Pic de Crabere

With thunderstorms and very heavy rain and hail every afternoon, Sheri, Michiel, Susie and I decided to try and get out and up a mountain in the morning ahead of any storms. Pic de Crabere above the Etang d 'Ayes had yet to be summited by us and seemed a suitably short day out. 

The piste forestière de Mont Ner which gives access from the Etang Bethmale is only open from the 1st of June. This greatly shortens the approach.

One of the cascades feeding the Etang d'Ayes

Looking down on the Etang d'Ayes

It's not a commonly climbed peak and there wasn't much information on the best route of ascent, certainly no paths. From most sides it's very steep grass and bilberry with rock outcrops. The north ridge looked promising so we left the GR10 just before the col and took the path leading to Etang de Bellongue. After a 100m or so we left the path and started a rising traverse looking a for a suitable place to make the North ridge. We climbed too soon and a very steep and slightly slippery slog eventually put us on the summit. Which has surprising good views.

Great views towards Pic de Barlonguère

From the summit the north ridge dropped to a col from where a simple path lead to the Etang de Bellongue. this would have been a very simple ascent!

Etang de Bellongue with Pic de Crabere behind. We climbed straight up the middle of the face.

Reflections in the lakes

By the time we reached the Etang d'Ayes once more the hailstorm started. fortunately it was only 45 minutes or so back to the car which we reached before the thunder started. 8km and about 640m of ascent.