Capcir/Cerdagne

EVERY THURSDAY THROUGHOUT THE SEASON.

The snow has arrived in the mountains so why not come and join Ian Pendry and Mike Rhodes, two English qualified snowshoe guides on their treks in the back country.

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Snowshoes are a great way of travelling through the deep snow in the forests and hills of the Pyrenees following in the tracks of elusive wild animals that you will never see in summer.

No previous experience in needed and you only need to bring normal walking boots and clothes/waterproofs. Snowshoes and poles will be provided and the cost will be €35 per person for the day.

Read all about the last trek (below)  and contact Mike or Ian for more information on these superb snow shoe days which take place every Thursday…..but can be adapted to any day.

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Ian and Mike are planning to hold a snowshoe walk every Thursday through the season starting on the 28th December.

Mike explains
To simplify things, we will be meeting at the L’Edelweiss café in Mont Louis (which is at the garage) at 9.45am. From there Ian and I will take everyone to the start of the walk, which will be chosen at the last minute to ensure that we find the best snow. There is also the possibility to hire snow shoes there.

The cost will be €35 per person and will include snow shoes and poles. (€25 if you have your own snow shoes)

If people can get a small group together we will look at running private trips on other days and to specific destinations.

People can contact either Ian or myself on mike.rhodes@free.fr or ian.pendry@orange.fr

MIKE
0468043728 home
0679105453 mobile

IAN
0678238130

 

LOOKING BACK……….Circuit de Sauto….. in search of the secret Spa of the Pyrenees Catalan

snowshoe
Everything is unpredictable in the Pyrenees Mountains but a forecast of 90k/hour gusts of wind after four days of warm weather caused Ian Pendry and I several problems when choosing a venue for our next snowshoe trek. The pretty village of Sauto overlooks the Tet valley and because it faces south we rarely have the opportunity to organize a walk on its slopes but the recent heavy snow falls meant that, at last we could explore this area and search for its secret spa!

snowshoe

Parking in Sauto is difficult so 8 hardy trekkers met in the Heritage site of Mont Louis and travelled in Ian’s mini-bus the 5 mins to Sauto.

Ian’s wife Angela is in the final stages of training for her International Mountain Leaders award so we rope her in to sorting out and fitting snowshoes to our clients shoes and boots, an essential skill that is more difficult that you could imagine due to the varied nature of footwear that people arrive with.

To access the snowy slopes we walk through the rustic streets which are still snow covered until we reach the upper village limits where snowshoes are fitted.

snowshoe

Today we have four people who are snowshoe virgins so our path starts to climb the slope in easy zig zags until after 40 mins we reach a copse of trees and a little shelter from the wind. Now, Ian and I are quite institutionalised so we have to stop at 11.00am for coffee and a biscuit as well as being a good excuse for a rest and a chat. Another 30 mins brings us to a col and great viewpoint overlooking the Tet valley and Canigou, time for more photos.

Traversing east across the hillside, the views of Cambre d’Ase, Roc del Bloc and the col de Mitja are superb and we were managing to keep out of the worst of the wind. Being high above the valley we could see clearly Prats Balaguer and the thermal spa of St Thomas le Bain, a superb spot to relax after a days trekking.

snowshoe

Lunch was taken in a copse of trees after Ian had dug  a great seat from a snow drift. My preparation of 1.5L of soup seemed to go down really well.

A key piece of navigation after lunch led us to the little know spa de Sauto which was enjoyed by Yann, Ian and myself. It was just a shame that it was currently filled with snow.

The Sauto Spa
The Sauto Spa

Deteriorating weather coming from the west with strong winds and snow persuaded us that a slightly early retreat to a café in Mont Louis may be the best option.

Despite the inclement weather a great day was had by everyone and we seemed to have not put off the first time snow shoers.

We look forward to seeing them again on one of our future winter adventures

Our next walk is on Sunday 5th Feb and there is still time to join us especially if you do not like the ski slopes in the February holidays.

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We look forward to sharing our passion for the mountains.

Mike Rhodes

mike.rhodes@free.fr

0468043728

Mike Rhodes is a qualified International Mountain Leader/Accompagnateur en Montagne and is one of the most experienced leaders in France, having walked and climbed in the Alps & Pyrénées for over 40 years
Resident in Les Angles, Mike will give you a day to remember so don’t forget your cameras!
For safety reasons the group size is limited, so book your place early
Contact him on mike.rhodes@free.fr

Comments


  1. Snowshoe walking in this area sounds great and I’d love to do it but probably too long in the tooth now

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