Mont Rouch

A magnificent day on Mont Rouch. It has a reputation for being a tough day out. 2000m of ascent from the nearest access in France, the barest trace of a path (not actually true) and unremittingly steep all the way. Plus it's higher than Mont Valier and Pic Certescan, in fact the highest Peak in the Couserans.

Yes it was a tough day, about 8 hours including lunch - but in fact Mont Rouch is a fantastic mountain and deserves to be better known (it's rarely climbed). The views are immense and interesting as it stands on a southerly kink in the chain, so the views are often of the spanish side of the neighbouring frontier peaks. The walk is scenic and the terrain varied with some lovely ridge scrambling.

I climbed from Salau, following the Ravine de Leziou, before crossing Les Clots de Dessus and gaining the Crete du Laquet which was followed to the French summit (2888m) in about 3 hrs 45 mins. A scramble across the 150 deep notch put me on the Spanish summit (2888m) and lunch before more scrambling took me to the Point Geodesic (2848m). A steep descent to the Col de Servi completed the horseshoe and little before Pic de Moustiry I scrambled down to the scree slopes which descended steeply to Les Clots de Dessus once more. Amazingly I saw one other person, the restauranteur from Col de Latrape with his dog which managed to follow him just - here he is on the French summit viewed from the Spanish summit.