Ski tour Tuc des Hemmes

A quickly hatched plan to make the most of the meagre snow cover. Head for the Val d'Aran (Spain) and snatch Pic de Port Viehla, a peak I'd skied in 2004 with Paul Hadfield. It's a couple of hours or more in the car, so Paula and Andy decided to travel the day before, stay in a hotel and get up at a reasonable time. When they got there I got a worried call about the lack of snow!

I decided it would probably be OK so joined them early the following morning. -5 degrees in the valley and we set off through the forest on an icy hard frozen (but snowy) track.

Eventually we left the forest behind and made it onto the mountainside. the snow was variable - sometimes powdery, often hard and sometimes with a breakable crust. I hoped it would improve. When Paul and I did the peak we climbed on the other side of the river too early and ended up on some sketchy terrain. This time we attempted to follow the classic route but still missed the lake. As the snow cover was very poor on the side of the valley leading to our objective we looked for another.

To our left was the rock pyramid of Tuc des Hemmes and on it's right was a steep snow slope that looked inviting! Constantly in shade we hoped the snow would be still powdery.

Tuc des Hemmes - the obvious rock pyramid

Our new objective the ramp leading up to the col on the right of the Tuc

Looking back to the Port de Viehla and the Peak which takes it's name on the right

Lunch spot

After lunch Paula and I skinned up the slope which was steeper than it first looked - but the snow had stayed fluffy and the ski down was magnificent!

The descent was a very mixed bag, nice from our lunch spot but getting progressively worse as we descended. Old tracks were frozen hard, snow in the sun had breakable crust but pockets of powder could be found. Lower down the snow was just too thin.....rocks and bushes to try and avoid.

A day of mixed snow, but worth the effort.

Cap de Bouirex (ski tour)

With the first day when the temperatures would creep above zero for a couple of weeks, and a clearing of the fog and clouds, Andy and I decided to head out for another little ski tour. Cap de Bouirex is close by, not a long day and always a good bet when we're still finding our ski legs. It was also a good opportunity to try out my ebay purchase of a marmot goretex expedition suit! From the styling probably late eighties but unused and only £50. With some sewing its become a pair of salopettes!

A chilly start and the snow had a hard frozen crust overlaying the fluff below - not the best conditions for the ski down. In the shade of the woods the snow was still soft and deep enough to cover the fallen branches.

Out of the trees the snow was worse with a tough but breakable crust, then on the ridge icy frozen sastrugi from the driving winds that had deposited it.

We headed up to the summit cone which we have skied down many times before, but in todays conditions we didn't fancy it, so we had lunch below the rocks before skiing down.

Challenging even skiing in a straight line until we reached the transmitter. There the snow had start transforming a little and we skied down the open slope until diving into the trees which delivered enjoyable skiing all the way to the car.

 

Cheeky ski tour - Tuc de la Coume

With the continuing very cold and snowy conditions (sub zero for at least a week) and Susie's Wednesday afternoon dance classes, it was a chance to drop her off at Oust, do a quick tour, then pick her up on the way back. Andy was up for it, so off we went to Tuc de la Coume. The approach piste from Cominac was very snowy but the Vitara in 4 wheel drive with snow tyres made it to the the parking just short of the Col de la Vieille Mort. 

We climbed through the forest and emerged into the usual glorious view.

The summit looked clear, a few ancient ski tracks and a recent snowshoe ascent. The snow was good low down and a bit hardened by the driving winds higher up, with accumulations on the leeward side of the ridge. As we climbed the freezing clouds began to climb with us. About 50m from the summit I realised we would soon be engulfed and signalled to Andy it was time to descend.

Too late. the cloud engulfed us and our descent was destroyed. The visibility was about 10m at most and we descended cautiously a few turns at a time so that we didn't loose each other. Miraculously we found the exit of the path of ascent from the forest. The usual descent via fields and barns in this visibility seemed far too risky to find, so we opted to descend by out path of ascent. 

The snow was rapidly forming a frozen crust and the descent was scrappy and unpleasant until we reached the good piste that returned to the car. We'd made good progress despite the conditions and were only 10 mins late to pick Susie up. A tad over 2 hours for the round trip.

 

Snow at last

Some snow at Quélébu over the last few days, allowing me to finish the latest weaving project in between architectural projects.

    Scarf off the loom

....and skiing at last! After dropping Susie off to lead her dance class, a did a quick ski tour at Guzet which opens on Friday (up Picou and down l'Arrech) . 50cms of slightly heavy but very skiable fresh snow. Nice to be back on the skis. Though only 1h30 of effort, no knee problems.

