13th July 5.30 pm.
"The breakfast at the Breche hut was self service, and consequently the most plentiful yet. There was no fresh bread but this was offset by muesli and fresh milk being provided. We left most of the gear at the hut, and shouldering light sacks, we set off up the glacier, on a clear trail, to the Breche de Roland. It only took about half an hour to get there, including a short but loose scramble near the top.
"The Breche is awesome, the sides rearing up like the prows of two ships about to collide head-on. Snow fields drop into
France and Spain on opposing sides, scarred by well-worn trails heading off in varying directions. The ridge that extends
round the head of the Cirque de Gavarnie seems improbably tall for its meagre width, as if it should topple at any moment -
presumably this is what happened when the Breche was formed.
Photo: The Breche de Roland
From there we took the path for Le Taillon passing beneath the great cliffs on the Spanish side of the ridge with views out to the vertical-sided gash of the Ordessa Canyon. The cliffs above leaned over in places to form hollowed and cracked rooves which dipped onto the path below.
At the end of the cliffs there was a lone 'stack' to traverse round and then, with the sun rising at our backs, we trudged up the good path through scree onto the summit ridge. The final section of ridge was delightful, on good solid rock with a degree of airyness and the remains of a cornice on the right side, and we teetered along to a cairn on the top.
The views were a bit hazy, not as clear as Vignemale, but this was compensated for by the dramatic approach and pleasant climb. A very memorable mountain!
We scrambled and slithered our way back to the hut.... Once there we packed our sacks as hordes of day trippers were setting off up the glacier, and then we made our way down the steep descent into Gavarnie.
As we descended the clear path the views of the Cirque and the Grand Cascade got more impressive and the path got steeper
and more scrambly. It was very enjoyable though, even with heavy sacks, as there wasn't much loose stuff and there were
plenty of handholds. It was a long way down though and I was pleased to reach the foot of the final steep section and
then join the crowds by the river and take my boots off!
Photo: The Grand Cascade, at 423m the tallest fall in Europe. The cliffs of the cirque are 1400m high!
We found Gavarnie to be brash and commercialised, as well as being extortionately expensive [6E for two large lemonades!], so we decided to walk down the valley to the campsite on the way to Gedre. A thunderstorm came up the valley and we took shelter in the entrance to the camping shop, where I managed to buy some Coleman fuel, and then we walked on. At the campsite we arrived at the gate to see a 'full' sign just as the bus went past, so we jumped aboard and went down to Gedre.
Gedre proved to be a much more sedate, and French, village with a nice campsite run by a group of gossiping women, up on the hill high above the village centre. We enjoyed a very good meal at a hostelry in the village and then walked back up the hill on a balmy Summers' night, only hours after the torrential thunderstorm."
13th July. 10pm.
A day off in Gedre could have been marred by me losing my camera! I realised after breakfast that it was missing and deduced that I had left it in the restaurant last night. Fortunately, when we got there they had found it under the table so disaster was averted.
Gedre is a lovely place. We managed to buy most of the provisions that I need for the next stage of the walk, despite it being a Sunday. The shops were all charmingly local. L'Epicerie, La Patissarie and La Boulangerie did the business. We sat in the Tabac/Bar and wrote letters and postcards and then returned to the restaurant and had a beer on their terrace overlooking the river gorge. It made for a relaxing morning.
The rain came in early this afternoon, so I retired to the tent for a siesta before cooking lentils and sausages on the stove. Mac is leaving early in the morning, and he is snoring next to me as I write this. I will hitch a lift back up to Gavarnie to continue my journey, with good memories of Gedre and having really enjoyed Mac's company for the past week.
14th July. 6 pm.
It has been a long and arduous day today. My schedule tells me that to get from Gavarnie to Lacs des Aires in the Cirque de Tramause is 21 km and 1610m of ascent, so I suppose I should have been expecting it. Add to that the fact that I am fully laden with fuel and supplies obtained from Gavarnie and Gedre, and it was inevitable! I have learned that long days and full packs are a bad combination.
Mac packed his sack and set off early this morning, hoping to hitch a lift down the valley to connect with buses and trains to Pau airport. I haven't heard from him, so I assume he made it OK.
I had six eggs to use up, so by the time I had made an omlette for breakfast, hard boiled the others and packed up, it was 8.00am before I left the campsite. I hitched up to Gavarnie without any problem, and amazingly got a lift from a couple who we had dinner with at Aramoulit a week ago!
Gavarnie was quiet and still, waiting for the onslaught of day trippers and coach parties. The ponies and donkeys were being trotted along the streets with their keepers on mountain bikes, and the 'tacky stall' owners were just opening up their shops. I got some cash from the till, bought some fresh bread and left with a better impression of Gavarnie than when I arrived.
The morning's objective was Hourquette d'Alans, a col only 3.5km away but 1000m above Gavarnie. I slogged up
the switchback path, struggling under the heavy pack, and only pausing at the Refuge des Esouguettes for a short
while to eat hard boiled eggs.
