Pic du Midi
2011
N 43° 01' 00" E 00° 09' 00" Alt 2877 m
On 27 August 2011 we were camping in Argelès-Gazost, a small town near Lourdes in the Pyrenees.
Today we're heading up to Pic du Midi - a boyhood dream about to come true. The weather is
uncertain, but since the forecast says it will only get worse, we go anyway. It's not actually
about observing anything today - it's about the observatory itself. We want a taste of
professional astronomy at a serious level.
The Journey Up
The drive up is beautiful, steadily gaining altitude.
We can see threatening clouds gathering around the mountain peaks.
By the time we reach the Col du Tourmalet, we're at an altitude of 2115 metres. Just a little
further, and from there we can only continue by cable car.
This is La Mongie, at the foot of the Tourmalet. This is where the cable car to Pic du Midi departs.
Somewhere along the way you have to switch cable cars. We climb 1000 metres in just 15 minutes.
Arrival at the Observatory
It looks like it isn't clear up top. Luckily, the site wasn't chosen for daytime weather - only for clear skies at night.
The journey goes smoothly, and we reach the observatory around 11 am.
The observatory was nearly shut down a few years ago. It's now split into a professional section
and a visitor section. Visitors aren't allowed into the professional part. Visitor numbers are
high enough that part of the...
...running costs are covered by admission fees.
It's all very well organised. The exhibition is informative, and I found the film about the
observatory's early beginnings particularly interesting.
An elevator has been built inside a dome that's no longer in use for observing. On the way up to a higher floor, an informative short film is projected onto the inside of the dome. The elevator itself, though, is quite slow!
Ice and Fog on the Summit
When we step outside, it's cold and quite foggy.
It had frozen overnight.
Ice everywhere - on the fences, railings, chairs and tables.
History of the Observatory
The information film shows photos of the observatory's construction. Originally, the goal was
to build a weather station. Later, the idea arose to also do stargazing there.
On the left, a note of thanks to those who braved the dangers of accessing Pic du Midi in order
to advance science.
Pic du Midi, before the observatory existed.
In the early days there was no road yet, and the first materials were transported up by donkey.
It's almost hard to believe now, how much effort went into placing a telescope up here that performs worse than any amateur telescope today.
Porters carried the parts up the mountain.
Construction of the Baillaud dome in 1907.
The Observatory Today
These days, the main focus is on solar observation.
This is the current coronagraph, the only professional instrument we were allowed to see.
On the Summit
Above: you can clearly see how the observatory really was built right on the summit.
A sundial where you yourself are the gnomon.
Back down by cable car. Down there, sheep are waiting for us and... there's no more fog to be seen.