UKC

Has anyone got experience of this mountain? It sounds like a big trip, most sources saying it's not do -able in a day from any of the nearby centres. Unless you are fell runner type fit.

Options seem to be staying at a hut to break the climb( my snoring rules that out plus I'd be missing out on my hotel's cuisine) or getting jeep taxi up to the hut. 

Any other suggestions?

I don't know if it's still possible, but a few years back we were able to just about drive a hire car a long way up and did it as a day trip.

Subsequently we tried walking it from lower down but were thwarted by snow between the hut and the summit.

It certainly is doable in a day from Vernet Les Bains, though it's a long one.  I remember getting back and lying down in the shower for about half an hour, pretty knackered.  Just leave early!  Alternative is to hitch a lift up to the top of the road - should be possible if it's just you.

I'll be staying in Vernet and I'm pretty sure I'm not at that level of fitness. Thanks for the hitching tip tho. Haven't had my thumb out in the last fifty years so it would be a novelty   

My wife and I did it from Vernet in mid 1980s. Took about 12 hours. Clockwise route. My wife wore a long skirt, almost down to her ankles, as she had terrible sunburn in her legs after doing Pic Carlit the day before. We almost got hit by two sizeable dislodged rocks on way down. Ran out of water and had a very thirsty couple of hours. To top it all, my wife fell down the hotel stairs on way to dinner after we got back. Didn't hurt herself. Despite all this we both look back on it as one of the best days of our lives 

We walked up it in a day and then bivied the other side of the summit, woke up early to watch the sunrise over the med and it was one of my most memorable nights.

I think I just had a sleeping bag for the bivi, and it was fine in the summer.

I tried walking it in a day from Vernet. I got as far as the Refuge de Bonne-Aigue before realising that I'd be coming down mostly in the dark so I did a traverse along a horizontal track for a bit instead then descended by a vague path through woods which were clearly heaving with wild boar and came out at the abbey of St Martin du Canigou. It was properly dark by the time I got back to Vernet. If I'd left at alpine-start o'clock it would have been a feasible if long day.

Looks like a 2000m height gain so that is well out of my league for a day trip, but the bivvy on top with some sanglier and maggoty cheese to go with the sunrise sounds like just the ticket.

And if you get it done early in the week, you can have a rest day or two and get your feet on the table in the café with a coffee and a pastis, and listen to your wife's quarter peals

Not there for a full week so I think she'll miss ringing practice. They sound a bit tinny anyway.     

My band have tried a couple of times to organise a ringing trip / holiday there, both times frustrated by the pandemic. Hopefully it will happen though, so I'm watching the thread with interest.

I've never rung there but my understanding is they're a very light ten so tinny is probably not far off the mark! A good walk might be preferable.

As you say a single day Canigou trip involves 2000m gain in height and that's something I've never really got near doing. A couple of long days out from Pont D'Espagne , Petit Vignemale and Grande Fache, still only come in at 1500 m.

Back home the only exception in my time has been the Lakes 3000 peaks which was done from Wasdale to Keswick, not as part of the official race but coincidentally on the same day. I tot that up as being 2600 m. 

But those were different times. This afternoon and 5 days after finishing a bout of Covid a walk round a local country park nearly did me in altogether so I think I might be better off just ticking a handful of Plus Beaux Villages and riding the yellow train.

Hey Tom I can't recall if we chatted about this but have a look at the walks in the Cerdagne/Pic Carlit region. Not far from where you'll be. You can get a good long day in some really beautiful and wild feeling open valleys without needing to be Killian Jornet. Good weather and wildlife there too, and a few huts and cabanes. Walk from Mt Louis through to Merens and get the train back. Magic.

Might give you an idea of the mountain....https://howlingmist.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-pyrenean-adventure-june-2013.htm...

Wise words.

I include up and down in UK walks and the most I've ever done in that context is 1800m. 2000m is Annecy lake to the top of La Tournette, and there is no chance I would get that done in a day including getting back down again, but there are lots of options to start and stop half-way etc. A much preferable way is to fly to the top

If we get to Vernet, I'll look at all the options; it's very tempting, and the alpine start might help, but not many options for a bail-out. Looks like there are a good few lesser things to go for.

Yes indeed. My IGN map has just arrived and on the edge of the page is Le Pic des Tres Estelles, 2099m , accessible from Col de Mantet, 1761 m,. That sounds a bit more like it.

Many thanks to all the UKCers who have replied with positive encouragement but it has actually confirmed my original thoughts that I would be massively out of my depth and that I should choose something less demanding ( substantially so).

Foolishly, up until reading Goatee's article I hadn't even considered the possibility of snow in late May so that's another very useful tip.

Either trying hitching or get a taxi from Vernet up to Col de Jou (1125m). Descend northwards and back to Vernet via Refuge de Bonne-Aigue. Still a long walk but at least you'd only have 1660m of ascent and you're only carrying a day pack.

Last time I climbed Canigou it took me 4 or 5 days, but I did start at Banyuls on the coast. The other time was maybe 30 years ago & we drove to the Chalets de Costalets (thinks thats the name) & walked from there via the Breche Durier (little bit of scrambling).

Last time I was in the area a couple of years ago it was possible to get a 4 wheel drive taxi up to the chalet - do they still run or have they now been banned?

I think they still run, as mentioned in my OP, but these last few days I've come round to thinking that even  a hut to summit trip is beyond me at the moment .

Once again, thanks to all for the various bits of advice and I hope that my realisation  that I'm not up to the trip doesn't make anyone feel that they've wasted their time in replying to my OP.

Great hill. We did it in 2 days with a hut night, but I thought it'd have been relatively easily done in one. Article here:

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/destinations/canigou_-_catalonias_mo...

Same here

 A better option would be a motor bike as the track is very rough. Easy in a day from there. Oh yes. Take lots of water!