Booked next year’s Crickhowell Walking Festival walks, which included figuring out routes, guests and dates for next March. It’ll be here soon enough.
Gym routine resumed, we had the aerobics ladies Christmas lunch at The Kilpeck Inn (smashing all round) on Wednesday and later in the week C and I sorted out our schedule for my first go at PT starting in Jan.
As the Christmas cards start to arrive, I wrote the bulk of this year’s listening to Marina Hyde and Richard Osman dissect Nigel Farage on I’m a Celebrity…. and the David Beckham, Robbie Williams and Ronnie O’Sullivan documentaries on The Rest is Entertainment (big tick!).
On Saturday we drove to Hay for their Christmas Market only to find it had been cancelled due to high winds. I’d spotted that Vowchurch and Turnastone were having their Christmas Market the same day, so we’d stopped off there en route. Other end of the spectrum when it comes to scale but a really nice atmosphere. We returned with cakes from Hay Deli and A Book.
Very wet walk with the GVWC on Sunday: Llanthony Low Level Loop, which was a new route for me. A lot of rain for the first hour or so and water streaming off the hills all the way round, not always in Official Waterways, with a lovely warm mulled wine at the end courtesy of Llanthony Priory’s Cellar Bar.
Distance: 8.62 miles
Elevation gain: 1,191 ft
Walking time: 3½ hours
Elapsed Time 4hrs 10 mins
Then on to Abergavenny for the Loosemore Family Christmas dinner (and B&B) at The Angel Hotel, featuring mulled wine and mince pies, a lovely dinner, a vast bed and a leisurely breakfast on Monday morning. Thank you, dad!
Monday was a beautiful day and I spent a couple of hours in the Orchard tending to the compost heap and the ex-tomato plants in the greenhouse. Leeks looking good.
Low chinooks and loud explosions at the army camp this week.
Upgraded iOS on my phone. Generally OK but the tapping at the start or end of any text highlights it and suggests typos and alternate words, when all I want to do is edit at that location. Grrrrr.
TV: Andor (season 1), Beckham (last episode), Doctor Who (Russell T. Davies, David Tennant & Catherine Tate return in the 60th anniversary specials, but waaaay too twee for me), Grand Designs (another unfinished project), Fleishman is in Trouble (first two episodes, not sure…. but then that’s what I said about Andor and I ended up really enjoying that)
The Carros de Foc is in the beautiful Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, and it’s a gorgeous part of the Pyrenees with lots of alpine lakes and forests, and granite underfoot. We did a 6 day route (5 days, plus an hour or so getting to our starting refugio in the Park on the first day): Refugio Ernest Mallafrè / Estany de Sant Maurici – Refugio J.M. Blanc – Refugio Colomina – Refugio Estany Llong – Refugio Amitges – Estany de Sant Maurici.
La Ruta de las Golondrinas is further west and in a more developed area (roads, ski resorts) but beautiful deciduous forests and plenty of peaks plus limestone underfoot. Here we did the 4 day Golondrina Clásica: Refugio de Belagua – Refugio de Linza – Refuge de l’Abérouat – Refuge Jeandel – Refugio de Belagua.
We were on the Spanish side of the Pirineos for most of the time, but las Golondrinas took us into France – and thus the Pyrénées – for a couple of days and nights. The trekking was straightforward (we didn’t tackle the trickier sections of the Carros de Foc) although las Golondrinas included one very long day (day 2) and one short section of cable to help us down from Pas de l’Osque on day 3.
Both routes made use of the refugios / refuges for sleeping and food with dinner, bed, breakfast and packed lunch coming in at around €75 pppn. The Spanish refugios were all excellent, the French refuges so-so. On the Carros de Foc we slept in dorms whereas las Golondrinas provided rooms for 8 or 4.
For the Carros de Foc you book direct, for las Golondrinas, which is a relatively new route, you can book a package and you’re provided with a map (and a branded T-shirt, thermos and swag bag!) at the start of the trek.