Photo: The Refuge d'Esouguettes, passed on the climb to Hourquette d'Alans. The Breche de Roland can be seen in the distance.
I collapsed on the col at midday having made good time despite the load. It was Bastille Day here today - a public holiday - so there were a lot of people out walking and the col was quite crowded. After cramming some peanuts and yet another egg I trudged down into Cirque d'Estaube, headed by an impressive wall of limestone cliffs, but next to the C. de Gavarnie it is a poor neighbour. By now my shoulders were aching and the rucksack straps were digging in painfully. I have found that this is usually what stops me, rather than tiredness in my legs.
The clouds were starting to build as I took another rest by the river at the valley bottom, and then as I toiled up the hill to walk round into the Cirque de Tramause the first distant rumbles of thunder started. On the shoulder of the hill I came across a nice camping spot, tucked away next to a small stream, and decided to call it a day. I brewed some hot drinks, pitched the tent, made my tea and then shut myself in, just as the first hailstones started to fall.
I am writing this with lightning flashing, thunder crashing and heavy rain lashing the tent! I'm glad that I am not still trudging along looking for somewhere to pitch the tent! I am probably about 6km short of the Lacs des Aires, but with an early start tomorrow I reckon I can still make it to the Barroude Hut and keep to the schedule. I have a day in hand before meeting Gill and Ian in Viellha on 21st July - so there is no rush.
15th July. 3.30pm.
My alarm woke me at 6.00 am this morning after a very good night's sleep. Despite missing Mac's good company, it is nice to get back into my tent on my own again.
I was packed up and away soon after 7 o'clock and followed a track round the hillside, enjoying good views down into the deep valley of Heas and further down to Gedre. Gedre looked annoyingly close after hitching back up to Gavarnie and then struggling all day yesterday to come round in a big circle. But at least I have stayed on the HRP and not cheated!
The track, and then a road, took me round into the Cirque de Tramouse, a huge circular bowl, surrounded on three sides by sheer rock walls and mountain peaks rising to over 3000m. The middle of the bowl is a large flat shelf at about 2000m consisting of grassy meadows and small lakes, the Lacs des Aires, and right in the middle a small hillock with a statue of the Virgin Mary staring out over the valley.
There is a 'Hotellerie' at the entrance to the cirque, and a road gives access to parking on the edge of the meadows, so I feared the masses of tourists that infiltrated Gavarnie. However, I was pleased to find the hotel to be a small traditional inn [not unlike a refuge] and ther were very few cars in the car park.
I strolled across the meadows, gazing up at the cliffs, with marmots watching me cautiously as I passed; and then I headed upwards towards the Col de la Sede. The ascent involved a rising traverse along fault lines in the rock slabs. It wasn't so steep as to feel exposed, but there was lots of loose scree so care was needed. It was a long and tiring climb, but with relief I stepped onto the ridge at 11.00am.
It was cool and windy on the tops but the views were excellent. Initially it was the views back to the C. de Tramouse
which grabbed the attention: looking round the curve of cliffs geting hazier with distance, as they swept round to the
far side of the amphitheatre. Then after traversing to avoid the peak of Gerbats, the view down to Refuge de Barroude
was even more staggering: nestled down by its blue lakes with the 700m vertical white cliffs of the Muralle de Barroude
gleaming in the sun above it, and then on the other side steep hillsides plummetting into the deep Vallon de la Gela
hundreds of metres below.
Photo: The walls of the Cirque de Tramouse seen from the Col de la Sade
Unfortunately for my legs, access to the refuge was via a three hour circular route over two passes which did its best to sap my remaining energy. The final long traverse across scree slopes high above the Vallon de la Gela was a real treat though, passing as it did right underneath the foot of the white cliffs. Great clumps of Euphorbia grew out of crevices in the rock with big white flowers and round rosettes of waxy leaves. The cliffs looked great for climbing, though there was no evidence of activity.
I met Belgian guy on the final section to the hut who is also walking the HRP. He is using the Dutch guide-book that Rubens has and is expecting to complete it in 40 days!
8.45 pm.
I'm stuffed! I have set up my tent just down the hill from the Refuge de Barroude and have just returned from eating a gigantic dinner there. There are only two French guys staying there tonight - it seems Barroude is off the French tourist trail. Amazing, considering its position and surroundings!
One of the French guys is also wanting to walk the ridge to Rioumanjou tomorrow, but the weather is looking a bit unsettled, so we have agreed to walk together. This should be interesting as his English is about as good as my French - ie. very limited!
The sky is clear at the moment but there is a cold wind blowing. We will just have to see what it is like first thing. The cycle of hot day and evening thunderstorm has certainly been broken - no clouds this afternoon.
As I write this I can hear stonefall off the cliffs across the lake from where I am camped. An eerie sound!
I think it will be about two hours before that dinner has gone down and I can go to sleep. Never mind - I will need the energy tomorrow!