The Six Month Trip Done and Dusted

 

The spectacular road up to Luz-Ardiden skiing

We left Chez Arran and headed west to the Pyrenees south of Lourdes, an area we visited about six years ago for a brief climbing trip. 

One of us (that would be me) made a slight miscalculation as the whole area was snow-bound, it is peak skiing season!!! We made the most of being up amongst the white stuff with some great walks in spectacular scenery.

The plan had been to head into Spain next but the forecast is cold and unsettled into the foreseeable future so we have decided to cut our losses and head back to the UK via the Santander - Portsmouth ferry.

Glorious conditions at Luz-Ardiden

On the plus side we have booked flights to Cyprus for next weekend at a very fair price of £50 each. It is currently around 20C - that will be a nice change. It sounds like Colin might be interested in coming along too - there could be a plan forming.

Costa Brava Cruising

Cliff top walks - Costa Brava

Chez Arran was full over New Year so we had to move out, plus we have already played the game where the place is full of noisy youths celebrating the end of the year into the wee small hours so we were happy to go.

Originally we thought about westwards towards Lourdes but because of the cool and manky weather we decided to head eastwards and over the border to Spain and the Costa Brava. A great call as it turned out, the weather was gorgeous, up to 20C, there was no one about and we got four days climbing on the granite towers of Solius.

Sunset from our tower block

Granite climbing - Solius

We last visited the area an amazing 16 years ago, back in March 2006 and it was certainly good to be back. We stopped on the seventh (top) floor of a tower block, which meant great views and complete peace in our island in the sky. After eleven lovely days we headed back to Chez Arran and back to typical mountain weather, cold, grey and damp.

 

Back to the Ariege - sixteen months on

Roquefixade Castle - one of the nicer days

Three and a bit months after leaving the UK we rolled back into the Pyrenees, almost a year and a half since we last passed through on our way to Croatia. It is always good to be back as it is great area with loads to do and usually - except in the skiing season - really quiet. The two surviving cats (Tiger and Zen) we pleased to see us - or at least the lady who controls 'the white box' and were happy to be inside during the unseasonably weather that greeted us.

Snow plodding at Col du Puymorens

Sun Rock at Genat

We have arrived in a cold and unsettles spell as happens in the mountains, with occasional frosts interspersed with rainy spells - usually at night, which is leaving the crags a bit damp and manky. I am four routes short of 500 for the year, it would be nice to tick those last few before the year is out! 

New Year is approaching soon - we need to find somewhere to go that won't be full of noisy revellers - I actually slept in the car one year!

Back in the Groove

Our house - back left - catching a bit of sun

 Colin had almost four weeks climbing with us, we got a heap of stuff done despite some mixed weather, but soon enough his time was up and we packed him off north with a car load of food and a following wind.

We spent a few more days at Avrieux getting use to the peace and quiet (did I mention Colin had a horrendous hacking, every few minutes for the whole of his month-long stay) and doing a few routes to keep ticking over. 

Then we move around to the opposite side of the Ecrins to Venosc in the deep-incised valley running up to La Berarde. It is a stunning part of the world, amongst the high peaks but the valley doesn't get much sun in the winter and the climbing turned out to be a bit random. We enjoyed our stay there but were happy to move on again to the Vercors. 

St Christophe

The next stop was in the hills above Grenoble, a nice pad and some pleasant routes on a clutch of minor crags, then it was on to Buis-les-Baronnies in Provence. It is a few years since we have been here (and c40 since my first visit). It was 5C warmer down in the lowlands and the climbing in the area is great, I think we may be here for a while.

Cruising with Mr Blow

Autumn in the Briançonaise - gorgeous

 Colin duly arrive after a 15 hour epic drive from the Channel, though heavy rain most of the way, finally grounding his car by dropping it off a hidden a kerb in Briançon, a couple of miles from the pad. We went out to find him, the recovery truck was already in the act of lifting the car back onto the road - and relieving Colin of €150! 

Ailefroide granite

It rained for the first couple of days - how inevitable is that - we managed to squeeze in a damp trip up the Via Ferrata at the Rocher de Bez? 

Then things perked up nicely and we have since climbed on a whole variety of crags, in great conditions with very few people about. 

Just one week to go and the peace and quiet will descend again and we will have to make plans.

Back to Brianç0n

Mont Blanc from 60 miles away

After two weeks in Austria we crossed into Italy (via the Stevio Pass - that's another story) for a few days on the granite of Mello, then over the border again to the Maurienne Valley in France for a couple of weeks. It is an area we like a lot, quite high, so cool, some decent climbing and always so quiet.

The Maurienne, nice round here

There is lots going on in the area with road closures and works associated with the 58km tunnel under the area which is going to link Lyon and Turin in about 10 years - they have only been on with it since 2002!

Then it was time to head over the Galibier Pass - great views - and down to Briançon, another area we really like. Colin is coming out from the UK next week so climbing will be done - 50+ years since we first climbed together at Brimham rocks.

Austria almost Autumn

Climbing at Oberried - nice

 The drive from Rotterdam to Austria was as unpleasant as expected with horrendous traffic and pouring rain, but we made it after two days on the road. Ten days in and it has been as pleasant as we were hoping. We are stopping in the small hamlet of Burgstein on a jutting shoulder above the main Öetztal valley. The place is a busy working farm with lots of cattle (and kids) so a bit smelly and occasionally noisy but otherwise very pleasant.

Most places are still very warm but up at 4,500' the days have been warm (low/mid 20s) and the nights have been superbly cool at 10/12C - perfect sleeping conditions. Everywhere is still very busy - hopefully the start of September will see a change as Europeans push off back to work

We have climbed, hiked, explored and chilled - all in all, a great start to our extended trip. Another week here then onwards towards France and the autumn.