Crête d'Antiques al Mont Valier

Primero de todo hay que situarse. Región de Couserans, detrás del valle de Montgarri se alza una magnífica atalaia de 2838m, el Mont Valier. Sus profundos valles hacen de este coloso uno de los picos que requieren un mayor desnivel para coronar su cima.

Para llegar a sus faldas, tenemos que dirigirnos hacia Castillon-en-Couserans y remontar el Valle de Riberot hasta el parking del Pla de la Lau a 960m. Esto obliga la ascensión a más de 1800m de desnivel. Bien, pues en vez de dirigirnos por el camino normal hacia el Ref. des Estagnous, cogemos el primer desvío a la izquierda para subir al Ref. des Espugues, se trata de un camino de zatas continuas por un magnifico bosque hasta salir a los prados alpinos. Podemos hacer noche en el refugio o si el tiempo lo permite hacer vivac por el Étang de Cruzous, media hora más cerca de la cresta.

Se trata de una cresta de menor dificultad y compromiso que Salenques pero de una belleza y estética apabullantes. Además es un mirador privilegiado de toda la cordillera pirenaica desde el Perdiguero hasta la Pica d'Estats.

Caminar por el bosque, es todo un deleite...

Refugio des Espugues. Una puesta de sol así es solo para los que aman la sencillez de un vivac...

Tramos de cresta aéreos en todo su perfil...

Perfección de formas geométricas...

Y una escaladita siempre le da un toque de emoción...

Y la recompensa de una cima bien conseguida.

Cresta de Salenques al Aneto

Con motivo del engorile veraniego que se avecina en el Piri me ha pillado el "punt" de conmemorar Crestas Clássicas, disfrutadas con el Leix en mi último verano ¿2006? Vaya hace casi dos años que no vivo el verano'?? Bueno al margen de banalidades hemisféricas voy a presentar la clásica entre clásicas:

La Cresta de Salenques: Aquí la tenemos, magnífica perspectiva desde el plan d'Aigualluts.

El itinerario es una maravilla en todos sus aspectos, la primera jornada de aproximación para vivaquear en el Collado de Salenques, unas 5 horas de marcha, es un deleite para los sentidos. El ambientillo en el collado es excepcional, a medida que anochece, la mente entre relajada por el paraje y excitada por el escenario. Una combinación extraña de sensaciones que te sumergen en el sueño hasta tiro de Alba, siempre con medio ojo atento a esas nubes que dejan traslucir la luz lunar.

De camino, bordeando el lago de Barrancs con esa tonalidad glaciar impresionante.

Siestecita en el collado previa al Saco...

Luces matinales sobre el Aneto.

Un poco de escalada a lo montserratclassic, con bota dura y mochilón, en los gendarmes del Margalida...

Un poco de espeleo entre bloques graníticos para darle un toque simpático a la cresta...Y al fin la ansiada cumbre con las nubes de evolución creciendo como setas en una tarde que acabó con granizo...

Holidays in may at "Costa brava" 150000 years ago

No matter if you believe or not this story is confirmed by experts in climatology and tourism developers. "Glaciers are retreating and the model of drinking tourism in mediterranean coast must be changed". So to make the first step in this new policy last weekend (labour party), I decided to meet some friends in the magic mountain of Tibidabo and take a time machine called "car" nowadays. This trip back in time brought us to the era when mediterranean sea was frozen and covered by glaciers, so I didn't have to drive 1200 Km crossing half france and pay excessive tolls at the "autoroute"...

Photo: First class time travelling

It's amazing how the Cromagnon people knew by the time the best way to get up a 4000m peak (pyrenees highest peak used to be 5000m, ask Fox the geologist for detailed information), This consist in a train that goes up inside the mountain with tunnels dug deep into the granit. So for the simple prize of your left kidney you could be on "top of europe" at 3550m. Then just a 20' walk allows you to get to "Cap de creus light house", what by the time was a monk's temple or something like that. I'm sure ther was a kind of religios practice which consists on drinking lot's of fruity tea and sleep 20 people or more in a tiny bedroom as high as possible to really feel the lack of oxigen when you're used to live at sealevel.

AP-7 to Cap de creus lighthouse (Monk's temple), 7 Homo Sapiens in Cromagnon train

Ok, after first contact in the temple, lets visit the Mönch (always more complicated spelling in native language) to check the rules of his place:

1.Stay on the true left of te arête

2. Better use the rope to downclimb the boulder problem (especially if your head is dreaming with a Mojito in Ecuador)

3. Although annoying as carry a cross like JesusChrist, bring your skis with you to ski the east face. Because there's always a new dawn for humanbeing.

And the best is to be able to rebirth each time you fall.....if not check next video

All right then, our trip continues after the Monk council and our route turns green, not because we are going to ski deep powder in canadian forests, nothing like that, we are sleeping at 3650m and my headache this morning is worse than the first time I went to Amsterdam. It's going to be a green day just because we're going to the Gross- Grünhorh ( algo como gran cuerno verde) and we'll finish in Hollandia hut where I don't want to know what is the tea made of... This day clarifies what peace and harmony is made of... for a trio of Catalans at 4000m

And of course Catalans know how to ski because now we know the pyreenes were one day, long ago, higher than the Alps!!!! And that remain in the genes!!!! Check southern style...

After enjoying the marvelous descent of Grünhorn we realized two things:

First: the snow still white, so I don't see green anywhere...

Second: Maybe this two hours walking in the flat of Konkordia platz has made me see the place as if it was holland, flat and green, the only thing missing is this cute coloury flowers (claveles) that you start to see once you reach the col and there's still 50m to go, stairs down directly into the toilet...

After a torture like that you can say two things, to keep options open:

ESTOY TAN A GUSTITO.....................................................................

or if blisters haven't killed your feet at all,

THERE WILL BE ANOTHER DAWN FOR SKIERS WITHOUT FLATS

And here it comes the north face of Sattlehorn. As a vertical sea of powder we swim up, carrying our cross on our backs and willing to arrive to the ice...

Well finally get to the ice and some fabulous bergschrunds giving ambiance of deep holes underneath our crampons...

I that was not enough, a shy but delicate mixt part make me wonder what's Salome doing with this ice screw....., that's a Black diamond 19cm!! but no protection is suitable at this stage....

So just think not to think in the rope you're carrying and do it!!Take it easy!!!

Then what else is left.... Oh yeah!! We've carried skis up here.......

And from the corner comes the death of the author, no more candies can "gimme tha powe"

I need an avalanche like this to bring me up to heaven.....

But right after this col comes the lower valley heading south, 1700m of descent in a floffy rotten snow to the pleasure of our legs.....

Down in the valley we can see what it used to be a tipical fishermans town of Tossa de Mar and finally to the big capital of Costa brava 150000 years ago, Obviously Lloret de mar that at this stage of evolution has only a litle and cute bar to enjoy a beer after the long journey. So back in our time we can really say that supposed development has been a involution of human being thanks to tourism of masses