Vignemale

July 04, 2025

Vignemale

Vignemale - 3299M

1027M Prominence

42.77400, -0.14730

July 4, 2025

HRP Day 14 stats

1104M Ascent, 2152M Descent

23.01 KM

I woke up after a quite damp sleep in a cave. A slow drip of water had been landing on me all night, making sleep challenging. I quickly packed up my stuff and started heading towards the glacier d'ossue, one of the largest in the pyrenees. There was not reslly a trail but rather rock cairns piled up all over the place below the glacier, so i kind of just followed the dry rock as far as it could take me before i would have to gear up for the glacier. The rock was seperated by a few small snow patches, but i just hiked my way up as directly as i could on the glacially carved rock. I crossed a few streams when I needed to, but stayed dry. Eventually at around 2900M the glacier was in front of me, so I strapped on my crampons and grabbed my ice axe. It was quick traveling on the glacier as it was quite flat. There were no crevasses anywhere to be seen, and i hiked up an existing crampon path. I passed 3 other hikers on the glacier, who later joined me on the summit. At about 3220M I took my snow gear back off and made my way up the summit scramble. I followed some interesting geoloical curves in the semi loose rock, and then it took me to a Henry russel cave just below the summit. From there it was a few minutes tl the summit. I was the first one on the summit for the day, so i got to take in the very special views all by myself. Unlike most other summits on the trip i spent a good 20 or more minutes up there, as Inwasnt in any particular rush. I then followed my ascent route back down to the cave just as i came up, and at the cave i yardsaled my gear to dry it out in the sun. The rest of the day was one long downhill hike for about 17KM South West down to Gavarnie. I knocked it off rather quickly and got to town to set up camp for a zero day for the next day.