"Tuesday 31st July 2018. An ascent of Crête de la Serre 1595m/52m, Pic de Cantau 1642m/109m and Pic de Berbeillet 1633m/58m, Val d’Azun, Hautes Pyrenées, France. 20.0km, with 490m of ascent and 950m of descent. 7hrs 20mins. The weather forecast for today was not the best, with hill-fog predicted to quite low levels. Nevertheless, no rain or thunder was forecast. I resolved to carry out my plan to complete all the remaining summits on the main ridge that runs north-east from Col de Soulor (1474m) for some 23 kilometres. I had three left to reach. ALT dropped me off at the Col de Soulor, where the cloud-base had lowered to around 1600 metres. It was to remain around this altitude all day. However, the mist was light and shifting, so I hoped for easy navigation and the occasional view. I headed north from the col on the GR 101 (see at https://www.gr-infos.com/en/gr101.htm) around the west flank of Cap d’Aout 1654m, the summit of which I had visited in August 2016. The trail then bent north-east to reach the reedy Lac de Soum, above which loomed in the mist Crête de la Serre, my first objective of the day. The path continued up its easy-angled ridge to a grassy summit..." — marktrengove • Jul 31, 2018

"Sunday 29th July 2018. An ascent of Mont de Gez 1097m/163m, Val d’Azun, near Argelès-Gazost, Hautes Pyrénées, France. 11.0km, with 600m of ascent. 4hrs 5mins. My wife and I were staying, for the second time, at a beautiful gîte in the village of Gaillagos, in Val d’Azun, south-west of the famous town of Lourdes in the French Pyrenees. Our stay gave me the opportunity to complete what I had begun in August 2016 – to visit all the summits on the ridge that runs along the northern side of Val d’Azun. One of the main tributaries of the Gave d’Arrens river, which runs through this dramatic valley, has its source in the Balaïtous Massif (see at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bala%C3%AFtous), one of the great three-thousand-metre peaks of the Pyrenees. The massif could be clearly seen from the veranda of our gîte. The Crête du Val d’Azun does not reach these heights (the highest mountain along the ridge is Pic de Bazes at 1804m/330m), but it is full of interest. There are limestone peaks and crests of the type often associated with the Pyrenees, but also heather-clad hills with acid soils reminiscent of some the hills of Mid Wales. Wildlife teems, with a wide variety of but..." — marktrengove • Jul 29, 2018

"Continuation of walk from Pic de Bazès. Re-traced steps steeply down to Col de Bazès, then faint path up the north ridge to the un-marked summit. A mass of purple heather, buzzing with bees. Walk continued to Cap de Soc. Hot, dry and sunny. Solo." — marktrengove • Aug 26, 2016

"From Col du Couraduque. Took the forest tracks west via Col de la Serre to Col de Bazès, then steep path north-east to the edge of the wood, then more steeply still west on the path just inside the shady beech-wood to the summit. Walk continued to Soum de la Berducou. Solo. Hot, dry and sunny all day. More lammergeiers! " — marktrengove • Aug 26, 2016

"Continuation of walk from Soum de Berducou. Retraced outward route east to Col de la Serre, then forest tracks north and south up to the vegetated summit in forest. Walk continued to le Soc. Hot, dry and sunny. Solo." — marktrengove • Aug 26, 2016