Mine de Mail de Bulard from Luentein

After a couple of cloudy days better weather tempted us into the mountains again, this time to visit the mines below Mail de Bulard, nicknamed the maneater.

An exceptionally rich seam of silver bearing zinc and lead was discovered at the top of Mail de Bulard in 1868.

Nine workers were employed to build the barracks with dormortories and canteen, with the necessary materials being transported by donkey from the valley. A forge was also built on site. A further twenty-two workers constructed the 600 m of access way across the face to reach the coveted seam in the middle of the wall. A single wire acted as a handrail and each year, more than 150 miners worked the mine. Mining began in 1901. The shifts were 10 hours long with two days off a fortnight and mining was only possible from April until October.

Miraculously, only 3 people fell from the mountain including the blacksmith, but those wounded in the galleries, accidents from blasting, etc were not recorded. The extraction was done on six levels between 2500m and 2700m and the ore, first evacuated by the "Decauville" system (rails and trolleys) ended up being transported by cables and skips to Bocard d'Eylie far below at 900m. Between 1901 and 1919 more than 60,000 tons of mountain were removed. to work in the mine de Bulard, the most famous in all the Pyrenees was the best paid but also the most dangerous. Lead poisoning killed many. In August 1919, the man-eater was closed.

We started from above Luentein and after traversing through old beech forest a long series of zigzags got us above the tree line.

Looking down on the zigzags

We continued to climb more gradually and on making the Cap d'Espallau we finally emerged from the clouds.

Valier and satellites behind La Montagnette and Pic de Cornave

The climb to come with Mail de Bulard dominating the green crete de Mont Ner

A path at a comfortable gradient made pleasant work of the Crete de Mont Ner and eventually we joined the route of the cableway from the mine to Eylie, with abandoned and toppled pylons. More zig zags before traversing left into the cirque that contains some persistent snow and the mine.

Eylie far below with Pic de l'Har ane Pic de la Calabasse in the distance

The cirque with the mine

The face that was mined still festooned with cables

One of the higher mine openings at the far side of the face

After crossing the scree and reaching the old barracks we had our lunch behind the canteen. A couple of cavers had set up camp opposite and we watched them set off across the face and disappear into one of the first mines.

Starry saxifrage

The descent was hot and susie and I both got burned in the sun and wind. A grand day 1120m ascent and 15km.

telephoto shot of two walkers descending the narrow north ridge from the summit