Mountains are soul food: Col du Tourmalet

The majestic Col du Tourmalet

The tortuous paved roads of the Col du Tourmalet

'le traffic' - Saturday out and about on the Col

We headed out into the mountains today, time to follow the Tour de France climbs again. Our quest was to experience the famed Col du Tourmalet, one of the highest paved mountain passes in the French Pyrenees,  with an elevation of 2115m, and the most included climb on the Tour, over 70 times.

What a surprise to see how pastoral the landscape is, shaped by centuries of mountain farming, the cows and sheep graze freely and were holding up the cyclists and traffic up the pass every now and again! 

Even more quirky was a flock of llamas who also survive in the high mountain pastures up at La Mongie and even up to the high cross-over point of the Col.

It's certainly a beautiful route and the Pyrenees are green gentle giants with their soaring ragged peaks. 

What an experience to remember.

Quirky sight of Llamas on the approach to the high point of the drive

The magnificence of a walk in the Haute-Pyrenees: Col d'Aspin

Crocuses in the high altitude pastures on Col d'Aspin

'Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, and the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right.' 

Soren Kierkegaard. Book: The Essential Kiekegaard

This quote from Natalie is a daily reminder to me to move and to walk, and we had the best possible place to walk yesterday, the French Pyrenees. Our trail started at the high point of the Col d'Aspin, 1485m, in the Haute-Pyrenees. The quiet and sunlit dappled route through the pine tree forest en route to the high point was just a little bit magical. 

Quiet magnificence

The farmers bring their cattle and sheep up into high pastures in summer so we were accompanied by cow bells along the trail too. 

The purple crocus flowers with their orange centres were in full bloom and seem so carefree the way they pop out of the ground and relish the sun. 

We were treated to views of the Pic du Midi observatory along the way and once we passed through the forest the panoramic views of the Pyrenees were our reward. 

On the path with Pic du Midi so clear

Pastoral beauty

There was a moment on the trail, when I had pushed a bit too hard, felt breathless and teary, and then Fred just held me for a moment, we breathed and took it all in, the quiet magnificence of it all.