Pico de Posets

Extending the stay

If you have not noticed, I have stayed in Escalona for 5 days instead of the original plan of 3 days. I have also decided to extend the stay by yet another 2 more nights. (I think Javier was totally confused by this weird Chinese girl by then.)

One last hike

After the kayaking trip, Raquel happily told me that I could join Toño and 2 guys for their hike up Pico de Posets. She told me both she and Toño thought I could handle it and their 2 clients were agreeable that I join them. The rest of my kayaking mates went "Oooohhhh" when they heard "Posets". That was as far as "good news" went.

The bad news were - we had to meet at 5.30 am (instead of the usual 8.30am), I would be ascending twice as high as what I have done for the last few days, it would be cold and it would be a technical climb. That's all.

I could only remember that I kept asking Raquel "Are you sure?", "Did Toño REALLY think I could do it?". Just then, Sami and Hari (the guys who I would be climbing with) came back from their mountain biking. "First big mountain huh?", they asked. "Don't worry, we will take care of you."

The day

I woke up at 4.30am, wondering what I have done to myself AGAIN. I had my Olympic shit (PARDON! But I have always had it before my races. And there is really such a term and such a thing happening.) I let myself out into the cold and dark street. (The night before, Javier had taught me how to let myself out of the hotel and had kind of expressed his puzzlement as to why I was leaving in the wee hours of the morning.) Before long, Toño, Sami and Hari arrived. Toño had a final check on our equipment - with the ice axe, crampons, etc, this would be the heaviest day pack I have carried up the mountain.

I have been to the Parque Natural de Posets-Maladeta with Raquel. This time, we were going to Pico de Posets (3375m). It is the 5th highest mountain in Spain and the 2nd highest in Aragón. 

We started from Refugio de Viadós (1550m) at about 7am. I was EXTREMELY NERVOUS that I would let everyone down but the guys seemed rather relaxed.

The initial part of the hike was the usual pretty sight expected of the Pyrenees. Grass, streams, rocks, flora, marmot, valleys, hills, snow-capped mountains. 

Break time!

Source: Sami

My terrible techniques

Poor Toño had to patiently correct everything I was doing (which was pretty much everything I think). 

I was using the trekking pole wrongly - surprise surprise! left leg and left arm, right leg and right arm. ¿Como? I just could not get it right, or rather, I would get it right for 10 steps and then got it wrong again. It took me ONE WHOLE DAY (my brain just was not functioning) before it occurred to me I could use the NPCC marching rhythm (left, left, left right left). DUH! (To my NPCC squad: I never did the left leg left arm, right leg right arm thingy in NPCC hor. I was not the 老鼠屎 then.)

My footwork was atrocious. Too big strides. Too narrow stance. Aye Yai Yai!!!

If I were Toño, I would have pulled out all my hair and beard and killed myself on the spot.

Attempt to summit

We finally reached the snow. Toño tested the snow and decided for us put on the harness, gaiters, crampons and helmet. Toño secured us together with his rope, taught us how to use the ice axe and explained how we should keep the tension of the rope. It sure felt safe to have someone with more than 25 years of experience and a specialist in technical high mountain sports!

Toño checking the snow

Gaiters and crampons

 Tied to 3 men:

No go

At some stage, my tummy kept growling from hunger and I thought I was going to black out. I asked to have a break. The boys then left it for me to decide if I wanted to proceed to the peak - they said they were happy to stop if I wanted to. They could not go up without me because I would have to sit in the cold for at least 2 hours to wait for them. The weather was changing rapidly and the clouds were coming in. I was exhausted and wanted to answer the call of nature (obviously could not do anything when tied to 3 boys). I figured if I could make it to the top, I would not have enough energy to get down. I finally called it quits at 3180m, 7 hours after we started. 

The clouds came in

The boys waited for me to decide

I felt extremely guilty. If I were not there, the boys might have had a better chance of making the summit. I was, afterall, the "extra" who joined them in the last minute. Sami and Hari were extremely gracious and forgiving. I think I apologised too many times and Sami finally told me his personal story and that "everything happened for a reason". Hari joked that if I felt that guilty, I could try again alone the next day. 

Getting down

Going down was not easy either. I was so worried my dodgy knees and left ankle would give way as we slid down the snow. Fortunately nothing serious happened.

How far we have come down

As a reward perhaps, we saw many sarrios on our walk back to the car.

By the time we reached our 4x4, it was 7.30pm and started drizzling. 

Sami, Toño, Hari did not look tired at all!

It had been a long day and I was exhausted by the time I limped up the stairs at Hotel Arnal. Javier simply shook his head. Ha! 


I began to wonder - is Kili still within reach?