We might be away in the mountains, but sometimes there is still work to be done. Having the ability to be able to have a nice balance of work and play is something that we have been gradually cultivating and today proved how well the two can go together. While I was doing some planning and writing, Clare made use of the deserted bar (and wifi) to make some Skype calls with regard to her coaching work and catch up on emails.
Between calls, we re-grouped for elevenses to make use of the balcony while comparing notes over coffee and pain au chocolate!
Then after a light lunch, we drove up the valley to get our first taste of Pyrenees rock climbing. As it was our first afternoon out, we chose somewhere that was nice and close to the road, with amenable grades to break us in gently.
We ended up climbing six nice little single pitch routes of very well bolted Gneiss (around 20m each) at an area called Héas. There looked like a few good multi-pitch routes for another day too.
It was good to be further up the valley, where the views opened up much better than around our village. We saw a couple of other climbers, but otherwise, it felt like the valley was ours.
On the way back down the hill, we stopped off at Gedre at the tourist office, then carried on back to the pad. Because of the steep-sided hills, the sun sets earlier here than you would imagine, so there was still a glimmer of light at the end of the valley when we turned in for the night.
Great first day on the rock and exciting to have also been able to do some work at the same time! A Mountain Lifestyle indeed...
Héas:
- L'Ernest d'en face, 4+
- Antiparkes, 4+
- Osons l'utopie, 5*
- L'Anartiste, 5+
- Ils ont vote, 5+
- Zonzibar, 6a**
- Antiparkes, 4+
- Osons l'utopie, 5*
- L'Anartiste, 5+
- Ils ont vote, 5+
- Zonzibar, 6a**
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