Last week I took a group of 5 men on an 8-day private guided hike through the Pays Basque and French Pyrénées in southern France. Here is a shot of our guest Brent gazing up at the Vignemale (3,298 meters), an incredibly good-looking peak that sits on the border of France and Spain. The Vignemale is also the highest peak on the French side of Pyrénées. Ten centimeters of snow the night before made her look absolutely spectacular.
Our group hiked up to the base of the Vignemale which was free of snow by the time we got there. We enjoyed lunch at an alpine club hut consisting of hot homemade soup, omelettes, meats, cheeses and sweet cakes. The hut had wine, beer and coffee too! Then we climbed up and to the left of the peak, over a high pass where another perfectly situated (and well-stocked) French Alpine Club hut (FFCAM) welcomed us for the night.
The Vignemale is the name for the entire massif, which is located in both France and Spain. View more of our private guided hiking tours here.
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