Towards that vanishing point - Vers Vignemale on the HRP

 Movement onwards, is where many of us find our happiness, even if we're not trying to outrun our own selves.

Especially when travelling through splendours such as this...

Made more so, by that sweet repose, when our muscles and mind come together and chime 'thats enough movement for today, thanks.

So then rest in itself, that sheer absence of effort becomes a total luxury.

A soft enough surface to lie on, a warm enough.covering.

And a simple meal, substantial enough to keep a hungry belly from waking one up in the night.

Very basic needs met, become more than enough.

The morning had dawned fair, but promised storms.

But as the wise sign has it

 "If you wait for a good forecast, you might never leave the bistro" 

An early enough start saw us leaving Pombie and trundling far down into the valley, where a road crossed longditudanally and shepherds were moving their massed flocks to lower and lusher pastures.

Doing this transfer earlier in the season than usual, owing to the dearth of upland grass after a droughty summer.

They too predicted 'dreadful' storms, for that day. 

Dire forecasts seemed to be the standard habit of sheep-keepers hereabouts .

But what to do?

Hide out for hours in a roadside shack, just in case ?

Decided instead to adopt usual.'stoic mode' when it come to rain, and  keeping moving. climbing back up into the valley opposite.

Passing some snoozing hosses.

I don't think they were doing the classic lying down before the rain comes.

Just flaked out foals, watched over by their mommas.. 

Cows behaving 'properly' in the background.

And soon after, yes, the heavens did indeed open upon us

A good covering of hail did descend, much thunderousness and lightening occurred too. 

If caught out in a lightening storm you're not supposed to shelter under rocks, or in caves apparently, because of the way the lightning can spread across and curve around rock faces when struck..

So quite naturally we sheltered from the crashingly loud downpour under a large rock, and had an early lunch.. 

I mean, you would though, wouldn't you..??

OK, despite our persistent 'aliveness' up to date of publication, it might be best not to take storm survival tips from the likes of us 🙄

Darkness cleared away, and now looking back -- behind the cloud just above his head is where we'd camped that night

Then up and up, some more -

 I was looking forwards 'most cheerily' to taking the passage de Orteig, that we'd bottled on a previous trip.

It's only a channel of rock cut into a deathly vertiginous rock face, where you can confidently steady yourself with a chain strung along its length.

Child's play.

Although not recommended for when wet, or in potential thunderstorms..

Grasping electrified wet metal on an exposed rockface - really could amp up the 'fun factor' by several notches 🙄

Anyhow after a cooling dip here in the Lac l'Arrious (for him) near where we'd camped (again in a thunderstorm) on a previous trip, we set off stoutly to the start of the passage.

I could do it, for certain, even though the big step up on to the gnarlier part was a bit much for my already tired legs.

Which suddenly seemed to lose all strength.

The rock was still wet, and I could tell that my fairly apparent nerves about it were making his carefully gathered courage ebb away.

It's one thing managing your own fears when they're tested.

But his having to be 'brave' for two, would have spoiled it for him 

(the path much less travelled - by me at least 🙄) 

Just about visible across the shadowed rockface.

So I decided to go the longer way round..

Down a rocky path via a gently bovine filled valley and then up again, leaving him free to just 'do it' without thinking too much about it.

And what I really enjoyed so very much about this whole scenario?? 

Is that I didn't particularly mind at all 

Once upon a time I'd have given myself a hard time for not pushing myself 'outside my comfort zone' and would have been a bit cross at my 'bottling it'.

I mean maybe one day, on another day, I might go across, it's not even that hard. 

But at the same time it's also not 'unfinished business' I'm perfectly adequately happy, having not 'been there'.

That's such a nice feeling for a hitherto almost relentlessly 'goal orientated' person - 

It's rather lovely to now feel quite adequate already 🙏🏼

So our separate paths recrossed just before refuge de Arremoulit, where some of 'Team HRP' had booked themselves in for the night.

We instead found a bivouac spot amongst the rocks. Encountering a cheery Korean hiker doing same, he (Den) was doing a section of the HRP the 'other way' . 

A quiet night was enjoyed.

The now 'trusty' X-mid 

We sort of set off all together over a different pass.

The Canadians, and the French.

Looking back from whence we've come 

A previous trip had us clambering into a valley of rocks via the Port de Lavedan..

An almost vertical rock chute with a car sized boulder lodged in its maw.

This way however seemed rather civilised in comparison.

Opening onto a succession of scenic tableaux via Lac de Artouste

Even the Canadians obliged with their own 'scenic tableaux'..

Just about the correct amount of 'gnarl'🙄

Towards Embalse de Respomuso.

Near the refuge where an opportunistic hearty lunch was taken, as it was available, then on over the pass, across the scree, and down down down to refuge Wallon .

Quite a lot of this sort of terrain.

Geology Rocks, for sure.

I'm rather proud of my one single 'hill skill' which is taking an over the shoulder shot of my kite whilst she is aloft.. 

A very satisfactory and full.day which did almost feel like a 'walk in the park' - a geological park even.

Refuge Wallon has been rebuilt.

And quite frankly it's a vast thing to come across, after previous modest stone shelters.

Architecturally, and ecologically impressive yes.

But also huuuge!! 

Its within half a days walk of a road, so has been constructed so to accommodate more people than are usually to be found in these hills.

Fair enough, I s'pose, can't expect to have the place entirely to ourselves I guess. .

We availed ourselves of a beer at the refuge shop, but bivouacked a little way off 

The morning we ascended though 'alpine meadow' scenes

Then having reached a 'significant' height we were 'captured' by a passer by.. 

Pink gaiters still hanging in there. 

And OK rather a lot of purple 💜💜💜

Further progress through scree slopes.

Then pausing for an early lunch stop.

The classic 'brew with a view' ..

Just a first peek of the slopes of (the 'iconic') Vignemale 

A not inconsiderable bouldery down-climb, the local meteo here lending some extra atmos .

We'd camped in this valley bottom before, but no dallying here this time. 

Well not very much dallying. 

Perhaps just a short break for refreshment ... 🍰