Puigmal 2909m

The weather looked like it was gonna be worse on tuesday for Pica d'Estats and by the amount of snow on Puig Carlit, probably wouldn't have got very far up it.

I wasn't gonna go up Puigmal because i thought you had to go through Spain to get there. But then i found a way from the French side and i wasn't that tired from Puig Carlit so i thought id go up anyway.
Puigmal is one of the 37 most prominent peaks of France, it has a prominence of 1331m.
When i got there i could see it was almost completely cloaked in snow. There was no chance i was gonna get to the top but i'd driven here now so i mayswell try.

Funny how the other mountains have no snow and the one i want to go up is completely covered.

I was the first one up as usual. The path quickly disappeared under the snow so i had to try to climb up the ice. Tried a few different routes before it became too steep and i started sliding down.

Previously, these have been very intense moments and i feared sliding to an icy death. But since doing this a few times i have become comfortable enough to take a photo.

I was thinking of going back at this point. Id only been out for an hour. Then i saw these old footprints that were quite deep. Thats pretty much a ladder, so i went up them. This enabled me to get across patches of steep ice then onto grassy or rocky bits to climb up. Sometimes i had to change direction or go back and look for foot prints i could climb up. Managed to get quite far doing this. If it wasn't for the foot prints then i never would have been able to get up here.

Over the first ridge i could see the top. Looked quite close. I thought i might actually be able to do this.
Took quite a while to get there looking for footprints. Also it had gotten really windy. Its a lot colder here than the alps.
Nearer the top there was a lot more exposed rock and scree i could climb up but was gettin tired and it was freezing. Finally i could see a cross that signifies the top.

There was almost no cloud but still not much of a view. Jus more barren looking mountains. There was actually loads of butterflys for some reason. Maybe they got blown up here. There are somtimes tiny flowers dotted about. Had a little wander round the top then started to walk back down.

I was wondering how to get back down cos the way i came would be too dangerous to go backwards. But i keep forgettin that later in the day, the ice goes soft and turns back into snow. Jus plodded my way down buttskiing some of the way.

Oh look, there's the path!

On the way some guy asked me what are the conditions at the top. "It's colder and windier than here.What do they expect me to say?! "Its 30c, theres a swimming pool and a bar!" This is the main thing people ask me. Probably because im the first person they see comin down.
I also seen a woman with two corgies go up then ski down. Them little legs looked like they were struggling.