Mutton

First job is to saw each carcase in half

Today I picked up the two sheep from the abattoir. About 26kgs for each carcase. I ended up butchering them both. Was pleased that the end result was pretty neat and that it only took me about 45 mins for each half.

Aujourd'hui j'ai ramené la viande de l'abattoir. 26kgs chaque carcasse. J'ai fais toutes la découpage. C'est propre en fin et ca prend seulement 45 mins par demi-carcasse.

One half jointed up

Bagged and ready for the freezer

In the evening I installed my new stove. I have to wait for the fire cement to go off before lighting it.

Le soir j'ai installé le poêle. J'ai du attendre le ciment à secher.

Shrooms

On Sunday I took two sheep to the abattoir (Leia and Ziggy) very sad..it's a horrible place - I think I'd rather do it myself here, they looked so out of place in some concrete floored industrial building. I collect the meat tomorrow. Appetite dampens the sorrow.

It's a lovely time of year here. The leaves are turning and there are mushrooms everywhere. Each day the selection changes and a short walk gives you all you need.

I also made this year's pickle a few days ago. I'm not very scientific about my pickle, all the odds and ends of veg plus sugar, vinegar and a loads of spices go in the pot. This year's (on the right) is lighter in colour than last year's (on the left), probably because there are more carrots in it. It's a bit more piquante too (chillis).

La dimanche j'ai amené deux brebis à l'abattoir, triste...il est un place terrible - je pensais que je prèfer à les tuer sur place prochain fois, elle semblent déplacé la. Je vais ramasser la viande mercredi. Mon appétit diminue le chagrin.

C'est la plus beaux temp. Les feuilles tournent et il ya les champignons partout. Chaque jour une mélange different et un court promène me livrer assez.

Il y a quelques jours, j'ai fait ma "pickle". Toutes les legumes, sucre, vinaigre et les espices vont au pot. Le pickle 2009 est plus fonce que le pickle 2010 (il y a plus des carottes dedans cette année). Il sera plus piquante aussi avec des cayennes.

Membrillo

John gave me some quinces from his garden so I decided to make some Membrillo - the Spanish name for quince paste, quince cheese, or quince jelly. This particular recipe is quite sweet (some recipes have a bit more acidity). The membrillo is firm and cuts into slices for storing indefinitely in the fridge. The Spanish enjoy it with some Manchego cheese and a glass of sherry.

John m'a donné des coings de ton jardin, alors j'ai décidé de faire la Membrillo - le mot Espagnol de fromage de coing, ou pâte de coing. Cette recette est doux (quelques autres sont plus acides). La membrillo est solide et on peut couper les tranches à garder au frigo. Les Espagnoles aiment à manger avec le manchego (fromage) et une verre de sherry.

Another wander

With fantastic weather again today I decided another walk in the mountains was called for. I headed up from Col de Pause towards the Port d'Aula then struck left for Tuc de Bignau (2395m) a favourite ski touring peak.

Tuc de Berbégue

Vultures hanging out

Fires beyond Lane Formente

From here I followed the frontier ridge over Tuc de Berbégue (2477m), Cap de Hoque Prégonne (2481m), Pic de Montagnole (2454m) then after a sharp descent to the Portanech d'Aurenere (2331m) I re-visisted Pic de Montaud (2496m).

The crest from the Cuns d'Aula to Valier behind the

refuge forestiere

d'Areau which is being refurbished

I returned via the Portanech d'Aurenere and the Col de Courbe.

Avec le beau temps encore, j'ai décidé de faire une autre randonée aux montagnes. Du Col du Pause je suis monté vers le Port d'Aula mais tourné à guache afin atteindre Tuc de Bignau (mon sommet de ski rando).

Dela j'ai suivi la crête en traverse de Tuc de Berbégue (2477m), Cap de Hoque Prégonne (2481m), Pic de Montagnole (2454m) et après une déscente court et raide à Portanech d'Aurenere (2331m) j'ai visité encore le Pic de Montaud (2496m).

J'ai rentré par le Portanech d'Aurenere et le Col de Courbe

Carrot harvest

A beautiful hot day today - 30 degrees in the sun and hardly a cloud in the sky. I took advantage of the good weather and harvested the carrots before the moles/voles ate them all. About 40lbs (18kgs) in total. This year I've stored them dry in sand.
In the afternoon I moved the telephone line which used to enter the house in the middle of the front wall. Here it got hit by the snow sliding off the roof and was right across my view. Now it enters on the corner of the house with the electric supply. Moved the telephone socket inside the house while I was at it.