Friday, 01 September 2023: Refugio Ernest Mallafrè (1885m) – Coll de Monestero (2715m) – Refugio J.M. Blanc (2310m) (Photos)
Carros de Foc day 2: 8.6km +850m -450m
Evergreen forests, alpine meadows with clear mountain streams, mirror pools and lake (Estany de Monestero), our first “elevenses” with a view back down into the valley of the Riu de Monestero, scree section up to the Coll de Monestero and magic views from the pass ….
… descending towards the lakes and a photo opp on the granite block perched over a no-name lake, Estany Negre de Peguera and its beautiful stepped dam …
… strolling through old pine forests, and getting our first sight of Refugio J.M. Blanc in its stunning setting on the Estany Tort de Peguera peninsula…..
… beers on arrival at the Refugio and, later, after dinner, relaxing on the sun deck at sundown and watching the lightening on the other side of the mountains.
Saturday, 02 September 2023: Refugio J.M Blanc (2310m) – Coll de Saburó (2718m) – Pas de l’Ós (2542m) – Refugio Colomina (2395m) (Photos)
Carros de Foc day 3: 6.8km +400m -300m
The day of the Five Lakes…. Estany Tort de Peguera, Estany Negre de Peguera, Estany del Cap de Port, Estany de Mar and Estany de Colomina.
A cool day, with rain clouds only just keeping above head height all the time we were out. And shortly after we arrived at lovely Refugio Colomina (my favourite), the clouds descended, the heavens opened and the wind picked up. Not nice walking for the family that arrived in dribs and drabs over the next hour or so. The Refugio team rallied round and provided hot drinks, towels, warm clothes, and asked us not to use the free, solar-heated, showers so that they could to warm up.
A lovely afternoon featuring Tea and Twix, Pochohontas and Ornitorrinco, and Tina’s Map – the one the professionals use.
It was also day where I discovered I’d not brought any spare charged camera batteries with me, and my one and only battery ran out at Refugio J.M. Blanc. Thank heavens for Manu’s Many Cables – and the Colomina’s bank of plug sockets. My batteries were back up to 100% in less than an hour.
Sunday, 03 September 2023: Refugio Colomina (2395m) – Colladeta de Dellui (2557m) – Refugio Estany Llong (1985m) (Photos)
Carros de Foc day 4: 12.6km +400m -820m
A cloudy start developed into a very wet morning, but thankfully the rain (and wind) held off almost all the way to the Colladeta de Dellui.
The morning featured a section along a disused mine railway line that brought a trip (me) and two falls (me & Esther), and a lot more lakes: Estany de Colomina, Estany Tort, Estany de Mariolo, Estany de Cubieso and Estany Eixerola, and on the other side of the Colladeta de Dellui, Estany de Dellui and the beautifully named Estanyets de Dellui.
Grassland gave way to a rocky traverse with views down into the valley accompanied by Rachel’s emergency chocolate, followed by a descent through the Bosc de les Corticelles and the Bosc d’Estany Llong that brought chamoix, bilberries and juniper – and, as the rain started to ease off for good, Refugio Estany Llong.
Sodden boots off and wet stuff hung up to drip dry, we were welcomed in to picnic inside.
A sunny afternoon, just right for a stroll down into the valley of the Aigüestortes and a paddle in the Riu de Sant Nicolau – and pooh sticks.
The sunshine and the breeze made for perfect drying weather.
The night when the other English group agreed that “the bottom bunks ought to be reserved for the over 50s”. Ah, if only they knew ….
The day our route did a short cut between two section of the Carros de Foc proper. Lovely trail, lovely weather, time to loiter and linger.
Lots of opportunities to Do Something!
Franco’s Road, the Pi de Peixerani, Portarró d’Espot and its Mirador, smashing views of Estany de Sant Maurici and El Encantats …
… the Race to the Lone Pine ….
… raspberries, a paddle (for some) and a picnic at lunchtime, relaxing at Refugio Amitges, chanting on the shores of sparkling Estany dels Barbs, spotting Alfonso and Manu high up on their Agulles d’Amitges, and cold beers and cocktail snacks before dinner.
