Month: July 2008

31.07.2008 Thursday

Refuge d’Arremoulit to Refuge de Pombie (2032 metres)

We started with a descent to 1392m into the valley leading to Col de Pourtalet. We surprised ourselves by a time of a bit over 4 hours for 8 miles and 800m descent and 600m ascent. The view of the back of Pic de Midi d’Ossau revealed it to be a 500 meter scree slope and during the 3 hrs watching no one was on it so we have decided not to do the pic but press on tomorrow to Col de Somport and meet up with Karl and family in Spain. The view back towards Balaitous and Refuge d’Arremoulit is fantastic and the little refuge d’Arremoulit (29 beds plus a big party tent) is not only in a suberb position but also the guardienne is an excellent cook, feeding 46 people on soup, pork and prunes with rice, cheese, and a sweet all produced in a tiny kitchen and some very large pressure cookers.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

30.07.2008 Wednesday

Refuge de Respumoso to Refuge d'Arremoulit (2285m)

An excellent evening was had at Respumoso. This refuge was in Spain and a cut above the refuges we have stayed in in France. There were hot showers (if you let the water run for long enough!) as well as 14 person dormitories all en suite. Tony was stupid enough to leave the door unlocked and was interupted by a french woman as he stepped from the shower. This caused her and her nine friends much amusement!
For anyone who hasn't stopped in a mountain refuge, then they are an interesting experience. They are located some hours walk from civilization and are refreshed by either a mule of a helicopter bringing up stores from the nearest village. The initial huts were built by mountaineering clubs (eg caf, club alpine francaise) over 100 years ago and added to in the intervening period. They tend to be manned over the summer months by a resident guardian who cooks meals for those who are staying there. You sleep in dormitories from either just a few bunks to the 100 in a single room on 3 levels at a refuge in Corsica we once visited.
After breakfast this morning we left the refuge and followed a variante of the HRP (pyrenean high route) up to Col du Palas. On the way, Ralph found a nice cold mountain lake and decided that a spot of skinny dipping was in order. Photographic evidence to follow! After an interesting scramble up to the col we descended down to the refuge situated by the lake.

29.07.2008 Tuesday

Refuge Wallon to Refuge de Respumoso (2200m)

The night was enjoyed by all (especially Jonathan for whom is was a big adventure). After breakfast Karl & Jonathan left us to return to Pont d'espagne leaving us and Ralph to ascend to Col de la Fache. Ascent up an excellent path over streams and boulder and snow fields to the Col de la Fache very windy 2664m first time we really needed extra layers. Several groups were completing the ascent of Grande Fache 3005metres but with minimal gear we thought better of it. The descent was significantly steeper and more awkward and Ralph was grateful for Betsy's walking pole and has assumed some joint responsibility for its return to owner. Further down a marmot was much more willing to be photographed than those on ascent while playing hide & seek with Tony.

28.07.2008 Monday

Cauterets to Refuge Wallon

We left Cauterets by bus this morning to go to Pont d'Espagne (not breaking any of our self imposed rules as we walked here and back earlier on in the week). We are accompanied by Ralph, Karl and Jonathan. Claire & Alex have been left the un-enviable task of drying and taking down all the hike tents.
Our kit is much reduced as we have left behind tents and cooking gear due to the fact that we will be stopping in mountain huts for the next 5 nights. This allows us to use 45 litre rucksacks rather than the 65 litre ones we have been using and reduce the weight carried from 18kg to about 10kg (only a guess as we have no means of weighing them).
Ref Wallon is at 1865 meters and has beds for 120 people.
Meals are provided, as is breakfast and a picnic, but at a price, so lots of counting of euros to find out what our budget is for the next 5 days as we suspect that we haven't really got enough cash.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

27.07.08 Sunday

Cauterets

A day for Karl’s boys to see the mountain tops and experience a cable car and ski lift, weather fine and a great picnic up in the Cirque de Lys. We also had our first sight of marmottes having heard their characteristic whistle in the valley earlier in the morning.
We have now booked via Betsy (thank you) all the huts we need to cross the Pyrenees on the Haute Route starting tomorrow. Karl and his older boy (Jonathan) will accompany us on the first day and then back the next, they will then meet us five days later to pick up Ralph. Thus earning themselves honorary pilgrim status and doing us the enormous favour of taking home to England our tents and cooking gear that we no longer require on the Camino proper. The next guest should be Ray Majer in about 3 weeks time,.
Karl spent most of the day wishing he had packed his mountain bike as the waymarked trails up at the Cirque looked superb and we watched many riders some braver than others as the picture shows

26.07.08 Saturday.

Happy Birthday Tim aka Buster Merryfield.

