Balcony de Pineta

This is some balcony path - an arduous and relentless 4.5hr ascent up from the Parador 4000' below us roughly in the centre of the shot.  

The third highest mountain in the Pyrenees, Monte Perdido (over 11007'), lives up to its name of 'Lost Mountain'. It hides in the clouds a further 3000' above us skirted by its glacial remnants, now almost completely gone. In 1900 the glacier was visible from the valley below. flowing off the balcony path where we stand today. Up here on the shelf beyond the balcony there is also a frozen lake and an alpine hut, curiously jammed into a crevice in the ridgeline on the French border (see extra).

The fine weather as we started the descent merely lasted minutes. It became a rather fraught zigzag trek through rain and hail, sheet lighting all around and thunder crashing and echoing off the massive cliff walls all around us. Streams, pretty waterfalls and even the path turned into perilous torrents. Just a little reminder that despite forecasts and appearances, mountain weather can turn on you in a moment. It kept it up for hours and we arrived back at the Parador tired and relieved, but completely sodden.