Tuesday, 05 September 2023: Refugio Amitges (2380m) – Estany St. Maurici (1912m) – Parking de Prat Pierró (980m). Drive to Vielha (Photos)
Carros de Foc day 6: 9.3km +40m -740m
A leisurely last day on the Carros de Foc, dropping back down to Estany de Sant Maurici via the exhilarating Cascada de Ratera and learning / singing Arde Londres.
Back at Estany de Sant Maurici we found a quiet spot for elevenses and Instagram, flocks of small birds and ripples of jumping fish, before walking back to Parking de Prat Pierró where it was time to say a fond farewell to Parc Nacional d’Aigüestortes y Estany de Sant Maurici.
Another lovely lunch at Restaurant Vall d’Àneu in Esterri d’Àneu then back to Vielha and two lovely rooms (and showers and clean clothes) at Hotel Eth Pomèr.
A magic evening out – presenting the Team Mucho Gusto T-Shirts (plus chutney and spare toothbrushes) at REFU Birreria followed by dinner at Woolloomooloo.
No photos from the evening, so it must have been a good one… Oh, and Alfonso sent us a video of the three of them climbing back up to their Vielha base.
[20 October 2023: This is as far as I’d got when Phil and I headed off for our sunny week in Northern Italy. I’m flagging a bit having come back to finish off these photos & notes. So the daily descriptions may be a bit brief.]
Wednesday, 06 September 2023: Drive from Vielha to Refugio de Belagua (1428m) via Ainsa and Jaca (Photos)
A tasty breakfast buffet at Eth Pomèr, farewell to Esther, then the long drive west for our second short trek in the Pirineos, the Ruta de las Golondrinas.
En route we stopped at Ainsa (mediaeval hill town) and Jaca (canteen lunch, food shopping – Mini Magnums! – and perusing outdoor kit at Barrabés) but decided to skip Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña as we didn’t have enough time.
Refugio de Belagua (technically Refugio Ángel Oloron) was our base for the Golondrinas, and on a sunny September afternoon it was packed. Lovely views out over deciduous forests and back down the valley, and a super-well organised refugio with a really lovely team – who presented us with our surprise Golondrinas swag!
Friday, 08 September 2023: Refugio de Linza (1340m) – Collado de Petrachema / Port d’Anso (2090m) – Refuge de l’Abérouat (France) (1442m) (Photos)
Ruta de las Golondrinas day 2: 21.6km +1300m -1200m
The longest day by a mile, in terms of both distance (~22km) and duration (we set off at 7.20am and finished at 6.30pm; 11 hours elapsed time). But really fab: startled chamois and whistling marmots; grassy valleys, limestone rocky plateau and scree descent; beech woods and streams, waterfalls and rivers; fab views from the Col de Pétragème, plus spiralling choughs and climbers at the base of the Petite Aiguille d’Ansabère, a novel-reading, red wine-drinking, hanging-chair-owning berger selling his goats cheese at the Plateau d’Ansabère …..
…. and at the end, beers, cold beers, 7% beers!
Oh, and Bonjour la France!
The hardest section was the 4km on the road in the Vallée d’Aspe, partly because it was the literal low point of the day and we knew we had a 700m climb up to the refuge and partly because it was on superheated, radiating, tarmac.
Overnight: Refuge de l’Abérouat. <– aka the one with the ridiculously low headroom for the top bunk. I couldn’t even sit up without hitting my head on the ceiling.
Saturday, 09 September 2023: Refuge de l’Abérouat (1442m) – Pas d’Azuns (1862m) – Pas de l’Osque (1922m) – Refuge Jeandel (1620m) (Photos)
Ruta de las Golondrinas day 3: 11.8km +600m -400m (plus a bit extra for the Les Tourelles (2041m))
One of the best days, beginning with a rendition of Cumpleaños Feliz to send to Australia and featuring a scramble up Les Tourelles and chain descent from Pas de l’Osque.
Jeandel was a bit of a let down, and La Pierre Saint Martin sans snow is truly ugly.
