The 70-year-old hiker, tired but unharmed, was rescued Friday evening in the Pyrenees. – Hautes-Pyrénées Gendarmerie
At 70 years old, this hiker is described by the Hautes-Pyrénées gendarmes as “well equipped” and “practicing the mountains regularly”. However, the septuagenarian had to be rescued on Friday around 10 pm when he was “in a state of great fatigue”, on the way to the Baysselance refuge, a stage before the climb to Vignemale (3,298 m).
Thursday, this experienced walker had separated from a friend, left for his part to make a ski tour to the great peak of Tapou, not far from there. The two men were to meet on Friday around 1 p.m. in a gîte in Gavarnie, where they had been staying since the start of the week. Worried about not seeing the septuagenarian return, his mountain companion notified the emergency services around 5:30 p.m.
The hiker “sorry” for the inconvenience
Unable to get to the scene by helicopter, due to bad weather, it was a land caravan of six gendarmes, including five from the High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon (PGHM) of Pierrefitte-Nestalas, who were able to find the hiker. exhausted.
According to the soldiers, who recall some cautionary instructions on their Facebook page, he was “sorry to have disturbed the rescuers”.