We were in Piau and Barèges last weekend. Despite a long heat wave which has left temperatures around 20C in the valleys the snow was still very good although even the massive falls earlier in February had begun to vanish. Piau was open apart from the bottom Hourc chair, we were just having fun but still skied some of the couloirs on the northern slopes in front of the resort. We got up to Barèges too late to do much, in the end we decided not to buy a lift pass but to attempt a small ski tour to the Taoulet. This let Ian try out his new climbing skins.