My recent post on European High Mountains: When to Go elicited a response from Humphrey Weightman, which deserves promoting from the status of comment. Humphrey wrote:

This electrical storm business is serious. It’s the cause of the majority of summer deaths. The most intense period is typically from around the second week of August through the first week of September. The storms are of far greater intensity than in the UK, and build from early afternoon.

I was caught in a deeply unpleasant 6-hour storm back of Mt Carlit two years ago. Luckily I knew the location of a shepherd’s cabane, and I simply abandoned all my equipment and ran to the location. The only safe place in a storm is inside a building – and I mean inside. People are regularly killed standing in a doorway.

I’ve been in four Pyrennean storms, and I wouldn’t wish them on a soul.

It is worth dwelling on this a while, for it is one of the reasons why a trekker in the High Pyrenees will need flexibility with itineraries.

As Humphrey said, these storms build up in August as the humidity in the air mounts. The storms can be monumental and even on the Spanish side — where there is little rain — electrical storms can be ferocious.

A general rule of them when trekking at this time is to start early and be on the way down from the ridge (or summit) as afternoon roles on. You’ll get absolutely drenched lower down but will probably be safe from lightening. But the storms can be precursors (especially on the French side) of a day of torrential rain, rain that can be so bad that you’re confined to camp in order to sit it out.

It is easy to think that this is scaremongering but it is just practical advice. Too tight an itinerary is not a good idea in the high mountains.

Like Humphrey I’ve been caught in a few good ones, once I spent a night near Lac d’Arratille literally scared out of my writs as the lightening flashed all around. The storm had moved off in the morning but torrential rain, low cloud and poor visibility had me dropping down to Cauterets to take an impromptu rest day.

On my last trip here I slept through an amazing storm a little lower down in the high hamlet of Héas. I could hear the storm coming for an hour or so and when it it it was absolutely ferocious. Lightening flashed across the higher ground under the Cirque de Troumouse — which was my intended wild camp site for the next evening.

In the morning the storm had passed and the air seemed fresher. Everything seemed calm. I had a chat to the old women who owned the site who had spent all of her 80 years or so living in the Pyrenees. I was quite optimistic. The storm has gone I said cheerily. But it will be back this evening came the reply.

Off I went towards the Cirque de Troumouse. Mist had fallen and was stubbornly refusing to burn back. Visibility was very poor. By the time I reached the cirque I began to realise just how humid it had become. The old lady’s words kept nagging in the back of my mind. I would have been committed to a long, high and exposed walk. I turned back and settled down to take an impromptu siesta back in Héas. As soon as the tent was pitched the heavens opened and it rained and rained for twenty four hours. And guess what. That evening there was another hairy electrical storm.

Sometimes it is wise to listen to local advice. And it is always best to have some spare time up your sleeve to play with!

This is a wonderful Cirque — as good as Gavarnie. But you see just about what I saw !!!

Just a few hours before the storm!

People are planning their holidays again. I can tell by the number of emails I’m getting about the Pyrenees. The biggest issues coming out of are: how long the summer season? How long do I need to go for? What can I do in a long weekend?

I’ve covered a lot of this before but, as a lot of people seem to read by Pyrenees pages, I thought I’d bring things together for those looking to plan over the Spring (and who no doubt find their way here via. the blessed Google!). I’m writing about the Pyrenees, but the same is true for most major European ranges. Oh, and I’m assuming you don’t want a holiday relying on ice axes and crampons. (If you love the ice then this isn’t for you!)

The Season

The walking season in the Pyrenees starts in June and finishes sometime in October. But the extreme end of this scale can be challenging. Stick to the lower GR routes and you’ll be fine, although one or two of the higher GR10 and GR11 variantes could present a problem with snow and ice. But snow can linger into July — see my Pyrenees Trail report for 2008. Late-lying snow can have an impact on high routes.

At the other end of the scale, September can be the best month in the Pyrenees. October, on the other hand, can be pushing it.

Think hard about your time slot. Flights are cheaper out of August of course but then August offers the best walking. While France is on holiday in August the high mountains are rarely ‘busy’ although you might have to plan your accommodation a little more carefully.

Mountain Refuges tend to open up sometime in June but even that is pushing it a bit. I remember once being in the Masif Central in June (nowhere near as high as the Pyrenees and the Alps) and finding that the pistes were not properly opened. I had one or two high days where the weather was pretty unpleasant.

Season Extremes Means More Flexibility

By all means plan your trip for the extreme end of the scale but understand that you may have to be flexible. Stay high and you may find yourself not able to cross through a pass and that might mean a variation or delay, a bit of a nuisance if you’ve booked ahead.

Even at the height of the season the space to be flexible and to improvise can be important. Summer storms can be dramatic and can easily see you loosing a day. Mind you, if you go from refuge to refuge you’ll find that everyone else is a day off schedule as well and you shouldn’t worry too much about advance bookings being lost.

Length of Trip

You should see from this that the length of the trip is important.

I get a lot of emails from people wanting to do a stretch of the High Pyrenees in three days! I blame Trail magazine for this, you know their trips where they leave Stansted on Friday morning, hit the trail and then return back for an evening flight.

These trips may make for good copy — and they might seem exciting — but they need to be treated with a lot of suspicion.

Consider a very short trip when you have to coax unhappy fellow walkers across snow fields on sharp inclines or across ice? Walking holidays should be pleasant for all involved!

For me, I wouldn’t really consider anything less than seven days. remember, it can take a day to get into the hills and a day, sometimes, two to reconnect with your flight back home.

And then there is the question of rest days. These are high mountains and you’ll often notice the altitude. It won’t make you sick but walking this high, in stifling heat, can take it out of you. Planning for the occasional rest day is a good thing in my view.

Flexibility is Key

Be prepared to be flexible and be determined to enjoy the mountains. A three or four day dash in the Lakes or Snowdonia is one thing, but high mountains rarely work in the same way.

Be prepared to change plans. You may have fixed on an ideal start and end point but it it becomes clear you’re pushing it too much then don’t worry too much about cutting the trip short.

It is best to enjoy yourself. As a famous TGO walker says, “remember you’re on your holidays”.

If you are planning your first trip to the Pyrenees or the Alps don’t worry about being caught short. You’ll be back.

Ideals

For me ten days is probably the least time here I’d consider, time enough to get into the mountains, walk high and also take a rest if need be. A couple of weeks is ideal, particularly if you have a slightly sceptical partner who’d quite enjoy a day or two in the city at the end (even if you’re just camping in the municipal campsite).

If August seems problematic to you then I’d recommend looking at September rather than July as the snow will almost certainly have gone by then. There will be rooms in refuges, gites and hotels. On the other hand, June/July will see more of the upland plant life at its best.

You pay your money and you take your choice. But the only thing you should be determined to do is to enjoy yourself, chill out a bit, and make sure everything doesn’t pass by in a blur!

A few of you have bought Steve’s book on walking the GR10 which I reviewed a few months ago now.

Steve’s website — Pyrenean Way — is developing nicely. Steve has emailed to say that more content is online.

Worth checking out if you are a Pyrenean fan or thinking of visiting there.