We let our dinner companions from last night set off before us this morning. I waved them off as they set off down into the clouds before getting the lads out of their bunks.
It was a classic hut breakfast of poor coffee, bread and biscuits, but there was no shortage of food at least.
While the snow was still firm, we set off with crampons on, upwards into the mountains.
It was a stunning morning, with blue sky above us and a sea of cloud in the valley below.
It might sound cold, all this talk of snow and ice axes, but I just can’t describe how hot it was crossing the last of the snow later in the day. The heat of the sun was radiating back up at us and it was intense. Like being under a grill on full heat.
We crossed over the col above the hut (Garganta del Hou Sin Tierre, 2082m), and traversed around the snow covered bowl of Hou Sin Tierre. It was brilliant being back in ‘winter mode’ and we all roped up to prevent anyone slipping and sliding. It felt crazy that here I was back in crampons, walking across snowfields - especially as we’re in Spain! I’ve been used to shorts and sandals recently. As we climbed our chosen peak, (2275m, to the west of Col Los Boches), I was delighted to recognise the pyramidal peak of ‘Pos de Santa Anna’ that Clare and I had climbed years ago (left had skyline below). There’s a photo of us on the summit at The Cottage.
With impressive jagged peaks in every direction, the rock monolith of Naranjo de Bulnes still dominated the skyline.
As a little bonus, I guided two keener students up to a rocky summit (2275m). A roped pitch and the some short roping had us all grinning like idiots at the excitement and summit views. After lowering them down, I chose to leave a small sling and abseiled down rather than risk a solo down climb. The terrain was not too difficult, but the consequences of a slip would have been. Better safe than sorry.
On the rocky patches between the snow, the hardy flowers were putting in a show of colour. Moss Campion was everywhere.
Despite putting in some way-markers in the GPS, there were some cool cairns to help mark the paths.
We got back to the hut in the late afternoon and relaxed in the shade with cold drinks. Around 18:00, we went back out to climb the small peak (2186m) behind the hut. Near the top, the mists rolled in which was actually quite a relief as the sunshine was punishing.
Between the mists, the clarity was crystal clear.
An instructonal session on ice ace breaking, finished which a fabulous (but wet!) slide back to the hut and we arrived soaked and with snow packed down our tops.
By the time we’d washed and changed, dinner was being served and thankfully it was much better than last night. Everyone ate well and a good debating session followed. The last of the light finally left the tower, signalling bed time. Look closely and you can get a sense of scale: there is a pair of climbers abseiling down the face.
The hut was busy tonight, but I (along with everyone else) was very tired, so went straight to sleep, lined up on our Alpine bunk amidst the snoring, coughing and rustling of our fellow hut dwellers. It wasn’t even dark outside but we were all too tired to wait to see the stars...
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