Sue and Martin's Big Adventure
Day 50 - Monday 13 September 2004 - Stage 41
Postcard Summary
Convivial
Refuge to Batere Mines
Lovely scramble up Canigou (2784m) before
a 4 hour contouring path – 10.2 hours, 25 km, 1400m ascent
A memorable ascent of Pic du Canigou,
with a lovely clear sky until the afternoon.
From the summit, a sea of white clouds to the East, and views back to
Pic Carlit to the West. Towns with red
roofs a long way below. A lovely balcony
path right round a valley in the afternoon, and another convivial evening in a
gite with an English speaking French couple.
Diary Entry (by Sue)
An ascent of Pic
du Canigou. All five of us were up soon after 7 am, all destined for Canigou.
After the mists of yesterday, it was with relief that we looked out, over
breakfast of brown bread and jam, onto a clear sky. The Catalan couple were
away first, shortly before us at 8.10 am, and Daniel soon after.
Today's walk is one of the longer days in
this section at an estimated 9¼ hours' walking, with 1400 metres of ascent. The
mountain is the Catalan sacred mountain, and the path is well trodden.
We started past a foresters'
hut, with the sun about to rise (see top picture.)
Initially through pine woods in a steep
sided valley it was cool and we were both feeling fit and energetic. Martin
even remarked that his rucksack felt like a day sack!
Streams were crossed before we made a
turn to ascend above the trees and into the sun. As we climbed higher, views of
other mountains widened. It was the perfect day - even a cool breeze to avoid
sweating too much on the climb. After two hours, mountain mix at Cabane Arago,
a small stone cabin smelling of wood smoke and suitable for three.
Lots of zigzags on the path higher up,
keeping the climb fairly gentle. There were now quite a few people on the path
behind us. Just before the summit, an excellent section of scrambling up the 'Brèche
Durier' a rock staircase, the route indicated by yellow flashes on the rock.
Looking back, below the 'Brèche Durier' scramble
The summit of Pic du Canigou (2784
metres) suddenly arrives, and the wide views have a big impact after the
enclosed staircase. There is a huge metal cross draped with the striped Catalan
flag (red and yellow) and an orientation table, with colourful top. There is a
Scots couple to chat to, and photos to be taken on this, our last main
obstacle.
To the west, Pic Carlit is clearly
visible and the route from there can be seen, including yesterday's misty
plateaus.
To the east, a sea of small white clouds,
obscuring any view we might have of the sea.
The route down is well graded zigzags and
some rock steps, and we're soon at the Refuge Cortalets, where we see the
Catalan couple and buy some cokes. This is the base from which most people climb
Canigou, and it sleeps 85 people. Below the refuge on a grassy plateau, it's
lunch time and the last of our bread, pâté and fish. We regret sitting in the
sun, as this spot is sheltered from the wind and really hot! However, during
some dirt road walking, cloud starts to float around and becomes thicker during
the afternoon.
The majority of the afternoon is spent
walking along the 'Balcon du Canigou'. This level path goes right around the
valley, over some streams at its head, for some miles.
Towards the end, it descends to a
forestry cabin in the woods, then climbs a further 250 metres to a col - this
was hard work.
The atmosphere thickened to the extent
that beyond the immediate woodland, everything was swamped by a grey blanket,
seen just beyond the trees in the above picture
Mist consumed us on the col and for the
remainder of the way to the gîte at Mines de Batère (an iron mining area until
the 1980s), where we arrived at 6.20 pm. Despite its harsh looks, this was a
good stay. A hot shower, then we adjourn to the restaurant next door,
where we eat with Vincent and Ann, the only others at the gîte. Having lived in
Reading
As it is the gîte lady's day off
tomorrow, we take breakfast next door when we head for bed - 9.30 pm, for a
well-deserved long night's sleep.
Stats
and route (Viewranger):
28
km, 1700 metres ascent, 10.2 hours
1 comment:
That scramble up to Canigou was one of the highllights of the trip. I saw not a soul until I popped my head over the top and there were about thirty people on the summit. I stayed at the Cortalet auberge and had some entertainment - I don't like blood sports, but no harm was done - from my journal:
.
"I sat outside at the tables and had an omelette and drinks and watched the busy world go by. There was a highlight when the guardian’s dog, a decent sized Doberman, attacked a client’s toy mini terrier quite viciously which all caused quite a stir."
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