Pyrenees National Park: 22nd March 2008

Six days through the stunning Pyrenees National Park

Ski on the Vignemale, through the Breche de Roland and Mont Perdu

Great huts, beautiful mountains, no hordes, fewer ski tracks !

A classic route along the Haute Route Pyrenenne (HRP) and justifiably one of our most popular ski tours. Stunning mountains, no tracks, good huts and great skiing with lots of opportunity to peak bag along the way. You ski for six days through remote valleys and climb to the highest peak in the French Pyrenees, the Vignemale (3289m), as well as the mythical Mont Perdu - hidden behind the dramatic Cirque of Gavarnie and accessed through the natural rock doorway on the Spanish border known as the Breche de Roland.

You weave your way West to East, criss-crossing the French - Spanish border at several key points: the Col de la Fache, the Port du Marcadau, the Col des Mulets as well as the Breche de Roland. Many of these crossings have been used as trade routes for centuries but more recently were used as escape routes over the Pyrenees in the Spanish Civil War and World War Two.

“this ski trip certainly beat my previous experiences under the
umbrella of wilderness skiing” - J. Davis

OUTLINE ITINERARY

DAY 1 - Fly to Pau Pyrenees
The best way to get to the Pyrenees is on a Ryanair schedule to Pau. We pick you up from there in our minibus and drive you to the Hotel Templiers in Luz St Sauveur. You collect your hired gear and meet up with your guide in the evening for a drink and a briefing.

DAY 2 - Ski to the Respumoso Refuge below the Balaitous
The first day's touring takes us to the Respumoso refuge in Spain via the Col de la Pierre St Martin, just east of the famous Balaitous mountain.

The Balaitous was first climbed by the military surveyors Peytier and Hossard. However they did not disclose their ascent and the route to the summit remained a secret for 37 years. In fact it was not even known that the mountain had been climbed until the Pyrenean explorer and historian Charles Packe set out on his second attempt to find a route in 1864. When he finally found a way to reach the summit he found that a cairn had been placed there.

DAY 3 - Over the Col de la Fache to France and the Wallon Hut
We cross eastwards to the Wallon hut through the Col de la Fache. It was through this col that many allied pilots escaped Nazi forces during the Second World War, but it was also the col through which Republican forces fled from Franco in the Spanish Civil War. Just after the col is our first opportunity to ski a peak - the Pene d'Aragon, before skiing the 1200 metres or so down to the Wallon hut.

DAY 4 - Cross to the Oulettes hut below the Vignemale
From the Wallon we make tracks up through the Arratille valley to reach the Col d'Arratille and the Spanish border. We cross here, ski down for a few hundred metres and then climb back to France at the Col des Mulets. Then there is a great ski down to the Oulettes refuge below the daunting north face of the Vignemale... the objective of the next day.

DAY 5 - Summit of the Vignemale and Ski to Gavarnie
You leave the Oulettes early and climb first to the Horquette d'Ossue before making a short descent down to the Baysallance hut. From there you cross past Henry Russell's caves before climbing up the long glacier and reaching the summit of the Vignemale at 3283m. From the summit we ski back down the glacier before heading east through canyons and gorges following the snow out to the Barages d'Ossue. A long gentle ski brings us out to the road head where we meet our transport to Gavarnie and a comfortable bed at the Hotel Marbore.

DAY 6 - Ski through the Breche de Roland, back to Spain
We set off to get back to Spain via the Breche de Roland, a huge natural doorway through cliffs on the border and the subject of lots of French folklore and legend (see the photo at the top of this page). After the Breche we ski down to the Goriz Refuge early in the afternoon.

DAY 7 - Cross the Mont Perdu back to France
Day seven is the longest and most challenging on the tour. You leave the hut early and head up steep slopes to the Lago Helado and the Col du Cylindro. A fit group can climb to the summit of the Mont Perdu from here on crampons 400 metres above the col. Most groups though decide instead to cross to the north face of the mountain to get the most out of the ski descent. A great ski is interrupted by a small abseil over steep slopes on a cliff face. You then carry on skiing to the bottom of the Breche de Tuqueroye.

You then have to climb again, but this time on foot for just 150 metres before putting your skis back on to ski down a steep (40 degrees) slope into France and the Cirque of Estaube. This can be a great ski in good conditions.

From Estaube we put the skins back on and climb 400 metres to the Col de Pailha before the final 1200 metres ski on north west facing slopes back to the village of Gavarnie and our transport back to Luz St. Sauveur.

DAY 8 - Fly back to London
You are transferred back to Pau Airport or Lourdes SNCF to connect with transport back home.

Please Note: This itinerary may be altered if conditions, weather forecasts or the overall fitness of the group are judged to put the safety of the group at risk. Pyrenean Mountain Tour Guides reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary without notice. These changes will be explained to the group as and when they occur.

EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING NEEDED FOR THIS TREK
We recommend that people joining this trek are equipped with the following:

Technical equipment
Ski Touring Skis with Touring Bindings
Ski Poles
Skins (with good glue!)
Ski Crampons
Crampons
(please note: you do not need to carry an ice axe on this trip)
Ski Strap (for tying top of the skis together when carrying on rucksack)

Clothing suggestions
Thermal underwear- 1 set as a base layer
Fleece
Waterproof jacket
Waterproof overtrousers
Warm hat
Warm gloves
Warm walking socks
Sun hat or peaked cap
Sunglasses/Goggles

Other useful items
40-60 litre rucksack (needs side straps so that you can carry skis)
Head torch and batteries
Sun block for face and lips
Personal First Aid kit (plasters,compede, paracetamol)
Water bottle or Platypus
Penknife

Optional items
Change of clothing to include: underwear,tracksuit bottoms/ long-johns,dry shirt, spare socks.
Camera and film
Paperback novel
Maps
Ear plugs(there is always one snorer)
Snack bars/dried fruit/chocolate
Sheet sleeping bag (if you like them)

Ski Touring Equipment Hire
Pyrenean Mountain Tours offer a full equipment hire pack. You can hire everything you need for this tour or individual items at the costs shown in the table below. We are unable to provide equipment "last minute" so you need to book what you need well in advance.

Please remember to carry as little gear as possible. A heavy rucksack will make the trip hard work and less fun.