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matter of luck?: Gaube Couloir to Pique Longue (Vignemale)

Yes, even although we, the mountain is sometimes just a matter of luck. Good luck with the availability for work, puts it luck, good luck with the conditions of the mountain. You can put all of you: physical and mental fitness, a good fellow climber, motivational, but that bit of luck everything can be ruined. And that's what Harvey and I had between 15 and 18 March this year.

The Meaning of Life

holy week was already over and the weather forecasts were not very flattering. After giving a few turns Moussel guide we had decided by Vignemale massif, one of the most "alpine" in the Pyrenees. Become

Madriles to 500km from the Pyrenees with a variable and unconditionally Meteo insured can undermine the motivation of anyone, but lucky mind I had the urge to overdose Javi, who would not listen to my proposals and insisted sun and rock to convince me to try his luck again with ice and snow.
The initial idea was as always, enjoy the mountain as long as possible, we wanted to long approaches and areas of environment without too personal, a dream?, Perhaps, but we tried it. We set ourselves the objective of the corridor Hount Clot, Dsup. In line with what we were doing until now, but instead of choosing the shortest approach to the refuge des Oulettes Gaube, since Pont d'Espagne, decided to go from Panticosa, through the Ibone of Brazato to the neck of the same name and then connecting to the Ara Valley to the pass of the Yankees to finally descend to the shelter. This choice decreased the miles that I had to put me (Javi came from Toulouse) and increased the beauty and length of the approach.
On Saturday we planted at the entrance of the resort, we planted the van shortly before the access security control the Spa, "reservation only gentleman!" We politely informed the guard at the entrance ...
On Sunday morning a beautiful day dawned, it seemed the weather smiled at us again and the INM predictions were not fulfilled. We prepare all the dishes and despite the lack of snow we could see the face and in the south decided Aneto, bringing with skis for snow spring is difficult when it is softened and the approach was too long to walk the dog with the snow a long time . Crossing the Spa
was funny and sad at the same time, it was not obvious to find the path to the quantity of works he had intended to do there what? We saw half a dozen cranes, a giant multi-storey car park half-built ... Accelerating the pace to leave behind the snobbery that is chewed everywhere.

Beginning approach

We had to portage
skis for at least a good hour until we finally approach to taste. Panticosa option began to be earned and the sights and landscapes were becoming more beautiful.

Peña Telera the bottom

we

So engrossed with the immensity of the valley we climbed an oversight that made us take a short detour through the reservoir Brazato before finding the right path towards the valley of Ara. What did it! We did not hurry, and this time there was no snow to melt!

Brazato Arriving at the dam

Brazato Crossing the neck started the descent to the Valle del Ara. We were surprised that recorded little snow cover, the snow level was over 2000m and a landscape that looked like the end of June rather than mid-March.

Climate Change

The long approach is finally starting to notice was passed by the Col des Oulettes it was something more loaded, it final climb I was particularly long. On the other hand we expect a fantastic view: The Great Wall north of Vignemale whole, dressed in shreds of mist that made him look even more awesome!

Vignemale The wall

In the shelter we expected a great host. In fact one of the best that I've found. The guard Jean-Thomas and his partner always with a smile on the mouth quickly briefed us on the conditions of the mountain.
El Clot de la Hount was dry like most Vignemale runners, but the group of young climbers with Simon Elias in the lead, ended up leaving and during activity was seen that the output cascade Gaube was formed.
The Gaube! Javi and I looked, plenty of material for us ... but we had to give it a touch, it is not always so close. Also this year barely had repeated once given the bad conditions. Said and done, if the weather would try to climb the next day.
At 4 am the alarm sounded, according to Jean the best time to exit was 5 so I had an hour for breakfast and mentalzarnos.

The road: the Gaube Couloir Pique Longue, MD, IV, 600m

road Sketch

Approach: Approximately 1 hour
to alluvial fan of the couloir, through the first set and then gained altitude to avoid the few crevasses that remain on the right.

Climbing:
The snow was well processed and was not very abundant, yet the bergschrund was completely covered by what we did not have difficulty swallowing.
The initial slope is around 45 degrees, to be packed snow but not too advanced unstrung as the runner was narrowing gradually.

Home corridor

Behind us, a group of three climbers we were eating ground at every step, we would not be alone in the corridor. Finally ended up catching up after the first 100m of the same models. Fresher than us after the approach from Pont d'Espagne or simply stronger, let them step by embedded block. Even

cordless overcome some short ribs ice without too many complications.

Highlight

Environment!

So move quickly to meet with the first real difficulties of the road: a series of embedded blocks and covered with ice in which we set up the first meeting, well protected.

Meeting

Now we had to worry very much the group of three that had just above. Gradually, we walked gingerly coordinating as far as possible with the above to avoid the stones and chunks of ice that sometimes running down the corridor.

Monchu mixed climbing

Gradually we glimpsing the ice cave that overlooks the waterfall out of the corridor, but not yet certainty that we were in good condition!

Last meters to cascade

We play a long wait under a crash-armed to the group of three exceeded the waterfall. We could not deny that fact will not be alone remained some room to climb, but it is also true that we doubt relieved when they heard yelling that the waterfall was in a position.

Waiting Time

avalacov Taking advantage of a fellow left us, we ride meeting at the base of the waterfall. What looked very vertical, in particular la entrada, con extrañas formas y abombes. La salida era muy fina y sólo estaba formada por la derecha de la cueva.
El hielo era bueno hasta la repisa debajo de la bóveda de la cueva, pero después se tornaba quebradizo y a los tornillos les costaba morder. Con la cabeza llena de los consejos del maestro Jose, fui poco a poco superándome, mimando el hielo, sin maltratarlo ni aporrearlo. Finalmente me vi superando el láteral de la bóveda y la mayor dificultad. Habíamos salido, habíamos escalado el gaube y sólo unos metros me separaban de una reunión cómoda en roca. Me invadió una enorme felicidad. Pero aún tenía que subir Javi. En ese momento me di cuenta de que, con la tensión del momento I had uploaded a camera with me and we would be without pictures of the waterfall! Well what matters are the feelings, auque that Shin is always relive the moment through the image.

Javi out of the waterfall

Joy filled us from the exit of the corridor we could admire the sharp profile of the Piton Carré.

Piton Carré

We still have several feet of climbing to the top of the Pique Longue, we were tired but still had time and had to complete the climb. Overcoming a steep slope between Pique and the Hount Clot and easy to comb a stretch we reached the trig point of the Pique Longue. The views were magnificent, Gavarnie, Taillon, Telera, we saw everything!

Pique Longue

I only remained the descent to the shelter with a great taste.

Towards the shelter

The next day dawned with snow and poor visibility. Early part of the refuge, along with colleagues from Alicante the sea of \u200b\u200bnice. The snow provided us return to Panticosa 2h reducing our schedule in the first leg because we did not take off our skis across the road. As

began this article, the climbers must do our part to excel in the mountains, but sometimes we should thank the latter to have been benevolent to least this time.