After the arrival of Ralph, Karl and family the weather rapidly deteriorated leading our Scouting heroes to erect the basha from a tarpaulin which had been purchased earlier. A glass of real British beer was very welcome at this stage in that curiously lukewarm state so beloved of all British beer drinkers. Cheers and thanks Karl.
We awoke in the morning to find the valley shrouded in a moist low cloud and after some breakfast a walk into town where a small rucksack for Alex (Karl’s younger boy) was purchased, after collecting some pizzas for lunch we returned to the campsite. After lunch Tim was presented with a birthday cake purchased without his knowledge in the town, it was eaten completely immediately as it turned out to have ice cream inside. Ah! That’s what the shop lady was on about with le frigo!! All in all a very satisfactory birthday thank you all.
Karl adds The journey down was fairly smooth and made in good time We were greeted at the campsite by Tim & Tony looking a little leaner than I remember them!! We were then treated to a meal of freshly caught trout that was delicious thanks Tim. Now looking forward to the days ahead as trainee pilgrims

25.07.08 Friday.

Cauterets Walk Valley de Lutour.

A good night with no more thunderstorms, good if a bit cloudy today, we have another “training walk” just to keep the legs in trim – up on one of the local minibuses at 50cents each to La Railliere. A motley collection of elderly ?locals got on and were greeted personally by the driver and no payments made, we were delivered to the stop at the road side and they drove another 50 yards to the door of the Centre for Rheumatics that is the only other building in the place except for the shops and Cafes. We still don’t know if we gatecrashed the hospital run for the day, but no one seemed to mind. A gentle amble up a delightful valley with several trout fishermen in action I think, in common with a lot of the area there is some fine trout fishing to be had, (note for DP).
We ambled back to Cauterets to catch the Friday market and got seven trout, several texts having ensured that Karl and family plus Ralph were expecting to be with us by late afternoon. We also got a piece of strong local cheese made from a mix of sheep and cow milk, the sheep only, Brebis was not really flavoured enough, and they do insist that you try before you buy. Also got some useful info about the opening of refuges, guardians and food availability that should help cross the High Pyrenees using some of the Haute Route Pyrenee long distance path.
Finally doing some washing as it looks a good drying afternoon.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

24.07.08 Thursday.

Cauterets to Pont d’Espagne. And back.

A brief thunderstorm with about 10mins rain last night just shows how unpredictable Pyrenean weather can be. A gentle day today, we walked up the GR10 trans Pyrenees route from Cauterets to Pont d’Espagne. Neither of us could remember doing the part from Cauterets to La Raillerie, (a classic tourist place where cuddly marmots whistle from shop fronts). The walk started with a steep pull up out of Cauterets from behind the thermes (the natural hot water baths) and then continued on a more or less level angle up the valley before finally dropping down to La Raillerie. The walk from here to Pont d’Espagne is a classic one past multiple waterfalls through woods with springs rising at the side of the path to rush to join the main torrent.
There was low cloud in Cauterets at the start but we quickly climbed above it out of the town and then just stayed ahead as it advanced and retreated up the valley. We seem to be making good use of our few days stop in the mountains and reaccustomising our legs to up and down instead of flat level walking.. Today we walked 13 miles with 600m of ascent and descent, a reasonable rest day!
We had considered today climbing up Pic De Peguere. It was fortunate that we hadn’t attempted this route as it turned out that the old mule path had collapsed in places and thus the route was impassable.
On our return the low cloud threatened to turn to rain, so an early evening meal and the purchase of a large tarpaulin, for use as a cooking shelter or as emergency shelter for the next few days in the Haute Pyrenees.
The bridge at Pont d’Espagne, which neither of us recognised, is slightly above the car park for the Lac de Gaube the lake up under the Vignemale Glacier (or what remnants of it remain) and when our families did this part of the GR 10 we may have been too anxious to descend to the purchase of marmots, and ice cream, and hence missed it. It is a classic walk and reputedly beloved of the Romantic Poets and others of that age.

JD & BD note that photographic evidence from our last visit suggests the Vignemale glacier may not have shrunk very much (as yet).

23.07.2008 Wednesday.

Cauterets Cirque du Lis.

A grand day out, up to the town and bought breakfast and lunch, croissants etc on offer (probably yesterday's but tasted fine) and a coffee then waited 10mins for the ski lift to start. It's open July to Sept then closes until the snow starts, less and later each year.
Up from 900m to 2,300m leaving 300m to Soum de Grum and a 2 mile traverse along the arête and down the far side at one point to avoid some serious climbing bits, to Moune Neo ou Pic De Monne at 2,724 m our highest point of the day. It’s really great to be back in the mountains after so long in relatively flat lands. The views of the surrounding mountains including the 3,000m peaks of Vignemale and Balaitous were superb in completely clear conditions. After a long sit on the top and lunch we commenced the 1,800m descent back to Cauterets visible from the top but taking a long time to appear closer. On the descent we sighted a marmotte hole and heard a marmotte whistle (but as yet the only marmottes seen have been cuddly toys) and a number of vultures who were below as and not more than a few metres away before they were lifted up and away on the thermals. Back to the campsite to catch the sunshine for drying washing which is limited severely by the high sides of the valley.

Especially for blog addicts, a few extra photos from the past couple of weeks.

