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Spanish Pyrenees. 9-14 October 2007

 

Mini METHS in Monte Perdido area, Spain.

 

Participants:  5 Craigs and 2 Tolhursts and 2 Petzolds, that is 9 in all.

 

The Bielsa tunnel being closed for a major upgrade for 3 months covering the time of the meet, the approaches to Bielsa involved some detours.  Different parties chose different approaches.  Three short reports were received on the meet, giving three slightly different points of view.

 

Mad Mike writes:

 

Despite a few cancellations and failure again to get up Perdido, the Pyrenees meet was yet another memorable METHS epic.  9 eventually got together including 5 Craigs who approached Goriz from the south.  We never got to Goriz.  Verena was ill and stayed at Pineta, while the Tolhursts and I went up from there and over Collado de Aņisco, only to get caught in a sudden horrifying blizzard, just before the chained section.  With zero visibility and squalls gusting to force 8, I reckon (difficult to stand up let alone walk), and discretion being the better part of valour, we retraced our steps and 9 hours later reappeared, saturated, at Pineta Hut, much to our own relief and that of several of the other occupants.  Had we left a couple of hours earlier we may have got to Goriz before the sudden blizzard.  Gordon Craig said that they arrived there at 4 p.m. just in time to shelter before the first snowfall and he was not surprised we turned back.
The next day dawned cloudless and windless and it has been basically like that ever since - so we were unlucky.  The next 3 days, in shorts and T-shirts and over 8,000 ft, we (including a much-improved Verena) explored long sections of the GR11 including two passes into France.  The Craigs caught up with us in Bielsa (having descended to Torla whence they came) for the last couple of days and .... they all want to do it again next year ..... so we have it tentatively on the programme for a week following October 13th (the 12th is a Spanish Holiday and Bielsa, deserted on the 10th, was like Milan railway station on 11th and 12th.)

 

Verena (Muesli) writes:

 

As is usual with METHS, everybody did something different.  Craigs went to the Goriz Refugio the easy route (good idea, I thought), I caught the 'flu and stayed in the Pineta Refugio in the Pineta Valley, while the remaining three set off on the gruelling ascent to the main Col, Collada de Aņisco, only to be confronted with first rain, then snow which turned into a howling blizzard, right at the section that is the most tricky of the whole trip, with chains and steep scree, (not easy in the best conditions).  So, they decided to turn back and hours later, just in time for dinner, joined me again at the Refugio.
However, the next 3 days were brilliant and we did extensive traverses and hills etc.  Anne was out of action for a day with a tummy-bug, which then made the rounds of the youngsters - oh well, never a dull moment, but we all enjoyed it thoroughly and we've already had requests for a return to this impressive area.

 

Peter (Up the Down) Tolhurst writes:

 

The Pyrenees meet - most enjoyable but Mike tried to kill us (Antonia and I) by wanting to go on in a blizzard with the evening coming on, he having lost the route beyond the Col de Aņisco and at least two hours left before we could reach the Goriz Refugio, and with the worst section, the chained bit, still to come, with hands frozen and very likely not able to grip the chain.  Not to worry - we insisted on coming down, and in fact led the way.  Mike followed.  We were very glad to get back down to the tree belt and a certain amount of shelter from the fierce icy wind.  No harm done and another memorable METHS day out!  It was heartening to know that we could manage without problems the 4'000 feet ascent to the col from the valley floor in just over 5 hours.  Next year we WILL make it up Monte Perdido.  First of course we have to get to the Goriz Refugio!  The four days in the Pyrenees were most exhilarating and we had fine weather for the other 3 days that followed.

 

For further reading, see the report of last year's meet, and/or the official site of the Ordesa-Monte Perdido National Park in the High Pyrenees on the border of Spain and France.

 

Š WDYFO, 2007