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Snowshoe Shuffle

Imagine standing at more than 2,600 meters above sea level, having just hiked your way to the peak without seeing a soul.  In the thick of the Pyrenees with stunning views across to Andorra and Spain, you ca make fr4esh tracks on a multitude of fantastic climbs. 

I had flown to Toulouse, south-west France, to meet four other keen walkers for a snowshoeing holiday in Ax les Thermes.  Ax, roughly speaking, sits between Foix and Andorra in the Eastern Pyrenees. 

The Romans used this typical French mountain town for its thermal waters, but it wasn't until around 50 year sago that the first ski resort opened here.  with an easy transfer from Toulouse airport and mountain walks on your doorstep, it is the ideal base for a week of snowshoeing  in the back country.

On the Rise:

Snowshoeing, although previously under developed as a sporting activity in some areas, is currently witnessing a rise in popularity.  In fact, sales of snowshoeing equipment have now overtaken those of cross-county skiing and a European Snowshoeing Championships is held in Andorra.  I'm only an amateur walker, but I was keen to experience my first winter break snow walking some of the amazing Pyrenean mountain ranges.  The other participants on this trip were all regular walkers and climbers with tales of amazing adventures in Peru, Morocco and the US, among other places.  I was beginning to wonder if I had bitten off more than I could chew.  But, as I was about to find out, snowshoeing, although not for wimps, is equally accessible to experienced trekkers and those who enjoy occasional hill walks in the summer. 

There was not shortage of snow, or stunning sunshine as we spent five days snowshoeing with our mountain guide James, tackling new challenges each day.  Of course, you can just amble around in the mountains snowshoeing, but we were a bit more adventurous.  As we drove to our starting point, col de Puymorens (at 1,920m), we were faced with a high peak looming in the distance.  My first reaction was one of disbelief and 'yeah right, we're gonna climb that' under my breath.  Everyone else, however, nodded approvingly at the day's challenge, so off we went.  Clear blue skies, thick unmarked snow and temperatures up to 25C stuck with us as we headed off to Tossa Rodona, standing at 2601m tall.   The walk began with a gentle gradient along the glaciated valley, pausing only for stories of bears and avalanche information from our guide.  After a quick snack break we began the first of two steep climbs, feeling the burn in my legs and digging into the snow I clambered my way to the top, and then again to the top of the second very steep incline.  the views were already stunning, but the best was still to come.  We composed ourselves and climbed the final meters along a ridge leading to the top.  As a first timer in the mountains in winter, I was in awe of my surroundings.  We were quite literally on top of the world and no one could deny how beautiful it was.   Snowy peaks surrounded us as far as the eye could see in all directions.  As I took in the amazing 360 degree views in the bright sunshine, I had a huge feeling of achievement.  As we sat taking in the vista, including the rugged peak of Puig Pedros, we were amazed to see a few ski runs on the other side of the valley, completely deserted.  I imagined the crowds falling over each other on the slopes of nearby Andorra, trying to navigate an uninterrupted path to the bottom.  They needn't have traveled far to be here instead, with empty slopes at their disposal.

Once we had eaten our lunch and recharged our batteries, we said farewell to the views and began our descent.  Those two steep inclines seemed even steeper on the way down as we edged our way cautiously to the bottom.  our walk back took a slight detour to the left where we found another very steep drop that weaved its way downward.  This was to be the first of many toboggan runs.  Sitting on what can only be described as a plastic frying pan, we bombed down the slope, generally ending in a heap at the bottom with our trousers full of snow.  After that excitement we walked the final stretch back along the valley.

Happy Days:

We had several days like this: after a hearty breakfast we would take a short drive then head for a peak, jumping on our toboggans back down, and driving home for cake and tea before our evening meals finished us off.  Each day gave us a mixture of forests, rounded hills, peaks and ridges with glorious sunshine and consistently good snow.  On our second to last day we drove to col de Puymorens again, but this time we were heading up to pic de la Mina standing at 2,683m on the opposite side to Tossa Rodona.  Heading off just above the ski resort we made a line for the tress and walked through them, eventually coming out to the edge of the ski slope.  We then turned right up a very steep hill to a ridge, which gave us great views of the ski resort and across to the glaciated valley we had previously walked.  The last section on this climb had to be done without snowshoes due to the incline and the narrow path leading to the top.  James our guide led the way with his ice axe at the ready to dig out any food holes needed.   Kicking our toes into the snow to make steps, we edged our way to the top and I would admit to feeling  a bit nervous.  It felt very exposed and the edge to my left seemed like a sheer drop, but I was extremely pleased to make it to the top unaided.  Once again we were standing tall at 2683metres.  We took in the spectacular views over to the spiky ridge of pics de Font Negra and other ridges that James told us also provide great summer treks.  After taking photos of each other looking very pleased with ourselves, we began to head back.  This nine-km hike had been a great one for me, even though it was a bit nerve-racking at times.

Perfect End:

Our last day was more relaxing, starting with a very pleasant six km walk to El Pic del Maia with views to Spain and the whole of Andorra.  This slightly shorter walk allowed us to conserve some energy for the evening when James had booked us a table at a mountain refuge, Refuge du Chioula, with food and drinks on order. Our evening walk was two kilometres through the forest each way, with a climb of just 150 metres.  We headed off at dusk when it was still pleasantly warm.  As we arrived it had begun to get dark and a net of stars were emerging above us.  A roaring log fire greeted us and we tucked into a well-earned feast, discussing the great week we'd just had and future plans.  

After devouring three courses it was time to walk it off under the night time skies.  A perfectly clear sky revealed more starts than you could ever imagine.  

Navigating our way back in the darkness, it was hard to keep an eye on where we were walking with such sights above us.  It was the perfect ending to a fantastic week.

Remy's week was arranged through Marmot Tours (www.marmot-tours.co.uk), and cost £445 plus flights.   Email james@marmot-tours.co.uk or Tel 0033 5 61 02 80 43.