Serre d'Araing (Pic de l'Har)

A few days joining Pauls field at Le Sarrach with the new field via an area of woodland belonging to Minsou. The sheep always escape into the woods to munch a few leaves and as neither of the other fields is really large enough to satisfy the sheep for more than a couple of days the larger enclosure makes a lot of sense. On Monday sheep shearing!

Shelley is sitting on some eggs, she started with 5, but has broken 2 over the last 10 days, so now she has only 3 left.

glorious weather for the past few days but as it was set to change on Friday (which it has) we squeezed in a walk on Thursday. Pic de l'Har 2445m (last climbed by me 13 years ago) was the objective, but as is often the case these days we overslept so didn't start walking until 11.00. It's a steep start through the woods but we made good progress and made the Mines de Bentaillou in a couple of hours.

The edf were there working in some of the tunnels, I guess something to do with the hydro electricity plant at Eylie. After the mines we were in the snow which just warranted putting on our crampons. Slower progress up to the Col at Serre d'Araing 2245m.

The Pic de l'Har is just another 200m higher, but Susie was pooped after 4250ft of ascent and we had to get back for her french lesson. A bearded vulture circling over the peak decided to pay us a visit.

We thought of descending via the Refuge de Sans but eventually returned the same way.

Cirque d'Anglade

It's a while since I visited the Cirque d'Anglade, it s a great spot and barely 20 minutes walk from the parking at the Mines des Anglade. Just a shame there is no easy way out of the Cirque.

A Wheatear

Spring

The wall between Jasper and Ruby's old bedrooms has been taken down to create a bigger single room with windows on both sides and much more space for their visiting boyfriends/girlfriends.

Trois Seigneurs par Goutets

A late start with Sophie, Sheri and Michiel from La Foulie, heading up to the estive at Goutets. From there we were hoping to head up to Trois Seigneurs via Col de Pourtanelle and Cap de Gragnots.

view up valley from above Carol

lunch at Goutets

 Goutets with its preserved stone Orris's (round stone shepherds huts with stone roofs)

Choughs

Cap de Gragnots

Sheri and Susie having a laugh

Sophie from the Col de Pourtanelle

"Prada darling"

Plenty of snow after Cap de Gragnots, but we lacked time and equipment to press onto the summit of Trois Seigneurs which was in the clouds anyway, so stopped half way between the two peaks;

Fields of wild daffodils below the Col

Just before the return to Goutets I spotted a pair of bearded vultures (Gypaete Barbu) high in the cliffs and managed to get a few telephoto shots

Descent through the beech forests

After a week of hard labour the new parcels linking the two fields is finally clear.

Today the south wind heralds stormy weather tomorrow but creates wonderful skies.

After a week or so of recovery from the Pyrenees Contemporary Dance Residential (which went very well indeed), it's back to work. Clearing more land to feed the swelling number of sheep - now 29 after the late arrival of another lamb on Sunday.

Clearing the scrub woodland and coppice between the ampitheatre (left) and the new field we cleared 18 months ago (top right).

Apercu de Spectacle MJC OUST ce samedi 19h

Lambs and Morels

Continuing exploration of some areas I haven't been to for a while for the map which is now nearly ready for the first daft print.

View from the North ridge of Joubac with the Arac far below

4 more lambs including twins for Thelma. Possibly one more to come?

 Thelma and twins

Nanouk and her white and black lamb Pingo

The dance residency starts tomorrow, so glad most of the lambing is safely out of the way. Several lambs this year have been "pasted up" and required a warm soapy wash of their rear end to unblock them, but all seems well. 6 females and 2 males.

After several barren years for morel mushrooms, a nice haul today.