Une belle journée aujourd'hui - 30 au soliel et presque une nuage. j'ai profité du beau temps et recolté les carrotes avant le rat les mange! 18 kilos et cette année je vais garder au sable.

À l'après midi j'ai bougé la ligne téléphonique. Avant elle entrait la maison au milieu de la façade. La neige qui glissait sur la toit chaque hiver, charger la ligne et aussi la ligne traversait ma vue des montagnes. Maintenant elle entre dans le coin de la maison avec la fil de l'élécticité.

Field 8

When I visited "Le Gabach" last week, I asked for permission to extend field 8 into a piece of his land. After a couple of days of chainsawing, brushcutting and fencing, the upper terrace has now been cleared for the full width of the lower terraces. Still a lot of work to do before the new part will be pasture but the field is now more usable and much lighter. I can also see Coumarba and Picarets for the first time from the field.

Quand j'ai visité Le Gabach semaine dernier, Je l'ai demandé le permis d'agrandir pré no. 8 dans sa parcelle. Après quelques jours de tronconnée, débrouseillée et clôturage, la terrace en haut est dégagé. Beaucoup de travail encore avant il sera prairie, mais le pré no.8 est déja plus utilisable. De plus on peut voir Coumarba et les Picarets pour la premiere fois.

Pic de Trémul, Cap de Pouech and Valieret

Route follows the skyline from right (pic de Trémul) to left, traversing

the

snow

apron beneath Mont Valier to climb the peak to its left Valieret

Two days in the mountains. The first day I set off from Pla Lalau climbing up through the woods towards the Cascade de Muscadet. When the path leaves the stream to head left towards the Cabane d'Aouen I crossed the stream to find the path that climbs steeply through the pine forest of Le Nères.

The stiff climb out the forest to reach the open slopes beneath the

pyramid of Pic de Trémul 2350m (on the skyline left of centre)

At 1800m the forest peters out and so does the path. There remains another 550m of ascent to reach the Porte de Trémul and it's a slog. A little over halfway I passed the Cabane de Trémul which was open and very well equipped with mattresses, blankets, firewood and a gas stove.

Cabane de Tremuls (ONF) open and well equipped

The Porte is a miniature "Breche de Roland" on the left side of the peak. I started scrambling from the directly out of the notch but the huge granite blocks and flakes are very loose and unstable. So after 15m or so I decided it was safer to gain the peak after passing through the Porte.

The trackless slog up to the Port de Trémul (the notch on the skyline)

From the summit I kept on the crest of the ridge for some very enjoyable scrambling and occasionally climbing high above the Riberot valley.

First part of the ridge after Pic de Trémul

The last gendarme - Cap de Pouech is very exposed and the most difficult part of the ridge. The wind was getting up by this time and I was glad for the easy terrain beyond.

The last two gendarmes on the ridge with Mont Valier beyond

Last and most exposed gendarme - Cap de Pouech 2489m

I continued on the same line until reached the North face of Mont Valier, disturbing some Ptarmigans on the way. A long traverse under the North face on fairly unstable scree and snow, then following the edge of the last terminal moraine placed me at the scree slope descended from the col between Valieret and the last part of the Crete des Antiques. Several rocks fell down the North face as I crossed and though they were some distance from me I decided to return by a lower route.

Two well camouflaged Ptarmigan

The crazy gendarme below Mont Valieret

The scree slope gains easy access to the ridge which is followed a short distance to the summit of Valieret, amazing views along the vertiginous ridge in both directions, but the Glacier d'Arcouzan as always is partially hidden from view.

Milouga from Valieret 2654m

Crete des Antiques above Valieret

I returned to the Col de Pecouch then descended to the Refuge Estagnous where I'd arranged to rendezvous with Sandrine, Hannah and Eric. The hut was full (60-70 people) but as always Stephan served up an amazing meal.

In the morning we returned via Milouga, Cap des Lauses and then my route of ascent at Muscadet.

