Tuc de Hornos, q.2300m ... the most disappointing first descent...November, 25th 2013

Once again, the winter season got started !! I don´t know any better place around here than Val d´Aran  to draw the first lines. It has been snowing for the previous 8 days after several  and unusual, for the time, snow storms have hit the Pyrenees in a row. It was surprising how the situation changed in a sudden. After a warmer and drier Fall, now we got main villages of the valley with up to 80cm and roughly 200cm at an altitude of 2000m.

I took Monday and Tuesday off as weather forecast forecasted nice weather for those two days the last week. As Monday was approaching the weather forecast was getting worse...Cloudy weather means fog in the mountains...

Right after the tunnel I saw how clouds were stopped beyond and how sunny was in a good area for backcountry. So, delightly I thought, that´s for me! This is my time! I left the park and started to skin up after my last descent in the Maladeta.

Some trees are still turning... 

Clear sky, the forest coated with fresh snow, easy track...Lovely way back to what I like...

So, so pleasent to be skinning up through this fully snowed  fir tree forest in a cold morning....

And when I came out of the forest after thinking how privileged I was, I saw how clouds moved right onto the mountain I was heading....

I was convinced that karma couldnt play so unfairly against my interest so I decided to go on...

Come on, clear it up!! Its one of my numbered fucking day off....

I dont know if it was karma, weather God or what the hell but whereas in other mountains Sun was shining...

....the one I was heading posed the most foggy face of any mountains around here...The only charming thing was that I met Marc. This local knew the place and was able to go thrugh the fog.

Despite his attempt we gave up for it at 2300m. We were actually very close to the summit. At some point the clouds peeled away for 2 seconds  we even saw it.

An here it comes...my torment. Low visibility, very deep snow and flat ground made a significant part of my descent a very unpleasent one...and this hurts if you have been wating for it all summer...Needless to say, the effort to reach up there and being this a day-off...

In very few accasions the descent became nicer...

On the whole, It wasn´t rewarding when it comes to assesing the descent...Maybe its me that I was asking too  much after having kept this pair of day-off for a D-day...I guess there must be foggy days in a backcountry career ja-ja. Let´s see the good point...Last June I was hoping to be the next season in the Pyrenees, and by now, here I am!! But please, a little bit luckier in weather conditions than last year...