 

Sommet de Peyre Blanque et pointes 2176m, 2224m et 2256m

Susie had a girlfriend over today so I headed into the hills. the original plan had been to climb Pic de Crabère (2095m) but the piste de Mont Ner was closed at the Lac Bethmale, so I returned to the Col de la Core and followed my nose. I set off towards the Etang d'Eychelle then at Gazech took the path to the right heading for the col d'Auèdole. I left the path and climbed to cross the south ridge of Tuc de la Seube through bilberries and hard patchy snow. There's supposed to be a path but if there was, it was barely discernible. 10m of fronting was necessary to cross the banked snow on the ridge, then more bilberry bashing until finally I picked up the path heading to the Col des Pans. Crampons on continuously after this as I followed the ridge over the tops listed in the post title on hard névé. Signs that someone else had done the same in the opposite direction with a dog, but in warmer conditions with soft snow (clear boot prints). I didn't leave the car until after 11 and it was a little after 2 so time for turn around. A few years ago I did the entire horseshoe.

Looking from the Sommet de Peyre Blanque towards the next couple of summits

Etang d'Ayes thinly frozen

Etang d'Eychelle also frozen

Little cornices on the ridge

Two walkers with big packs heading for the Col de la Crouzette. In these spring like conditions hut to hut treks don't need skis. 

I also noted a second hut built next to the cabane d'Eychelle - probably a bergerie.

After a quick lunch a descent by the same route until a gradual descent through more bilberries to reach the Col d'Auèdole and then the lower traversing path to regain GR10 to the Col de la Core. 

A grand day of 5hrs and about 1200m of ascent. Feeling stronger, though pain and swelling on the bone under my left knee hints at arthritis - will have to get it checked out at the GP.

 

Post COVID activities

It's taken a long time to recover from COVID. No great illness just generally tired, with lingering aches and pains. 

The specialist yarns I ordered from the UK last November were lost by Royal Mail. A second set were dispatched to Jasper but they didn't arrive in time for Susie to bring them back to France with her. Jasper posted them and Royal Mail have lost them again. even though they were tracked delivery (they never made it beyond the Post Office). So now we have to wait 4 weeks before we can get compensation will only cover half the cost. Very frustrating, I think I will only use DPD or DHL from now on.

So a weave on the loom using the threads I have here left over from other projects. An iridescent voile on 12 shafts. It'll probably be a scarf. 

A short walk in the mountains (very free of snow at the moment with little precipitation and warm temperatures) to start stretching our legs and regain some fitness. A wander from the east spur of Tuc de Mensongère to the Col de la Serre du Cot (1546m), then along the ridge towards Pic de Soubirou but stopping a little short at just over 2000m.

A grand deficit of snow

A chasseur and his dogs on Col de Serre du Cot with the Port d'Aula in the far distance

Christmas

This year's Christmas patisserie project is a raspberry and chocolate entremet with layers of genoise sponge, chocolate mousse, raspberry compote and chocolate.

For main course we have some local red deer venison marinated with juniper berries and extremely slow cooked at 100°c.

A short trip to Lisbon

It's been a very long time since Susie and I have had sometime away from Quélébu together and as Sheri needed to go to Lisbon on a fact finding mission before she leads a Linblad cruise there, we decided to make a trip of it with her and Michiel.

Despite the stormy weather when we were there, we found it a very interesting city and ideal for a weekend break. 

Unfortunately despite wearing a facemask on public transport links, at the airport and on the flight, I managed to get COVID. I felt pretty ill on the Monday and after a bout of uncontrollable shivering on disembarking from the aircraft at Toulouse, I took a test which confirmed all.

At the botanical gardens after a massage at The Vintage Hotel

At the tile museum

 

Porto-born French engineer Raul Mesnier de Ponsard designed this tower. He was a student of Gustave Eiffel to whom the tower is often wrongly attributed.

Cherry schnapps (called Ginjinha in Lisbon) in dark chocolate cups 

 

A trip to Belém with a monument to the Portuguese explorers of the age of discovery

Wild boar

We've had a lot of wildboar damage this year and I even saw a red deer stag above the Quélébu a few weeks ago. I shot a wildboar on Joubac last weekend but in general we haven't had much luck this year finding them. Today I was on a walk with Susie and I stumbled across a group of three stags (just managing to snap a photo of one of them before they bolted). Then twenty minutes later when we were descending from the summit 15 wildboars paraded in front of us!