The refuge Estagnous, Etang Rond and Etang Long

Cominac

The fields below Pentussa (Cominac)

The last few days have been balmy and warm and I've been busy making fence posts, fencing fields, logging more fallen trees (in the beech forest) and clearing the path through the forest between Gouteto and Courex.

Today I walked over to Cominac to see two local farmers - La Panchard and Le Gabach. The latter had a hay-tedder for sale and after seeing it I was invited for lunch. In the afternoon the clouds descended and the temperature dropped, so I headed for home.

Chateau Mirabat with Mont Valier towering behind from Icart (Cominac)

Here's the Tengboche/Ama Dablam version, which is how it looks to me!

Tonight I'm blanching some of the sweetcorn harvest prior to freezing.

Boeuf

Today was the "Boeuf" in Massat. An annual day of celebration when an ox is spit roasted in the park and all the inhabitants of the Canton are invited to partake. There are usually 500-600 people and everyone is amply feed. It was unusually cold this year but I met up with Justin and Emily, the twins, Alun and Breezy, and a host of other people for a fine afternoon.

Enough for everyone

...even the dogs

Aujourd'hui etait "La Boeuf" à Massat. Un jour chaque l'année quand il y a un Beouf mechouie dans le parc de Massat gratuite pour toutes les inhabitents du canton. Il y a d'habitude 500-600 persons. Il fait froid c'est année mais j'ai rencontré Justin, Emily, les jumelles, Alun, Breezy et quelques autres pour un bon fête.

Snow

A short spell of wet and colder weather has crossed the Pyrenees over the last couple of days. Cool enough for me to light the Rayburn for the first time and to bring a couple of inches of snow to mountains above 2000m. Hopefully, I'll post a photo if the clouds clear.

Un court period de temps humid et plus froid a été traverser les Pyrénées ces derniers jours. Sufficement froid pour moi a allumé le Rayburn pour le premier fois et pour quelques centimeters de la neige au dessus 2000m.

Pointing

A busy few days taking the woodburning stove and flue out of my house and installing in the house at Pont de la Taule. I have a smaller woodburner with a smaller diameter flue arriving soon. With the Rayburn and the thatched roof I just don't need such a big stove anymore.

I have also completed pointing the front wall of the house - hopefully that will keep the wasps out and stop the wind blowing through it! Still a bit of the gable-end to finish pointing but as it's South facing it's less important.

Très occupé les dernier jours j'ai sorti la poele et tuyau de chez moi et emporter à la maison à Pont de la Taule. J'ai acheté une poele plus petite avec un tuyau plus petit aussi, ils arrivent bientôt. Avec le Rayburn et le toit en chaume je n'ai plus besoin une poele grande comme celui-ci.

J'ai fini les joints de la fa&ccedil'ade de la maison - j'espere que il soit empecher les geps d'entrer et le vent de souffler dedans! Encore un peu plus de faire.

Acute Mastitis

It's been a lovely day but there's a feel of impending autumn with the first leaves starting to fall and the trees heavy with apples and nuts. Some scything in the morning and then clearing out Larcher's barn where I'll probably put the sheep for some of the winter. La Panchard's cows have finally arrived and are in the woods for the time being.

In the early afternoon Alain and Guillaume drove by (this weekend is the start of the hunting season). I joined them below Pinsou at the Pouts Redoun but we saw nothing. On the way back Patrick, Michelle and Susan invited me for coffee and we spent the rest of the evening chatting.

Leia (the ewe who had the abscess on her mammary gland) now has further ones forming - she's almost certainly got acute mastitis. The outlook isn't good and she needs to be culled, but so too does Jean-Jeanie (who had such terrible trouble with trying to lamb) and at least one of the castrated male lambs (Luke or Damien). Seems I'll have less sheep but more hay and meat than I expected this winter. Leia was a good mother, it's such a shame she has developed complications.

Shrooms

After a hot bath and a good long sleep I am at last feeling better today.

After a bit of farmwork, a short wander in the woods gave a good haul of mushrooms - Hedgehog of the Woods, Chanterelle, Cep, Orange Birch Bolette, Shaggy Parasol, Giant Parasol and a Gypsy Mushroom. With a handful of dried Horn of Plenty from last year a mega wild mushroom risotto is in the offing.

Après un bain chaud et un nuit pendant que j'ai bien dormi, je sent mieux enfin.

Après un peu de travail au ferme, un court promenade au bois me donne quelques champignons. Ce soir un risotto.

