refuge or, at worst, 'le camping savage', for which I was fairly well equipped, complete with new rucksack and just enough rations for a couple of days.
The walk itself was good and not impossibly difficult. About 1000-1500m (ie Snowdon from sea level) up a scenic valley and through the forest, following the path of a rain-swollen river up to its source. For once I knew exactly where I was. Not only did I have the right map and my Satmap gizmo but the GR10 is really well marked on trees and rocks at just the points where you need reassurance! I thanked each marked as I passed it!
Reassuringly frequent red and white flashes to mark the way
About three hours later, when the sun had still not appeared to burn off the mist and warm everything up, I gradually started seeing little patches of snow that grew more frequent as I progressed, until I was pretty much walking up a snowfield. Unfortunately the way to the refuge was a good 45minutes climbing over a col of about 2300m and, as bits of ice began to fill the space between my foot and my sandal, I began to feel it was '…pas une bonne idée' to plough on, in the wrong footwear, on my own, with no certainty that the refuge would be where it should be. So, I did the sensible thing and turned back - the second time I have gone into reverse gear on a mountain this year. It was the right thing to do (my feet are still partially numb two days' later!).
"...pas une bonne idee"
Even so I'm still glad that I gave it a go because my experience in Spain had led me to think of the Pyrenées as daunting, unfriendly, hot and dangerous. Whereas in fact a closer acquaintance suggests that they are eminently accessible, really attractive and covered with well marked and walkable routes - especially if you've got the right footwear on. (I have now discovered one can get waterproof socks!)
At last a bit of culture that even I could not miss - a Xth century Romanesque church in the Spanish Style, natch.
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