Monday 27 October 2008

Cap de Bouirex

The good spell of weather is due to come to an end tomorrow with 10cm of snow forecast at 1600m, so with blue sky and warm sun today I took the pooch for a romp up to the Cap de Bouirex. This is a small 'pic', visible from the house which has been taunting me for some time with its gently angled, apparently grassy approach - ideal running territory, I thought and also a good ski de rando or snowshoe outing as the lower approach is on forest tracks. It was time to investigate.

Having parked on the road that leads up to the Col de la Core (996m), I initially took the very well made 'route forestiere' before heading up the signposted footpath. The path meandered, sometimes steeply, up through the woodland before eventually reaching the pylon which stands at 1500m. The Cap de Bouirex and, down to it's left, the Col de la Core lay ahead.The pooch was tired as we had made a pretty rapid ascent but he still posed for the obligatory photo as we looked towards Mont ValierWe had a good trot up to the Rocher de Cartignos at 1680m from where we had a good perspective towards Biert, Massat and Pissou in the distance..but there, I ran out of the inclination to do the additional 200m of ascent up to the Cap de Bouirex. It didn't inspire me. I didn't feel the 'need' to bag the peak so we turned around and I had a good run (approx 8kms), first down the grassy slopes to the pylon and then down the lengthy 'route forestière' and eventually down to the car at the bottom. Not a long outing but a very pleasant one all the same. The track up to the pylon looks like it will be a nice little outing on skis de rando when the snows come. It had been good to reccy the route.

Now, will that snow arrive as forecast?

2 comments:

Lee Sharp said...

It's not a bad ski-tour but the long piste is a bit of an icy runnel on the descent. Good fun on the ridge and some nice steeps descending from the pylon.

I know 'the top' is an arbitory topographic point on a mountain but it does have a certain aesthetic charm - worth visiting...at least one anyway!

Anne said...

Really nice picture with the dog.