Spanish Pyrenees (1950s)

and on the way back from our first Excursion we decided to spend the night in the Spanish state tourist Inn at oradesa where the most exacting Mountaineer and tourists can find every comfort I've been there only a few months previously and the manager remembered me but I was hardly able to speak to him garatero wanted to be shown the route I followed in the summer we were in the oradesa national park and farther to the east laid the national park of San Mauricio Los encantots the Aran Valley leonetto and Monte Perdido [Music] King had made us hungry and we decided to restore our energies while we talked about our plans where would we make poor on our next trip to Sal de Mayo La brecha or gory we had plenty of time to think it over thank you and carretero again insisted on hearing about the last trip I didn't want to go into details but in the end I gave in and so I had to tell the story of my camping in the Pyrenees [Music] once again I found myself beside the lake in the National Park of San Mauricio one of the most attractive places in the catalonian Pyrenees I felt jealous for every Mountaineer feels that the hidden places he has discovered belong to him alone and today it's easy to travel along mountain roads to the whole Zone included Between the Lakes of La ratera La Riviera de San nicolao and the river peguera these new routes give easy access to a region which could formerly be reached only after days of hard walking the beauty of the view has changed since I first knew it the level of the lake is risen flooding the wood and the increased expanse of water lightly stirred by the breeze is impressive for its tranquility memories of Green Meadows faded away as I looked down to see the Waters of the lake mapping the trunks of the last remaining pine trees along its Shore [Music] foreign [Music] the water is from The High Lakes pour into San Mauricio through the Falls of Lara Terra this is one of the most attractive spots in the National Park foreign [Music] [Applause] here the woods die out gradually while the rocks and Crags soar above them [Music] thank you [Music] on the following morning we traveled uphill for two long hours until we reached the heights of Los encantats leaving the river monastero and the Pico de solonoage behind us foreign T had to wait for us looking back at us in Surprise [Music] until real climbing began and the rough ground hurt myth's pause so we had to leave him behind so as not to waste time [Music] there's no real difficulty in climbing the granite by the usual route however I left nothing to chance [Music] on reaching the summit we got a wonderful bird's eye view over the greater part of the national park and a wide range of mountain peaks [Music] [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] a few days later we dropped down to the Aran Valley the nados Salado and the air surrounded by pasture lands are a never to be forgotten sight [Music] thank you on crossing the garona we became aware of something slipping from us the river flows over the border into France making its absence felt in the valley good morning [Music] [Music] the Traveler's eye roams over the peaceful and inviting Countryside where the Pyrenees have lost their wildness on leaving the valet on the way to the South slope we come across the town of manasse an ancient Village which contains the most typical features of high Aragon [Music] amid its busy streets there stands the Palace of the count of rivagorita evocative of memories of noble achievements while we replenished our store of Provisions I spoke with an old guy we were going to the most difficult part and we needed someone who knew the lay of the land well but this one was busy so he arranged for another guide to go with us the next day we wanted to admire the landscape and so I hired a horse which made a pleasant walk of what would otherwise have been a long and very weary Journey mitt enjoyed himself as much as we did his twitching ears and nose were proof that age-old instincts were Awakening [Music] thank you [Music] we arrived at La rincusa the best situated mountain hut in the area to find abadias whom his friends affectionately call The Lion of a NATO awaiting us in an hour and a half a shortcut which at times lost itself among patches of snow and rocks brought us to the Portugal inferior and from there we caught sight of the giant of the Pyrenees [Music] the weather was in our favor the hanging Glacier of the aneto typical of the Pyrenees because of its structure stretched out before us like a great snow field s crevices hidden despite the advancing Summit we had to take advantage of the circumstances and attacked the peak without a rest since the greatest danger lies in sudden storms you know behind the glacier the paths of maland that once the crest was surmounted we were on the way to the summit at last we reached the top 3 304 meters above sea level highest point in the Pyrenees this was a rich reward which probably could only be truly appreciated by the Mountaineer thank you a landscape the matchless quiet [Music] there in the distance Le Monte paradido our next objective after some days traveling and a night at the gory's mountain Refuge we began the climb [Music] in the pocket formed by El filindro and El Perdido in the matiso de las tresores we caught sight of the frozen lake amid the rugged landscape we were to witness the most moving of religious ceremonies [Music] foreign [Music] which gave our hearts time to rest we set out again for the region of the Peaks wrapped in a mysterious shroud [Music] the ascent of Monte Perdido was the last of our clients [Music] Below in the cleft the oradesa National Park quiet of its Peaceful Valley spite of paradise of which God did not wish to deprive us [Music] for some hours our downward path lay along the damp Mountain slopes where nature is laid out as soft springy carpet foreign [Music] a horseshoe-like mountain formation which is characteristic of the Pyrenees [Music] the Gradens of sawasso sloped down to the valley in a sequence of huge steps like polished glass [Music] river flows into the wood joyfully and then more peaceful it slips between Meadows and bushes hidden by sloping mountainsides and high rocks which seem to fall apart circling one of the most beautiful of all mountain regions which all who know the Pyrenees consider unique [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] the background was the firco de cotatuero where we had crossed the barrier giving access to the bridge at eraldon and the verico de gabarini a few days before [Music] foreign [Music] thank you [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] another of the features of ordesa is its Alpine Florida the Edelweiss deer the Mountaineers the world over abounds all around laughs it was our last night in the mountains we gave ourselves up to the magic influence of that unique source of hypnotic attraction the Pyrenees [Music]