Being up before the sun was a necessary requirement for climbing on the Dent d'Orlu at this time of year. It's a 40 minute steep and rugged path up through the forest to get to the base of the cliffs. The path is marked out with red paint and stone cairns, but the forest is actively winning ground back.
To begin with an avalanche/landslide had wiped out a section of the path and a good portion of forest too.
Soon after, we passed a quirky fallen tree that had been lifted from the ground by the tree it was resting on.
As is now par for the course in the Pyrenees, there was plenty of overgrown jungle exploration to contend with. We were grateful for the cool temperatures of the early start.
We found our chosen our route and set straight off up and into the morning sun. The climbing is fantastic. Great rock and plenty of bolts to show the way. However, it soon became clear that we were going to be toast before we got to the summit. As descent is by abseil, we decided we would climb until our water ran out and then call it a day.
All was going splendidly as we swung leads. There was a fair bit of vegetation between good rock and the climbing was absorbing.
At about 150m off the deck, Clare reached up to pass through a series of overhangs and tweaked a muscle in her neck. With pain down her arm and barely able to move her head, she lowered down to the belay. We hung there for a while trying to ease off the spasm and make an evacuation plan. To clean the pitch, I led up (aiding off a sling to pass the overhang!) and made it to the belay. After some good climbing the final 8m was vertical grass! I had a proper sweat on when I got to the top and abseiled back down.
Working as a team we abseiled our way back to the base, while enjoying the views. We were still a long way for the top, but there was a good panorama.
The forest section didn't take too long to hike back down through, but the heat was now intense.
Luckily there was a good bathing pool by the van, to try and relax Clare's neck in. It looked nice, but he water was like an ice bath though.
Shade, water, food and a very refreshing dunkhelped things along greatly.
After a shower and a snooze back at the pad, we made it into Ax-les-Thermes for a evening drink.
It's a cool little town, with hot water baths where we bathed our feet before getting a cold beer in the old square.
Dent d'Orlu, South East Face:
- Rose 6a (A0)*** (first 4 pitches)
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