It was cold during the night. The thermometer read 5°C when I woke, which was just under the ‘recommended comfort zone’ of my sleeping bag – I agreed! We watched as the sun tracked across the cliff towards us. I reached over and got the stove purring for a morning brew while we waited. The… Read more

As well as being lucky enough to know some good friends in good places, we also have a good network of friends who go to exciting places – and usually places that are off the beaten track. Our friend Alex had given us a tip off about a good peak to climb, having been mountaineering… Read more

The South Ridge of the Pène Sarrière is a real knife edge affair. A stunning fin of rock up on the hillside above the ski area of Gourettes. Despite its outrageously exposed faces, the climbing on the ridge is actually quite amenable. In fact, the Guidebook suggests that one should not rush and savour the… Read more

A gloomy morning of drizzle greeted us today and the clouds hung low. We had a feeling that we might be able to get higher than them, so rather than waiting at camp for things to brighten up, we drove back up to the car park at the end of the road at Pont d’Espagne.… Read more

Above Cauterets is an area called Pont d’Espagne. There are crags on the way up there, but they were suffering from a lot of drainage and were soaking wet. At the end of the road is a massive car park (€6.50) and trails to various waterfalls.  Just up and off from the beaten track is… Read more

There was no rush to leave the luxury of the hotel in the morning. The clouds hung low and there was no sign of the mountains around us. We headed up to the town of Cauterets, where we hoped to climb next, after a quick look around the town we were in. The buildings were… Read more