Pic Long

From the car park at the Cap de Long dam (2,175 m), follow the path along the south shore of the reservoir to its tail (about 2,250 m, 1 hour), then head south up the stony valley past a small lake (about 2,590 m) towards Pic Badet. Climb the loose, cairned gully to the gap between Pic Maou and Pic Badet (about 3,074 m), where old snow often lingers; an alternative is to go to the Hourquette de Cap de Long (2,902 m) and follow the ridge north, bypassing Pic Maou on its east side (or climbing a short wall of poor rock, 3b). Follow the easy, slightly airy ridge north to Pic Badet (3,160 m), about 3½ hours from the dam. Continue along the ridge towards Pic Long, first on the crest and then on the north side above the remains of the Pays Baché glacier, with exposed grade II moves on poor ground to get round the Aiguille Badet and a second pinnacle. From the Hourquette du Pic Long (3,099 m), climb to the summit keeping well left of the crest (II, short and steep, a chimney on the south side), about 4¾ hours from the dam. The summit is a geodetic point and gives a wide view over the Néouvielle, Vignemale, Monte Perdido and Maladeta groups. The usual descent is the old normal route: from the Hourquette du Pic Long, abseil down the chimney onto the Pays Baché glacier (at least two 30 m abseils depending on snow, the first equipped; reports range from 40 m to 80 m in total), then descend the moraine back to the lake. Rockfall is frequent in the chimney. Alternatively reverse the ridge to the Maou–Badet gap. Climbing the chimney itself is now harder than it used to be, with a III+ to IV- move at its snow-free base. The rock on the ridge is generally poor; a helmet and a short rope are standard.