Overnight: Refuge Jeandel. <– aka the one with the worst food (quantity and quality)
Sunday, 10 September 2023: Refuge Jeandel (1620m) – Pic d’Arlas (2044m) – Refugio de Belagua (1428m) – Rincón de Belagua car park (~900m) (Photos)
Ruta de las Golondrinas day 4: 16.5km +600m -1230m
Up Pic d’Arlas, and back down into Spain.
Rolling grasslands and an occasional stretch of tarmac brought us back to Refugio de Belagua.
After a late lunch, for the completists it was a super steep descent from Refugio de Belagua to the Rincón de Belagua car park to retrieve the van. Lovely end to a lovely trek.
Overnight: Refugio de Belagua.
Monday, 11 September 2023: Refugio de Belagua – Lourdes – London (Photos)
Drive to airport. Fly Lourdes to London Stansted. Train and tube to Hazel’s.
After a late start, our Tuesday in Turin on provided two highlights – Pastarell’s (twice) and Pandas! On the food front, we had a smashing veggie lunch from Mezzaluna, gelato from Gelateria La Romana on Santa Theresa and our second dinner at le vitel étonné.
Wednesday was split between Turin and London Gatwick. A last breakfast at Pastarell’s, a visit to the iconic Mole Antonelliana and the Museo Nazionale del Cinema (National Museum of Cinema), a second lunch at Mezzaluna, our first Bicerin to while away our final hour in Torino … and then I counted 234 Pandas between the bus stop and the airport. TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR!
Good flight to London Gatwick which supplied M&S dinner and Premier Inn overnight to avoid the stress of trying to get to Hazel’s on a train and tube strike day.
Thursday saw us complete the rest of the journey back to Herefordshire by train, tube and Panda: London Gatwick – Farringdon – London Paddington – Newport – Abergavenny – Home.
Then over to Winchester to check up on a poorly dad and a stressed Jean.
On Friday it was back to the Dragons Back and Waun Fach with Sonia, getting in some ascents ahead of our Nepal trek. It was foggy, wet and windy on the tops. Sunny down in Crickhowell, where Latte Da still do excellent tea and cake!
Distance: 7½ miles
Elevation Gain: 2,141 ft
Moving time: 3h 22 mins
Elapsed Time 3h 45 mins
I drove home via Abergavenny Waitrose. Lots of bargains – and an orange Panda!!
Caught up with Jean again in the evening.
Sunny Saturday was spent in the garden. I weedkillered the drive, then got going on the mowing. Honda mowed the edges and tricky spots – harder given that the “power” wasn’t kicking in and the spark plug occasionally came loose (meaning the mower wouldn’t start / run) – then did the main mow everywhere except the Solarium, and all on a No 2 (short) setting. I reckon I collected 15 full loads of grass.
I also looked for the source of the apples on the upper path to mower turn, and it is the “I thought it was dead” apple tree by the bonfire. There are still apples on the branches that have grown away from the quarry.
In between there was a phone call with Steffi about our upcoming Pembs weekend and Nepal trek.
Still sunny on Sunday – but decidedly cool first thing, well it is October – perfect for the Jo’s GVWC circular walk from Garway Hill. And an extra bit at the start, walking from Bagwyllydiart to Garway Hill Car Park.
Distance: 8.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,620 ft
Moving time: 3h 06 mins
Elapsed Time 4h 11 mins
Gorgeous day, beautiful walking, lots of chat, medical rehydration at The Kilpeck Inn – plus a pick up from Phil-le-taxi.
And Val called me en route with more Nepal updates!
Back at base, collected apples.
I spent Monday with dad and Jean, including a trip into Hereford with dad in the morning and TLC throughout. Exhausting! But good outcomes, in the end.
On the bird feeders, the woodpeckers are back and I’ve seen robins too. The nuthatch(es) have grown more confident and the blue tits and great tits are as noisy as ever. Chaffinches galore and some sparrows. We returned from holiday to find a lot of small fluffy feathers scattered all over the patio…. and a large smudge on one of the conservatory windows. I wonder what it was? And what ate it?
There are still a bunch of big butterflies flying around (Red Admirals), and some shortlived fungi sprouted on the willow tree stump, wilted the next day.
