Cap de Ruhos depuis les mines d'Anglade

Slightly caught out by the cold start on this walk, which was in the shade all day - fortunately I had brought my gloves, but Susie and Sandrine hadn't (I offered them mine but they refused). It's a steep but short walk with the gradient hardly changing at any point during the day.

After a couple of hours we were on the col and in the sun for the first time, but now the wind started!

We pressed on to the gendarme on the ridge, but I lost the path just below it trending right too soon. It was a bit snowy and steep and Susie decided at the gendarme that she would stay there and wait for us to return the summit.

The first part of the ridge to the gendarme

Summit from the gendarme

It was a shame because we instantly recovered the path and although it remained steep the going was easy. On the summit it was blowing strong and very cold - all layers were donned!

ice clouds blowing through the Port de Materat

Vignemale with its glacier about 100 miles away (telephoto)

Sandrine and I didn't linger long on the summit and quickly descended to lunch with Susie in the sun and shelter.

lunch spot

Faces in the cliffs

 A steep descent but over all a fairly short day with 1405m of ascent.