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23.07.2008 Wednesday.
Cauterets Cirque du Lis.
A grand day out, up to the town and bought breakfast and lunch, croissants etc on offer (probably yesterday's but tasted fine) and a coffee then waited 10mins for the ski lift to start. It's open July to Sept then closes until the snow starts, less and later each year.
Up from 900m to 2,300m leaving 300m to Soum de Grum and a 2 mile traverse along the arête and down the far side at one point to avoid some serious climbing bits, to Moune Neo ou Pic De Monne at 2,724 m our highest point of the day. It’s really great to be back in the mountains after so long in relatively flat lands. The views of the surrounding mountains including the 3,000m peaks of Vignemale and Balaitous were superb in completely clear conditions. After a long sit on the top and lunch we commenced the 1,800m descent back to Cauterets visible from the top but taking a long time to appear closer. On the descent we sighted a marmotte hole and heard a marmotte whistle (but as yet the only marmottes seen have been cuddly toys) and a number of vultures who were below as and not more than a few metres away before they were lifted up and away on the thermals. Back to the campsite to catch the sunshine for drying washing which is limited severely by the high sides of the valley.
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