Louie’s Salvia is thriving. Can’t say the same about some of the smaller goldfish…. Sounds like it might be oxygen starvation. Time to scoop out some of the goo….
And still So Many Apples!
TV: Sex Education (finished season 4), Ghosts, (started series 5 – the last one. Sniff), Fleabag (series 1 – late to it I know).
Just brief notes here; for the detail you’ll have to wait for the write up – aka Into the Pyrenees with Alfonso and Manu: Photos & Notes. (Next on the list!)
Tuesday saw us complete our mini Carros de Foc trek, walking down from Refugio Amitges (2380m) to Estany St. Maurici (1912m) via the Cascada de Ratera and retreading the trail back to the car park.
Lunch back on the sunny terrace of the Restaurant Vall d’Àneu in Esterri d’Àneu then on to Vielha for a night at Hotel Eth Pomèr (Apples, how appropriate), beers and presentation of the Team Mucho Gusto T-Shirts (plus chutney and spare toothbrushes) at REFU Birreria and dinner at Woolloomooloo.
Wednesday was transit day, driving west-ish from Vielha to Refugio de Belagua via Ainsa (mediaeval city) and Jaca (lunch, mini Magnums and a mooch around Barrabés).
The Golondrinas huts are all accessible by road, and Belagua was buzzing. We had a fab evening – receiving our Golondrinas swag, taking in the views, enjoying our private en suite room. And bottom bunks!
We set off on La Ruta de las Golondrinas on Thursday morning: driving down to the car park at Rincón de Belagua and then walking through forest and fields and forest again to Refugio de Linza. Hot.
A day of Cathedral-like beech forests, sparkling dew on spider’s webs, bracken and gorse, a stiff, sweaty climb, a picnic in the woods – all accompanied by an impossible light bulb riddle.
The Linza hut was the quietest we stayed in, there were only around 10 other people there. Very relaxing. We played Scrabble in Spanish sat at a shady picnic table before dinner.
Friday saw us cross the border into France on Ruta de las Golondrinas day 2, trekking from Refugio de Linza to Refuge de l’Abérouat. A long, hot day.
Highlights: morning shade, chamois and marmots, Collado de Petrechema, goats cheese selling berger in his ‘house of love’, another beech forest picnic, 7.2% beers!
Lowlight: 4km on toasty tarmac.
We stayed in France on Saturday as day 3 of La Ruta de las Golondrinas (which I suppose I ought to be calling La Route des Hirondelles given we’re in France) took us from Refuge de l’Abérouat to Refuge Jeandel.
The trail took us over pas de Azuns and pas del Osque – and Alfonso and Manu provided an optional extra for Rach and I, climbing up one of Les Tourelles. FAB.
The Jeandel refuge and the manmade ski resort of La Pierre Saint Martin were less so.
I did get a proposal from a passing berger mind you.
Sunday saw us return into Spain as day 4 of La Ruta de las Golondrinas brought us back to Refugio de Belagua, a day after La Vuelta had passed by. En route, Pic de Arlás (2044m), quiet meadows and close up vulture views, and a bit of zig zagging over the main road in the run up to elevenses.
Late lunch at the hut then Rach and I accompanied Alfonso and Manu back down to the car park to collect the van. It’s a very steep trail down through the forests – very glad of the presence of poles and the absence of backpack.
The evening thunderstorm in the valley reached us overnight. Lots of rain, and lightning. A suitably dramatic end to our Ruta de las Golondrinas.
Monday was a day for farewells, and the end of this year’s adventures with Alfonso and Manu.
We drove back to Lourdes airport, flew back to London Stansted in the company of nuns, got the Stansted Express back to Liverpool Street, said au revoir to Rach and then headed down to Hotel Hazel for the night, and another Thai Takeaway for dinner.
Off Into the Pyrenees with Alfonso and Manu. Part 1: London, Lourdes and the easier half of the Carros de Foc.
Tuesday morning, R came to finish cutting the hedges and we had a look around the “Estate” for other jobs.
The Victoria Plum wedding tree that A&M got for us is laden – and last year the entire crop numbered 5. This year the weight of the plum crop has caused two of the older branches to snap. I should have checked in on it earlier.