Port de Salau to Pic des Mulats

Pic de Géu (right) and Mont Rouch (left in the far distance)

This was the planned route for today. There are only a few peaks and sections of the skyline here which remain unclimbed by me and the frontier ridge after Pic de Géu towards Mont Rouch has been long overdue for a visit.

Ben and I left at a reasonable hour this morning but in separate cars as Ben was heading home after the walk. Somehow we got our wires crossed: I thought he was going to wait at Kercabanac where I'd pick him up and we'd continue in my car. In fact he stopped at Castet d'Aleu. I drove past without seeing him or him seeing me, and when I got to Kercabanac and he wasn't there I assumed he'd headed on to Salau and the start of the walk. Of course he wasn't there and after much to-ing and fro-ing and driving around trying to find each other we eventually met up but started the walk later than we had planned from Alun and Breezy's place.

We made the Port de Salau 2087m in a little under 2 hours for the 1100m of ascent but I felt very hot in the sun and unusually weak. As we progressed along the narrow grassy ridge over the succession of peaks to Pic de Géu 2499m (this section I had done before) I began to feel weaker still and decidedly ill. We pressed on but I was getting slower and by Tuc de Bassibie 2524m I was feeling weak and pretty sure I was going to vomit imminently.

View from the ridge to Alos d'Isil in spain and the Encantados beyond

There remained only two more peaks and the best (narrowist) part of the ridge to do. Although Ben offered to descend with me I could see he was itching to continue. This was the second mountain trip in a row I'd had to "bail out of" so after a quick discussion we agreed that I'd descend and Ben would continue to finish the ridge.

I didn't want to return the same way (that would've been the 4th time on this ridge!) but quickly found a short down climb to the north and picked a very steep and sometimes precarious route down through the cliffs to the coombe of Lauzeron. I headed for a little cabin marked as ruined on the map but in fact in excellent condition.High on the mountain a slip on some damp gispet (a notoriously slippery grass) nearly spelled disaster but I managed to stop the slide snapping my walking pole in the process.
From the cabin I found a path down through the woods and emerged at the Cascade de Bégé.
I called in on Alun and Breezy (the agreed rendezvous with Ben) looking at their latest progress with the renovation of their barn/home and visiting their new tree platform. I still felt pretty nausious and tired. Ben arrived a couple of hours later. He said the last section of ridge was probably the best knife edge he'd ever climbed - better than the stuff he's done in the Pennine Alps and on better rock...Grrr, return visits to the this ridge and Mail de Bulard North ridge are now being booked into the diary.

Looking back from Pic des Mulats over the last section of the ridge

Champagne!

Another lovely day splitting logs in the morning and scything in the afternoon. In the evening Ben came over (mountain walk planned for tomorrow) so we decided to taste the 'just about ready' meadow sweet champagne - it's fantastic! Also I've found out that meadowsweet contains aspirin so the champagne even cures your hangover if you drink too much of it!

Ben brought some produce from his farm (beetroot, chard, runner beans and kohlrabi which I'd never tried before) which we mixed with some of my potaotes, an ox tongue fungus and an orange birch bolette, for a rather odd but home-grown dinner.

Les beaux temps encore, j'ai fendu les bouches le matin et fauché l'apres-midi. Le soir Ben est arrivé (une rando ensemble demain) et nous avons décidé de gouter la champagne de Reine du Pré - c'est formidable! Aussi j'ai découvri que il y a aspirin dans Reine de Pré - alors on peut boire comme vous voulez sans un mal au tête le matin prochain!

Ben a emporté des légumes de sa domaine (béterave, chard, haricots et Kohlrabi) avec mes pommes de terre, quelques champignons (langue de boeuf, bolette du boulou) nous avons fait un repas.

Reptile food

Another hot balmy day with fires on the flanks of Mont Valier.

In the afternoon million of flying ants (and other insects) - the air was thick with them. Easy pickings for the lizards!

Un autre jour, doux à chaud avec des feux sur les flancs du Mont Valier.

Dans l'après-midi il y a des millions de fourmis volantes (et d'autres insectes) - l'air était épais avec eux. une proie facile pour les lézards!

Wood

A very light dusting of snow on the mountains this morning above 2700m, but here it's still late summer/early autumn with the temperature in the sun in the low thirties.

