This year’s Pyrenees trip saw me once again
in the company of another fine bunch of air cadets from 633 Squadron, Air
Training Corps. This was to be a repeat
of the 2011 hut-to-hut trek with a further attempt at the Pyrenees’ 3rd
highest peak, Mt Perdido which thwarted us last time.
Mt Perdido (3355m)
We started, as before, from the French
village of Gavarnie, 2½hrs SW of Toulouse, hoping
for fine weather in early July. Alas,
this was not to be and the 5-day trek was peppered with variable cloud,
frequent rain showers and mild, rather than hot, weather.
Day 1 - Gavarnie to the Sarradets Hut
Pic du Marboré From the Sarradets Hut
Indeed, Day 1 dawned cloudy and wet which
forced a change (several in fact) of plan and a shortening of the day by
positioning the vehicles above Gavarnie at the Col de Tentes (2208m).
Continuing up the disused road for 20mins to the French/Spanish border
at Port de Boucharo (2273m), we were
now in thick cloud and rain - an inauspicious start to our summer trek!
Thankfully, things started to improve once we
left the road and started traversing high above the Valle des Pouey d’Aspé below the towering cliffs and snowfields of
the Taillón. Then we encountered the
first of several snowfields of our own that forced an earlier introduction to
crampons than we were expecting! Reassuringly,
everyone got on well with what was to be an essential piece of equipment for
the days ahead.
Brèche de Roland
The crampons stayed on for the climb up to
the Col des Sarradets and the short traverse to our first night’s
accommodation, the 57-bed Refuge des Sarradets (2567m).
Day 2 - Sarradets Hut to the Goriz Hut
We awoke to clear skies and stunning views
and donning crampons from the start, spent the first hour climbing the steep snow
slopes to the impressive Brèche de
Roland (2807m). This 100m high gap in
the frontier ridge resembles a missing tooth in the skyline and is an
impressive landmark. It was cold and
draughty today though, (as it usually is in all fairness) so it was not a place
to linger long.
Approaching the Brèche
We descended - steeply at
first - on the Spanish side and linked the patchy snowfields together to ease
travel as we continued down to the Narciso Plain where we were finally able to
dispense with the crampons. Here we saw
the first of several chamois (or izard)
we were to encounter on the trip.
Pyrenean Chamois or Izard
From the plain, we headed
east, climbing the short way up to the Cuello del Descargador (2495m) from where our onward route
finally became clear. A series of ups
and downs took us, without difficulty, across the Plana de San Ferlus and a
further col, the Cuello de Millaris (2467m),
before entering the picturesque grassy fold of the Circo de Góriz from where we
descended to our home for the next 2 nights: the 90-bed Refugio de Góriz (2170m).
Here, we all ate well, slept badly and otherwise filled in time as best
you can in high mountain huts!
Góriz Hut
Day 3 - Mt Perdido
Overnight rain cleared and
it seemed that the weather was going to give us our best shot at our
mountain. An early start further
enhanced our chances of success and we were soon climbing up above the hut over
assorted rock bands, grassy terraces and rockfall with the impressive chasm of
the Ordesa Canyon spread out far below us.
Almost 3hrs from the hut
we crossed a final rock band to reach the half-frozen mountain lake of Lago
Helado (3000m). Here we had some food, donned crampons and
dressed for the coming cool and windy conditions.
Unlike last time, we
stayed within the snow couloir and followed the established snow trench of
previous climbers up the steepening slopes.
Everyone did really well given their lack of previous experience and
steady plodding, careful footwork and sound technique brought us to the top of
the couloir at the broad saddle from which we knew the summit would be ours!
And so it was just 10mins
later that 10 of us stepped on to the summit rocks of the expedition’s
long-awaited goal, the cold and very windy 3rd highest mountain in
the Pyrenees: Mt Perdido (3355m). The summit cross has disappeared but
otherwise the view was the same as on my last visit - zero! Helene rallied her troops for photographs
various and even managed to present a Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award to
Marianne - probably a first for Perdido!
After much elation and
relief, we headed down, descending ever so carefully the same way down the snow
couloir to Lago Helado and thence back down to the Góriz Hut.
Twenty minutes out, the rain started and we arrived back wet but happy
and ready for another Góriz night!
Day 4 - The Ordesa Canyon
Our longest day was to see
us descending the entire 13Km length of this 1000m deep vertically-sided trench
through which the glacial waters of the Rio Arazas tumble over a series of
spectacular waterfalls.
Gradas de Soaso
The first hour saw us
descending steeply as the GR11 path followed a series of zig-zags cut into
vertical rock bands that form the infant canyon’s headwall. Once down at the base of the Circo de Góriz (1880m) however, it was plain sailing all
the way as we followed the well-used path/track that traces the canyon
floor. The way is punctuated by a series
of stunning cascades notably the Gradas de Soaso, a series of broad steps, and
the Cascada del Estrecho where the river plunges down deep chasms in the rock.
The highlight for many,
I’m sure(!), was the short stop at the café/shop at the Pradera de Ordesa where
Magnum ices were gleefully consumed and the weariness of the journey set aside,
albeit temporarily.
Then it was back on the
GR11 which we followed to the mouth of the canyon where it joins the Bujaruelo
Valley at the Puente de los Navarros.
Here, a vehicle track winds northwards beside the noisy Rio Ara and we
followed this for just over 3Km to our long-awaited return to soft furnishings
and hot showers at the always-treasured hostel facility at Camping Valle de
Bujaruelo (1250m). There followed a good night’s sleep all-round
I think!
Day 5 - Bujaruelo to Gavarnie
Bujaruelo Valley
Our last day’s trekking
took us another 3Km up the Bujaruelo Valley to the beautiful stone arch bridge
of Puente de Bujaruelo. That was the
easy bit! Here we bade farewell to the
GR11 and climbed up the steep valley sides through the trees and out on to the
open scree slopes.
The valley floor was soon
far below us and the grassy valley of Lapazosa opened up ahead. After pausing for a snack in the sunshine, we
continued up the final slopes to our old friend, the Port de Boucharo (2273m),
last seen in the cloud and rain on Day 1.
Today, we enjoyed some welcome blue sky and sunshine and spirits were
high for the last (of many) photo calls!
Lapazosa Valley & Port de Boucharo
There just remained the short ‘stroll’ down
the old road back to the vehicles and lunch in the sun down in Gavarnie. We celebrated our successful trek in style
with a nice meal in the relative sumptuousness of the Hotel de Londres in Luz
St Sauveur - a far cry from the distant
memory of our mountain huts!
Valle des Pouey d’Aspé
Despite the changeable weather and
occasionally challenging terrain, it was a very enjoyable - and successful -
trek. Once again, it was a privilege and
a pleasure to be in the company of some wonderful young people who were
prepared to put themselves out for others.
They walked over 60Km/40miles and climbed over 3000m/10,000’ enduring
both physical and mental hardship to raise a significant sum of money for Parkinson’s
UK and Swindon Children Without A
Diagnosis. Well done guys and
many thanks to Helene and Dave for all their help along the way.
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