So...about those bears then...
When we were in Gavarnie a few weeks ago trying to decide which route to take, we read a section of the guidebook that said “the choice of the HRP is a choice for challenge!” This has become a bit of catchphrase, and is now wheeled out whenever things get a bit tough.
As far as the route goes, today’s challenge was the largest boulder-field Klaas or I had ever seen, full of the largest boulders either of us had ever seen (1st photo - it’s worth looking at the full version as Klaas is actually visible in the middle of some enormous rocks). At one point Klaas dislodged one that he described as “about the size of a refridgerator.” The boulder-field was only about 1.5km across, but it took about an hour and a half to cross. The GPS showed that we’d only actually been moving for 34 minutes though - the rest of the time was spent balancing on a rock trying to work out a way through.
Before we reached the boulders though, there was an unexpected challenge awaiting us as we woke up. Klaas looked out of his tent first and yelled over to me that my bag was outside and that there was a hole in my tent. Since Klaas is only serious about 20% of the time, I didn’t take much notice at first, but when I sat up I saw that the side of my tent was ripped open and my bag was indeed missing.
Going outside I saw my muesili supply all over the grass and the bread and chorizo wrappers empty (2nd photo). Worse still was that one shoulder strap of my rucksack had been torn through (3rd photo) and the hip belt was hanging by a thread.
To begin with we assumed that it was probably a fox, but as we studied the teethmarks on the tent and realised that the animal had moved a bag weighing 10-15kg, we concluded it was probably bigger than a fox, and we’ve since spoken to a refuge guardian who said that the altitude (2,400m) was too high for a fox.
The bear had thoughtlessly cut the shoulder strap right at the end, so I had to spend 40 minutes sewing it together and reinforcing it with safety pins. The hip belt has always been quite generous, so I’ve just tied a knot in that, again supported by safety pins. The tent has also been sewn and duck-taped together, so the show will go on.
The food may yet turn out to be the biggest problem. I managed to rescue some of the muesili but losing bread, chorizo and muesili is not very helpful.
You should have dug a tree well around your tent and then placed some snow on top. That would've thwarted the bear.
I'm not sure the bears over here understand TWCP but I guess it's worth a try!
Only a bear with its strong sense of smell could detect your food inside a rucksack and in the tent. In that area they are of the Slovenian race introduced over a number of years. To be at that height they are usually crossing from one valley to another in search of food.
Mark.
Hi Mark,
Some friends bumped into a park ranger at Refugi de Certescan (three nights after the lake where my tent was torn open), who told them that the imported bears are now successfully breeding with the native bears and the latest estimates are that there are 20-30 bears now. The ranger also said that the bears are definitely active in that area and they've been attacking local bee hives.
Sadly on the 1st of november 2004 the last living Pyrenean female Canelle was killed by french hunters near Urdos (Somport) in the valley d'Aspe. There are now only two old males left and no introduced females in the west of the Pyrenean chain the race will be extinct within the next few years. All of the bears in the east are from Slovenia there are none of the Pyrenean race.
Mark.
By the way did you have your ear plugs in that night.
Jon can you give me the exact location of where you pitched the tent that night.
Mark, we were camped on the north east shore of the little lake just east of Col d'Airoto. I don't have GPS coordinates but I can send you a google map link when I next reach a PC. The nearest coords I have are for the refuge at the east end of the big lake (Estany d'Airoto): 31 T 340272/4728282
Thanks Jon for the info. Just seen on yahoo that cows have been attacking tourists in the Peyrnees its happened to me on several occasions when they had calves best practice your matador swing.
Cheers for the advice! I'll steer clear of any evil-looking cows.
Just noticed your question about ear-plugs - the answer is yes. I was aware of the tent moving, but the rattle of the zips sounded like a sudden gust of wind, so I just rolled over and went back to sleep! With hindsight I think that was probably the safest thing to do, rather than face a bear through the mosi-net window of my inner tent...