In the morning I set to logging some of the beech trees which fell in the May snows in my bits of forest. the chainsaw is working fine again after a bit of TLC. I have a lot of firewood now...here's the stock take (1 stère = a stack of 1 cubic metre of wood).

Woodshed: 8 stère (acacia oak and lime)
Field 1: 3 stère (ash and walnut) plus some big bits of walnut to be planked
Field 2: 6 stère (walnut, acacia and oak)
Field 3: 1 stère (oak)
Field 4: 2 stère (ash and chestnut)
Field 5: 7 stère (chestnut and a little birch)
Field 6; 2 stère (cherry and oak)
Field 7: 2 stère (birch)
Field 9: 5 stère (birch, oak and ash)

About 36 stère in total a good 6-8 years worth of firewood!

The meadowsweet champagne is starting to develop a slight cloudiness just the like the last batch...I suspect boiling water isn't enough to sterile the bottles properly. Weirdly I kept some of the last batch (which was cloudy and flat) strained and re-bottled it and now it's fizzy! I might filter this batch immediately and re-bottle so it can finish fermenting.

Une sapoudrage très léger de la neige sur les montagnes, ce matin au-dessus 2700m, mais ici c'est encore la fin de l'été / début de l'automne avec la température au soleil de trente dégrées.

Dans la matin, je me mis à l'exploitation forestière certains des hêtres qui est tombé dans la neige du mai dans mes parcelles. La tronçonneuse fonctionne parfaitement après un peu de nettoyage. J'ai beaucoup de bois de chauffage maintenant ... voici le stock.

Woodshed: 8 stère (chêne, acacia et tilleul)

Champ 1: 3 stère (frêne et le noyer) et quelques gros morceaux de noyer à planches

Champ 2: 6 stère (noyer, l'acacia et le chêne)

Domaine 3: 1 stère (chêne)

Zone 4: 2 stère (frêne et châtaignier)

Champ 5: 7 stère (châtaignier et bouleau)

Champ 6, 2 stère (cerisier et chêne)

Zone 7: 2 stère (bouleau)

Zone 9: 5 stère (bouleau, chêne et frêne)

Environ 36 stère au total, assez de 6-8 années!

Le champagne de reine des prés est en train de développer un léger nuageux, juste comme le dernier lot ... Je soupçonne l'eau bouillante ne suffit pas pour steriliser les bouteilles correctement. Bizarrement j'ai gardé quelques-uns des lots dernière (qui était nuageux et plat) et apres épreuve et re-mis en bouteille il est pétillante! Je pourrais filtre ce lot immédiatement et re-bouteille afin qu'il puisse terminer la fermentation.

The end of summer.

After a reminder about my statutory rights, facewest agreed to refund the purchase of the faulty Suunto Lumi...glad to see the back of it. Shame the retailer takes the wrap for Suunto's incompetence.

No sign of La Panchard's cows even though André said he'd put them in fields 4, 5 and 6 and I have kept the "regain" for them (the growth after the first cut of hay that would be the second cut). So I've put the sheep in there instead, much to their delight.
The other fields are all one by one being topped and the next job will be starting to collect the wood which is stacked in them.

Field 1

Field 2

With the summer compressed into the last few weeks the vegetable garden is finally producing - I must have 25kgs of tomatoes and they are still coming. The courgettes are finally doing well, the carrots are big but they're staying in the ground this year until I need them and the sweetcorn will soon be ready.

Après un rappel de mes droits légaux, facewest accepté de rembourser l'achat de la mauvaise Suunto Lumi. Tant-pis que le détaillant souffre pour l'incompétence de Suunto.

Aucun signe des vaches de La Panchard, même si André a dit qu'il avait de les mettre dans les pres 4, 5 et 6 et j'ai gardé la "regain" pour eux . J'ai mis les moutons il y a lieu, à leur grande joie.

Les autres champs sont tous un par un faucher et le prochain travail sera de commencer à recueillir le bois qui est empilé en eux.

Avec l'été compressés dans les dernières semaines le potager est enfin produire - je devais avoir 25kgs de tomates et elles sont encore à venir. Les courgettes sont finalement bien, les carottes sont grands mais ils sont rester dans la terre cette année jusqu'à ce que j'ai besoin d'eux et le maïs sera bientôt prêt.