The rest of my busy Tuesday morning featured home insurance renewal, picking all the plums I could reach, washing old bed headboards in case I could donate them at the tip, going to the tip and binning our old microwave, headboards (booo) and a box of foil, batteries and light bulbs.
Rendezvoused with S at H’s, catching up over wine and nibbles in the back garden before ordering Takeout Thai for Tea – because in London you can, and in rural Herefordshire and Pembrokeshire you can’t.
Compared kit and finalised packing…. then bed.
Wednesday was travel day: Breakfast – Northern Line to Moorgate – rendezvous with Rach in Liverpool Street – Stansted Express to Stansted – Ryanair self checkin and bag drop (somehow we each had 40+kg hold baggage allowance. Go figure) – Security (surprisingly civilised) – Non-priority boarding for our (slightly delayed) flight to Lourdes.
Got the last seat on the Airport Shuttle Bus from the airport to Lourdes station, then Hazel navigated us to our Luxury Loft Lourdes where we settled in, unpacked and then headed out for cocktails and dinner at the lovely Le Passage.
I’m only giving an outline for the rest of the week (and next week). For the detail, you’ll have to wait for the write up – aka Into the Pyrenees with Alfonso and Manu: Photos & Notes.
Then the short walk through forests and meadows to the Estany* de Sant Maurici and on to our first hut, Refugio Ernest Mallafrè – the most compact and bijou of our Carros de Foc mountain huts, and the one with the most challenging ascent / descent in / out of the platform bunks….
* Estany = Catalan for Lake, and the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park is FULL of gorgeous lakes, many of them naturalised reservoirs.
Friday was the first full day trekking the Carros de Foc, from R. Ernest Mallafrè to Refugio J.M. Blanc. Forests and flowers, mountain streams and mirror lakes, over the Coll de Monestero, the stunning first sight of R. J.M. Blanc ….
… and a beer at a picnic table on the shores of Estany Tort de Peguera.
Two speedy dinner sittings. Noisy night in our dorm. Thankfully we were on bottom bunks.
Saturday was Carros de Foc day 2, trekking from R. J.M Blanc to Refugio Colomina via Estany Negre de Peguera, the Coll de Saburó and the Pas de l’Os, and Estany Saburó, Estany de Mar and Estany Colomina.
We arrived just before the weather turned. Later arrivals came in cold and drenched.
R. Colomina was my favourite hut on this trek. Others have the glamour, the views and the sundecks, Colomnia has the ambience and the team. It also has the essential guide book for those doing the Carros de Foc, Tina en la Carros de Foc:
The wet day, but we made it over the Colladata de Dellui before the rain really set in, and reached the refugio in time for a late picnic lunch inside in the warm and dry having walked through some lovely landscapes: high valleys and mountain lakes, deep valleys and long lakes, forests, bilberries, juniper.
A hot and sunny afternoon tempted us outside and down into the Valle de Sant Nicolau and the Aigüestortes part of the Park for a cold water paddle, riddles and pooh sticks.
Monday, Carros de Foc day 4: R. Estany Llong – Refugio Amitges.
This was the day we diverged from the standard Carros de Foc route and instead followed Franco’s Road past Estany Llong and up to the Portarró d’Espot, before dropping down towards Estany de Sant Maurici and contouring north round to El Mirador de L’Estany, lunching en route to Estany de les Obagues de Ratera and finally the long hot climb up to glamorous Refugio Amitges.
It was also the day of the 3min 30 sec dash over scree slopes and hidden gullies to the Lone Pine – that was Alfonso and Manu, obviously – from Mirador del Portarró.
And of late afternoon chanting on the shores of Estany dels Barbs – beautiful.
Too windy to enjoy the fabulous deck with views out over Estany de Sant Maurici and the valley below, and Saharan sand made the mountain views hazy. But we didn’t let that deny us beer and nibbles, or thirds of the best lentils of the whole trip. Vegetarians got a wide variety of veggie burgers on the Carros de Foc.
TV: Something at Hazel’s, possibly.
Podcasts: Forgotten! Anyway, I slept on the train to London.