Pic de la Calabasse

Mr Quincy

With the return of good weather and plenty of hay safely in the barn, I've cut the rest of the big field. We'll put the sheep in it in the autumn. Celine our neighbour who is a beekeeper, volunteered to eradicate the asiatic hornets (they kill her bees), which she did very effectively!

It's been too long since we were in the mountains, so today after a not very early start, we set off to Pic de la Calabasse. The ascent from the mines at Rouech to the Peak via the Col de l'herbe Soulette and the north ridge is quite steep and unrelenting and Susie found it a tough slog. We eventually made the summit after 2 1/2 hours but quickly descended to have lunch at the Roche des Gours because the summit had a lot of flies and people.

The ridge is a splendid view point for the peaks from the Neouvielle to Valier

We completed the ridge crossing Pic Paumaude, the twin tops of Tuc des Pans and finally the narrow ridge leading to Tuc de Loubech. From here we descended to the humorously named Col des Quims before descending to the barns at the Pres de Paris - a horrible cattle trail with plenty of juniper bashing. We then gained the descent trail, but there is a lot of forestry work going on at present the track which returns to the mines is a horrific mudbath gauged out by the forestry machines. 6 1/2 hours for the circuit including stops, 9 miles and 4350ft of ascent.

Aneto and the Maladetta

Looking back to Pic Paumaude and Pic de la Calabasse

Vulture

Last peak of the day Tuc de Loubech

A sly old fox spotted on the descent