Raquettes

Some form of exercise was called for today. Two (or has it been three?) days of slovenliness and overindulgence can take their toll We still have Cat 3 avalanche warnings in force in the area, so we took the easy option. Instead of a ski tour we popped up the road to the Col de Port and donned the showshoes for a quick ascent of Pic d'Estibat. The snow was coated in a crisp, icy layer thanks to the very low overnight temperatures which made the steep climb far less arduous than it would have been in soft, deep powder. The view when we reached the top was, as usual, stunningly beautiful.... Pic de la Journalade was coated in it's winter finery......and ornate patterns created from wind-scoured snow decorated our path
Instead of joining the masses heading towards Pic de la Journalade, we headed off to the right towards Turon Ner before cutting back down into the forest and returning by the forest track. The steep descent tested my snowshoe/pole technique but we arrived back at the car unscathed. Hopefully this glorious weather will continue for a while longer and more outings on skis or snowshoes will be possible.