31-Jul-2000 -- During our vacation in the French departement of
Hautes Pyrenees we were not very far away from the confluence of the zero
degree meridian and 43 degrees north latitude. So Ineke and I went hunting
on July the 31st 2000. We drove to the small village of Gazost where we left
the car and went hiking into the Northern Pyrenees mountains. These are still
modest in height but the hike to the confluence turned out to be rather
strenuous. First of all it was a hot day (later we heard 35 degrees C), second
we encountered very steep trails or absence of trails. But most of all we were
eaten alive by hordes of horseflies.
After a couple of hours we got to within 220 meters of the confluence
point when we reached a wall too steep to climb. Sidetracking we found a
trail that seemed to be rarely used and which brought us higher on the slope
and at a distance of 130 meters of the exact spot. Now we couldn’t get any
closer. We would have to climb the Northern slope which was thickly
vegetated and too steep. So we agreed to make a picture of a location at
the zero degree meredian, 140 meters to the South of the real confluence.
After we came back to the campsite we were quite exhausted but satisfied
that we came as close to the confluence as was safe. Therefore we hope
the confluence is considered to be a successful attempt. The two of us
carried four ticks that we brought back from our expedition.