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Walking the Pyrenees with Fairbridge Drake and an ascent of the Pic Du Midi.
After leaving the Ardeche Gorge, we drive to Gabas in the Pyrenees.
The culmination of this trip was an ascent of the Pic Du Midi, and this is me at the top of it.
We camped in the Gabas campsite, in Vango tents.
Over the years I have grown to hate Vango tents (triangular, orange, you get the picture).
After bivvi-ing out the night before, everyone washes their clothes and sort's through their kit.
When I look at my equipment now, I cant believe that this is what I wore when I went walking at 20
The best piece of equipment I owned, was the down jacket, made in Finland, and slightly to small for me
After that, it would have to be the Norwegian army mountain boots
The hideous jumper, jeans and hat designed for football matches, I am happy to forget about.
Just to show the caliber of the people on the course, a wet morning, after a night of torrential downpour, and the lads still have high spirits.
Nadiah and I ended up stuck in the van, as the tent we were in, let water in.
In the morning, the first thing the lads did, was bring us a cup of coffee each. I can remember how good it tasted, even to this day.
A scanned postcard of the Pic Du Midi, showing it height at 2885m
This would remain the highest mountain I climbed, for nearly 15 years.
Our team on the day, as we set off from our valley base, and pause for a photograph.
After only 40 minutes, the view back down the valley, was quite spectacular.
There were several rocky parts of the ascent, and scrambling was required
I was wearing shorts and a t shirt, so I was grazed all over. I now wear long trousers for this type of thing and just put up with the heat.
We pause for lunch.
Half a baguette with cheese, tomatoes and salad, was delicious washed down with water.
At high altitude, we can see over a cliff, the clouds beneath us.
As we reach the top, a weary euphoria descends on our group.
A picture of Tony, the bloke I shared a bunk with on the Spirit of Merseyside.
Nadiah and I were never able to get in touch with him when we got back (I wrote to him twice).
I sometimes wonder what he's doing now.
Me at the top.
One of the greatest achievements of my life.
Not sure why I posed holding my helmet ?
On the way back down, we cast a shadow of ourselves onto a could beneath, which I am told later is called a brockenspector.
Climbing down, was quite stressful, as much of it, was very steep.
