I shall ignore GWM's barb
Today I thought I would show you one of the, in my opinion, classic routes in the central Pyrenees - a circular route from the Hospice de France south of Bagnères-de-Luchon to the top of the Pic de Sauvegarde. The route follows one of the routes used be the French Resistance in WW2 and returns on another route. You will have to forgive a discontinuity in the weather but I stitched this together from 2 trips.
The route itself is about 18km, starting at 1385m and topping out at 2738m. There is around 1600m of climbing and it took me about 6 hours. Here is the route on GE, it goes anticlockwise. This first set is from the start to the summit.
Looking down on the official start point, the Hospice de France. This was used as a refuge by escapees prior to their crossing. It fell into disrepair at one point as it is at the head of a fairly remote valley but now there is a road up and it has been opened as a restaurant. The car park is a bit further downhill out of shot to the left.
The path starts climbing almost straight away and does not stop for about an hour and a half. It heads determinedly up the side of the valley towards a cliff
then just as you wonder if you are going to have to climb, it crosses by a waterfall
then climbs out via the side of the valley to pop out in a hanging valley
dominated by this lump, Pic de la Mine (2708m).
There is a path heading out that way now used by climbers and skiers but it was originally used by the Romans to get to their mines (hence Pic de la Mine I suppose)
The main path continues to climb to come out at the Refuge de Venasque where the weary traveller can purchase a drink or snack. Everything was to be helicoptered in though so it is not cheap. The first time I arrived there was a kids trike outside which came as a surprise. Turned out there was a family with small children running the refuge.
The refuge is surrounded by a set of very pretty lakes - the Boums du Port. The lump across this particular lake is the Pic de Sauvegarde. It looks quite imposing from here.
The problem is how to get there from here. There is a clue in this picture, look for the shaft of light running diagonally down the snowfield. That is the way out.
A path leads round the lake and then climbs up a scree in a series of zigzags to this man made gap that muleteers blew with gunpowder so they could get through to Spain. This gap was garrisoned during the Franco Spanish war of 1793-95. There is a plaque explaining how the garrison was snowbound one winter before finally being relieved by the folk of Luchon who marched up there with fresh supplies and bands playing. The first time I made the top I nearly threw up with the effort so I don't think I would have been a good bandsman!
The climb to the gap is worth the effort as you pop through into Spain.
Across the valley is the Maladeta massif guarding the highest point in the Pyrenees
The view behind is also good.
Now it is a sharp right and up the ridge for the summit with these two doing some atmospheric pointing
By and large the path is not too bad, there is one point were there is a big sloping slab with a cable sling across the top edge to stop you sliding off. I do not have picture of it as I was hanging on with both hands.
And finally the summit.
My next instalment will be the view from the top, if anyone wants to see it?