The Encantats: 18th February 2012

Climb and ski from a different summit each day

Ski in wild untracked mountains with nice huts and good food

The Encantats Park is a large protected area just over the Spanish border in the Catalan Pyrenees and is well known for its granite rock faces, twisting rivers and a myriad of frozen lakes. The terrain provides an ideal environment for a hut to hut ski tour and this week we will ski one or more 3000m peaks. The huts on this tour are unusual because they are open in February, fully catered and very comfortable. So this is a great way to escape from the February ski crowds!

From the little village of Salardu on the edge of the Encantats we head off to the Restanca, Ventosa, Armitage and the Colomers refuges in a six day circumnavigation of the area. We aim to ski to a summit each day and to ski on untracked snow. We will head for the Montardo (2900m), the Punta Alta (3015m), the Cirque des Colomers and the Saboredo (2833m). There are many other peaks to choose from and each day you and your guide will decide which to go for.
The best thing of all is that this tour is set among staggeringly beautiful terrain and yet you are not likely to come across more than one or two other skiers.

“you could tell that I was enjoying myself by the Cheshire cat grin I had”
- Lynne Badger

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 Salardu in Spain. 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 Refugio de la Restanca
We drive up a series of tracks to the snowline and then set off on the first day of touring to the Restanca refuge. After a lunch stop we leave unwanted gear and ski around the Lac de Mar. There will be plenty of time to acclimatise and practise with avalanche transceivers as well as ski.

DAY 3 - The Montardo and the Refugio Ventosa
We cross eastwards to the Refugio Ventosa but attempt an ascent of the Montardo and its summit at 2833m first. Then there is a long descent to the hut. This is a good 'peak bagging' day and requires good weather and an early start. We spend two nights at the Ventosa refuge..

DAY 4 – Punta Alta - 3015m
We spend two nights at the Ventosa so that we can attempt the the summit of the Punta Alta (3015m) carrying only light day packs. The north facing slopes for the return are great fun to ski. After the climb we ski back to the Ventosa.

DAY 5 – Refuge d’Armitage
We ski over to the Refuge d’Armitage via a series of three climbs and descents. This is a long day out in magnificent scenery through the heart of the Cirque of Colomers. The effort is worth it. This is one of the nicest huts anywhere in the Pyrenees.

DAY 6 - the Saboredo- 2833m
We set off to climb to the summit of the Saboredo before skiing down through the lakes of Saboredo and then over to the Colomers refuge for the last night of the tour.

DAY 7 – to Salardu
From the Colomers refuge we head back to the Pont de Ressec via the Port de Caldes and a final ski back down through pine forests to the road head. We spend the last night of the tour in Salardu.

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.

Pyrenean Mountain Tours
2 Rectory Cottages, Rectory Lane, Wolverton,Hants, RG26 5RS, UK
tel and fax: (0044)(0)1635 297209, web: www.pyrenees.co.uk
(Pyrenean Mountain Tours is a trading name of European Mountain Holidays Ltd.)