Mrs P’s 4 Day Boot Camp
Following our misadventure when we were locked out of Gandalf (see previous blog) we headed a short distance into France to a place called Ax Les Thermes. Ax Les Thermes is a spa town and ski area in the French Pyrenees with great access to the mountains (hence the ski resort thing).
The back streets of Ax Les Thermes
If you are ever in Ax Les Thermes (boy, do I wish it was just called “Ax”!) I would recommend a visit to the tourist information office. They are ridiculously helpful, informative and, well just lovely. The delightfully well informed lady behind the counter (and the mask) ensured that we left the office laden down with useful maps, hiking guides and heads filled with ideas.
Having secured a place at a campsite a short walk from the town, we headed back in to Ax (I’m calling it “Ax” and you can’t stop me!) for coffee and a planning meeting. First task? After ordering drinks, check the weather forecast and our mountain options.
Wellness Sport Camping (Ax Les Thermes). Great campsite. Terrible showers.
By the end of the meeting Mrs P has a full, 4 day boot camp planned despite my protestations which are born of a few days pootling around at the coast and sitting in cafés.
“This is how it will work.” She happily informs me.
“We will set our alarms for 06.30hrs…” (this will get earlier each day I am to later discover) “…when it is still very dark and very cold.”
“Yes sir.” Say I knowing that resistance is futile.
More instructions follow. “We will be packed and ready to go before 08.00hrs and we start hiking before 09.00hrs. Preferably earlier.”
She goes on, ”Each days hiking itinerary will comprise a minimum 8 hours in the mountains with at least 1,000 metres of ascent.”
“Oh dear!” I reply.
”What was that?” Says Mrs P.
”Yes dear.” I respond, recognising the error of my first response.
Mrs P continues, “No hike shall end unless we can barely walk another step. And we will never get back in time to go for a beer.”
Mrs P notices that I am wilting.
“Is there a problem?” She asks giving me one of those looks her father warned me about. I mentally add the word “soldier” to her question.
I snap to attention and say, “No Sir!”
I am accused of being facetious.
There is more, “On return to the campsite each evening we will take a cold shower (she didn’t say exactly that, but since the showers are pretty rubbish and pretty cold I thought I’d add it for effect), you will cook dinner then I will collapse into bed. You will stay up and draw Inktober pictures (Instagram drawing challenge. Click on the Instagram icon below to see the drawings) and write blog pages.”
”THIS WILL BE FUN!” She adds.
Tough though the next few days are, Mrs P is, as always, proved right. We did have fun.
Authors note: The above conversation is a verbatim record of the actual words uttered by Mrs P as I remember them. Please note that both time and events since this conversation may have somewhat skewed my recollection. Note also that Mrs P might refute this record.
The following photos and words aim to condense 4 days of hiking into a couple of photos each with one or two abiding memories.
Day 1 - Hike No. 1: Le Pic de Tarbésou loop
Elevation Gain: 2,736ft (834m)
Maximum elevation: 7,756ft (2,364m)
Duration: 7hrs (ish)
Abiding memory: Cold!
Icy high winds on the Col de Pailhéres
If conditions get any colder at least we can make a snowman
Etang Bleu (lake blue - which is actually green) and Etang Noir (lake black - which is actually blue. Go figure!?)
Mrs P photo-bombs yet another great shot.
Etang Bleu (and yet so green)
Stunning autumn colours on the walk out.
Day 2 - Hike 2 - La créte Soularac-St-Barthélémy
Elevation gain: 4,163ft (1,268m)
Maximum elevation: 7,770ft (2,368m)
Duration: 8hrs (ish)
Abiding memory 1: Looks just like a large version of Tryfan in Wales (but much bigger!)
Abiding memory 2: Swallows flying South for the winter (DON’T MENTION BREXIT!)
A view of almost all of the ridge walk. (No, it is not North Wales)
Mrs P stopped smiling when she realised it was her bun I was eating.
Are you sure this is not North Wales?
Half way round and it still looks like North Wales! We could’ve saved ourselves a lot of money.
Day 3 - Hike 3 - Étang d’en Beys (Lakes of the Beys? Don’t ask me!) and beyond. A there and back route.
Elevation gain: 3,549ft (1,082m)
Maximum elevation: 6,758ft (2,060m)
Duration: 8.5 hrs
Abiding memory: Me asking Mrs P how much further we should walk before turning back and her replying, “Forever.” and meaning it.
The views just urge you to see what is beyond the next ridge (it’s usually another lake)
Etang (lake) d’en Beys and the ridge we decided to go and explore
A well placed tree allows Neil to pretend that he’s a real photographer
Day 4 - Hike 4 - Étang (lake) de Naguilhes Another there and back route.
Elevation gain: 3,460ft (1,055m)
Maximum elevation: 6,496ft (1,980m)
Duration: 6 hrs
Abiding memory: Mrs P assuring me this was a 4 hour walk. (Mrs P talks with forked tongue.)
Mrs P just loves taking sunburst photos. Étang de Naguilhes 1,980m (6,496ft)
After 4 days of Mrs P’s boot camp I am beginning to see things. Is that a face in the rock?
Descent through the dappled sunlight. Lovely, but it does rather go on (for 1,000m - 3,280ft)
Bilbo Baggins will appear any minute now…
And so it ended. Sadly. 4 days of hiking. Early mornings and long days, but we could both have just carried on, as Mrs P so eloquently put it, “Forever.”
