55.01 France: A glimpse of Pic du Midi from afar and then near and finally, on top.
Our bodies are being tested in the Pyrenees of France, (I'm talking of physical endurance on the slopes,) while my mind is running on low. What with fuel prices so high, I'm conserving mental energy, hence a break from blogs. I had to upload this so I can enjoy it at least once a day while resting. From many miles in the distance, near Luz Ardiden, we spot the peak of Pic du Midi. With the naked eye, we could only see the spiral. 3 days later, we approach Pic du Midi. What a fascinating region, what a structural accomplishment, what a loss of words we have because of where we find ourselves. Actually, lost ourselves in such amazing, rugged beauty and testing trails/challenges. The following day , we approached from a different direction. It was a more formal hiking trail but strenuous. Did we say tough? The elevation gain was 3,300 feet. While we were not intending to reach the peak, a lake instead some 2,000 feet lower, it was too tempting. The downside was, altho...