Perdido and summer pastures
On leaving Casa Marmores this afternoon, I happened to mention to a holidaying neighbour that I had plans to climb Monte Perdido. "Oh, I have climbed it lots of times" was the reply. It turned out that in his young days in the Pineta Valley, he looked after the sheep in the summer time in the high pastures. Though he had been near the summit many times, it had always been with the sheep and always in the foothills. "In those days", he said, "we spent 3 months at a time in the mountains, coming down now and again for 2 kilos of bread". Their milk supply was from the goats that accompanied them in their summer wanderings.From where we were standing in the village of Las Cortes, he pointed out their route to the higher pastures, commenting that nowadays few people climb up that route as the sheep paths have all closed in.
He wished me luck for Monte Perdido. Though you can climb this famous peak from Pineta, I am planning on the more gentle route up from Nerin and Goriz.
Posted by Jayne at 17:03 · 