Candanchu

The ski resort of Candanchu is an easy drive from Jaca. Saturday afternoon threatened storms so we went for a short walk in the morning. The weather was lovely.
We had heard that they were saving snow like they do in the Alps. Apparently there had been up to four metres of snow. What we didn't expect was to find the mound of snow at the bottom of the slopes. It is covered with bales of straw for insulation, but I wonder if there will be any left by the time the first snows fall.

                                              David is standing at the base so you can see how big it is.

There were some patches of hard-packed snow on the cross-country slopes, and we saw some people skiing down the 45 degrre slope beside the "Slipper" rock face-you have to be very sure of yourself to do that, especially on spring snow!

Gentians

Hepatica

Spring flowers

Yesterday was 21st May, and I won't be back in Jaca until the beginning of June, so we took the chance to drive up to Formigal and Le Portalet in the Tena Valley. It's where in previous years we've seen daffodils in May. This time, we did see a few, but what we did find were gentians and orchids. It was the most spectacular bank of wildflowers I've ever seen!

little gentians

big gentians

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dactylorhiza_sambucina These are apparently Elder-flowered orchids, which come in both colours

Also, hanging from a rock we saw these:

I think they are alpine primulas of some kind

There is still a fair amount of snow on the mountains.

The melt water is rushing down the streams