Page 25 - 2005 AMA Winter

Exercise Pyrenean Peak Cadet
Andy Richardson Exped Instructor on day four Group with the Pic du Midi DOssau in the background
After 14 weeks of another busy and demanding term at RMAS, nine intrepid adventurers of Gaza Company set off to explore and conquer the French Pyrenees. The expedition took place between 9-16 August and five challenging days of trekking were achieved. Every member of the team completed each day’s trekking and gained an invaluable insight into what a well organised and well planned AT Expedition consists of.
To get into France we needed help from the Irish; we flew from Stanstead to Pau by Ryan Air - cheap and cheerful. The expedition didn’t get off to a great start. First, at Stanstead Airport it was discovered that Mark Townend had forgotten a tent. Bringing the tents was his sole responsibility and his blunder deserves a mention here. Second, the weather; we left the rain and cloud in the UK and arrived in France to the same. When we signed up for this expedition we were promised sun and blue skies - fortunately after a couple of overcast days we got what was promised, until we returned to the UK a week later that Is.
The main effort for the expedi­ tion was to climb to the summit of Pic du Midi D'Ossau, some 2884m. The route was recce-ed on the first
day and the peak assaulted on the second. For the ascent we were blessed with gorgeous weather, great scenery, and awesome wildlife - soaring eagles. The climb was arduous but all members agreed that reaching the top was the highlight of the week.
The expedition involved trekking a circular five day route in the Ossau region of the Pyrenees. The first day involved a trek to the Pic D'Saboustie and then onto the refuge D Pombie - a pleasant mountain hut situated in the shadow of the Pic du Midi D'Ossau, the refuge would be an excellent base for a climbing expedition as there are over 100 climbs on the rocky face of the Pic; some are 400m in height. The second day was the ascent of the Pic itself and then on the third day the group trekked out of the valley, pausing at the Lac de Fabrege before climbing steeply up towards the Lac d'lurian and an unmanned shelter located there. Here a beautiful sunset was seen combined with low cold hanging in the valley below. On the fourth day the group trekked into the neigh­ bouring valley via some remarkable and remote scenery including hanging valleys and stunning cliff faces. Everyday we exceeded a 500m ascent as well as a similar amount of descent. We endured some real heart and lung pumping phases of
the trek and had to navigate some rather exposed paths; fortunately we had our mountain guru, Andy Richardson, to ensure we remained safe - even the sure-footed(or clumsy) Phil Mhango and Mark Townend.
Throughout the trekking, fellow walkers marvelled with amazement, or stared at the absurdity, of our pace; particu­ larly that of mountain goat Rob Johnstone who continually pushed ahead up the front. Fortunately we had Ben Bobroff, a fluent French speaker, to answer any queries posed to us on our travels.
On the final day’s climb up the hills we came upon a stunning and crystal clear lake, 1km long and at a height of 2000m. Mad Scotsman Ian Burns was crazy enough to take a dip in the ice cold water while the rest of us enhanced our tans lakeside. We spent our final night on the hills in a very
rustic refuge on the edge of a very small lake a few hundred metres above the one we’d stopped at earlier. The accommodation was basic but the phenomenal starry night sky on offer was a fitting end to our conquering of the French Pyrenees.
The expedition finished with two days R&R in beautiful Biarritz, the surfing capital of Europe. Plenty of sun, sea, and sand were had by all. However, ginger-haired Stu Jubb struggled to cope with the burning sun and 35°C temperature, while the rest of us revelled in these weather conditions. Biarritz has an idyllic beachfront with art- deco styled buildings lining the promenade. It provided the perfect ending to a great trip and the French even gave us a huge firework display on the beachfront to see us on our way - the festival that was happening that weekend was probably just a coincidence.
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By Paul Robinson
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Pic du Midi D'Ossau from the refuge D'Pombie
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ARMY MOUNTAINEER