Iparla And Iparla Ridge

According to our guidebooks, the two must-see sights in the Pyrenees are the Pic du Midi and the Gavarnie Cirque and Cascade. J'ai été là; je n'ai fait que. Another guidebook said that the best day-hike in all the Pyrenees was the ascent of Iparla and a walk along its ridge, a loop trail. Next day we drove out to the trail-head and its "parking area," a wider-spot in the country lane--we ended up parking at an intersection half a mile down the lane--and I did the Iparla day-hike.

For all I know, it may well be the best day-hike in the Pyrenees. It would have been a great deal better for me if a) it had been 20, no, 30 degrees cooler, b) the flies and gnats had been less numerous and relentless, c) the guidebook directions had been a little clearer, d) the clear morning had not turned into a soupy haze, and e) the sudden thunderstorm had gone a different way and not caught me in the middle of a long ridge, where I had to ride it out sitting and then lying in the trail some few feet down from the ridge top, with no protection, and a lot of time to ponder "post funera, virtus vivit." In other words, it was a hot, dry, muggy, buggy, miserable trudge up a valley and then across a face and up a couloir, 1000m up all told, to see little but haze, and then get pelted by wind, rain, hail, but, fortunately, not lightning. The walk down was through a pretty forest, I think; the flies and gnats were too dense to see much of anything once down off the ridge. Did I mention the five vicious farm dogs I had to fight off, literally, with my hiking poles, walking back the country lane to the camper?

There is always the satisfaction of outdoor achievement and the thrill of a summit, nearly any summit. But I will not do this one again.

Trailhead signage; last of the signage on this trail, although it was excellently
blazed above tree-line

Iparla and ridge

A bit of the trail, a bit before the couloir; a griffon vulture sails by: look alive...

Atop the ridge, looking west, a lone mountain pokes through the haze

Back east, the valley I came from

Further east, more haze

Looking south along the ridge

Summit marker

A bit of the valley trail and two of the shepherd's huts it
passed

Cliff-dwelling sheep

The thunderstorm approaches; it didn't look that bad, until the thunder started;
I lay low for an hour or so until it passed

On the way down, looking back at Iparla ridge

In the forest; for all the other issues, it was a very nice loop

Fixer-upper shepherd's hut

Picos de Europa

Unfortunately, we followed a guidebook recommendation and drove the Picos from west back to east, that is, from Oviedo through a gorge to a reservoir, then east to the Fuente De cable car, and back down another gorge, ending at San Vicente, where we spent another pleasant evening. Bits of Cantabria, Asturias, and Castile y Leon. The Picos are admirable crags, but half the trip, the reservoir and environs, recommended by the guidebook, could well have been skipped. The good bits are over by the cable car. At least for scenic driving. FWIW, it was Assumption Day, a national holiday, and there were lots of people out.

In the gorge, headed up to the reservoir

View from the reservoir

Ditto; no pelerins in sight this day

The attractive group to which the Fuente De cable car goes

Typical view; the Picos are not big mountains; mostly
limestone, they rise to less than 9,000 feet

Gavarnie, Cirque and Cascade

Next stop was Gavarnie, site of a great cirque and Europe's highest waterfall. We have now seen all of the 3 big Gs: Giverny, Gavrinus, and Gavarnie, representing our interests in arts and humanities, archaeology and history, and mountains.

One of the aires at Gavarnie; not a place for solitude

Environs; very dry, warm, reminiscent of the southern
Rockies, except not so high

We decided to brave the heat and hike out
for views of the cirque and cascade; here is
randonneur Vicki

Looking down at the town of Gavarnie

The cirque

The cascade

Today's flower, with bonus bug

Another flower

More environs

Part of the hike was on the Santiago trail, so we hope to get
another plenary dispensation or at least some time off for
good behavior in Purgatory...

The view from town

On To The Pyrenees

Fortified by Jane and Gordon's hospitality and advice on touring in these parts, we set forth on the last leg of our summer itinerary, the Pyrenees and northern Spain's coast, as far west as the Picos de Europa. As with the trip generally this summer, it was in part new territory for us, and in part familiar territory, with new sights and undertakings.

Driving up the road to the Col du Aspin in the French
Pyrenees

A bit more of the road, narrow, high, and very crowded with
tourists

At the Col d' Aspin

In a valley beyond, scores of RVs parked all over the
meadow

The big mountain in these parts is the Pic du Midi, radio
tower and all, here framed by cows and tipis

The road is/was a major leg of the Tour de France and so is
covered by bicyclistes and messages to bicyclistes

And RVs and other things

Monument to bicyclistes: ride naked!

We press on...

Petit Balcon Sud

We wanted to do another hike in Chamonix but were not feeling very adventurous. Fortunately, our friend and fellow guide, the estimable Rickie Stevie, came to the rescue, mentioning the petit balcon sud, something we'd never heard of, but which fit our needs admirably. Basically, it traverses the lower bits of the Aiguilles Rouges, overlooking Chamonix, scenic but not too high up.

Wooded, shaded, not too high

Actually it reminded us a bit of many trails we have walked
in the Rocky Mountain West

Except for the views of Chamonix and Mt. Blanc

And the Grepon parking lot, and our rig

Then we stumbled upon the mother of all raspberry patches: hike over (they're
beneath the Plan Praz cable car way)

Back down in town: Chamonix International Airport (arrivals only; departures
from Plan Praz)

Junior Birdman Department: how to be a parapentier

Descent Via Chairlift

Despite being willing to ride anything in any amusement park, Vicki has a mortal fear of chairlifts. Alas, we arrived at Index too late to walk down to La Flegere (last cable-car down at 5:45PM), so the only choices were a) spend the night, ill-prepared, on the mountain, b) walk down the entire mountain to the valley, in the dark, or c) the chairlift. She conquered her fear, and in this amazing sequence, Vicki rides the chairlift from Index to La Flegere.