A Peak with A View

Pic du Midi Bigorre in Hautes-Pyrénées

To continue with the moon series, this is the Pic du Midi de Bigorre in the French Pyrénées. The observatory, with its clear and wide view of the sky, was used by NASA to “map the moon’s surface for the Apollo landings.” (source: Time Magazine, July 27, 2009, p.49)

a half-moon... the view from the observatory must be much more spectacular on a clear night

The structure consists of an observatory, a museum… and a hotel! And with the whole complex located at 2865m above sea level, the view must be really heavenly (pun intended :))… especially on a clear balmy night. Just imagine the view as the sun sets in the horizon and the ice-capped mountains are bathed in a golden glow. And as the dusk turns into night, the evening is lit, one by one, by stars until the sky is a like a black velvet showcasing thousands of twinkling diamonds.

the Pic du Midi viewed somewhere between Col de Tourmalet and Col de Aspin in Bigorre

And since Pic du Midi is only accessible by cable car from the ski station of La Mongie in Hautes-Pyrénées, there’s no sound of vehicles to disturb a moonlit night as you walk among the stars *smiles.* One day, when I have overcome my fear of heights, I would love to visit this place (from la Mongie to Pic du Midi, the cable car goes up/down around 1000m above sea level). For the mean time, I have to content myself with seeing it from the road to Col de Tourmalet.