Where next?

Running repairs

Camino waymarking

This how they really look now!

The Harris Butchers bag is still in use every day

22.07.08 Tuesday

Ayzac-Ost to Cauterets.

Cauterets is a spa/ski town well up the valley du Gave de Pau, walking today includes another 4-5 miles on the flat up the cycle path, converted railway track and then another 6 miles or so up a track in the narrowing valley with a climb of about 400 metres.
This track is the path of the old electric tramway from Pierrefitte to Cauterets. This started service in 1901 and ran until its closure in 1949. 50 years later the route was brought back into life as a footpath and cycleway to reopen in 2005. It is a superb route, using the century old engineering (there is a 400 metre long tunnel) to provide a well graded route right into the centre of Cauterets.
Yesterday evening we were surprised when a pair of rabbits appeared on the area opposite our tents, they were quite obviously tame (keepers not eaters) but seemed to belong to no one. They hopped about doing rabbity things for an hour or so and then shot back through the hedge in the direction of some chalets when the campsite dog arrived. Whether they were just running or this was the signal for home we don’t know but they were back the following morning as we started off at 07:00 so we think they had been somewhere safe for the night.
We are now in the mountains proper and plan to do some day walks without our enormous weighty rucksacks up a few 2-3000 metre peaks, Cauterets is at 914 m and the help of the ski lift is planned for tomorrow; no further forward progress will be made until we meet Ralph and others on Saturday.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

21.07.08 Monday.

Lourdes to Ayzac-Ost

A damp evening and night, not heavy rain just low cloud, we got up about 07:30 to strike camp having taken our little Laser Competition tents down as soon as it started to rain yesterday. Our ladies' tents are returning with them and can be dried at home, we prefer dry tents to carry as they are significantly lighter than when wet.
The ladies left at 09:00 to drive back to Bordeaux and their flight home, we slowly wandered through Lourdes (and there are some nice bits which are not totally enveloped in the pilgrimage trade) and up the very well ordered cycle track up the valley towards Cauterets. We think this will be a base for us, Ralph, Karl and family until time for the push to the border. The track is of course an old railway line along the Gave de Pau, the river flowing out of Gavarnie – the enormous cirque on the border with Spain. This river joins the Ardour after its more circuitous route to meet the sea at Bayonne.
We have found a small campsite, but this may become increasingly difficult as this one at least is almost full.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

20.07.08 Sunday

Lourdes. Again.

Still on the Municipal Campsite Domec in Lourdes, this is a pleasant site in earshot of the station announcements but not obtrusively so. we have as neighbours a French couple who have done the Camino and who welcomed us to the site with the traditional greeting: “Do you need anything, are you well?”. This is the same sort of greeting we have received from others who have done the pilgrimage. I think it is an indication of what is to come. We shall see when we finish.
This has been a great two days rest our wonderful ladies brought with them in spite of the luggage restrictions of budget airlines, all that we need for the Pyrenean part of the journey. We will be joined at the end of the week by Ralph, Tony’s son, who is travelling down with Karl and Claire and their family. They will be seeing the Pyrenees through fresh eyes as neither they nor their two sons have seen these mountains and valleys before. We shall spend the next days as guides and local walkers with them until it is time for us to brave the Col de Somport and pass over into Spain, at this time they will take home all our camping gear and big rucksacks. We shall be able to travel light on the Camino proper using the chain of pilgrim hostels to reach Compostella.
Today we spent revisiting a part of the GR10 (the coast to coast Pyrenean) route we all did about 20 years ago. We drove (luxury for us two) up to Pont D’Espagne and went up to Lac de Gaube under the highest French Pyrenean summit (Vignemale). As in the past the increase in altitude of 4-5,00 feet got us above the cloud layer and we had lunch on the banks of the stream flowing clear from the lake with blooming orchids around us.
Back on the campsite all was low cloud and gradual drizzle as we packed up tents and sorted gear ready for tomorrow’s departure.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

19.07.08 Saturday.

In Lourdes a true rest day no forward progress.

Woke late, got breakfast with jam bread Croissant and coffee, and were joined by Graham and George.
We then meandered slowly into Lourdes and had lunch before Graham & George went back up north to Bergerac. Lourdes is the ultimate tourist trap (the French Blackpool?) and although we had been through it before we had never walked its streets, an experience. It is full of people from all catholic countries – both officials in the faith and members – many of whom are disabled in some way and being helped by others, and one presumes hoping for another miracle or at least an alleviation of their condition. The cathedral is large and ornate and outsized for the small Pyrenean town that it stands in above the river Adour. It is full of tacky souvenir and gift shops, selling everything from a Madonna in a snowstorm to a plastic water container with a Lourdes logo on the side. (To be filled from the taps producing Holy water at the side of the Grotte).
The weather is very hot and Betsy is wilting as befits an Irish rose. Jane is equally hot, but it’s such a pleasant change to be so after the long, cool summer we have had in England! We have also been shopping for replacement walking shoes for the Spanish part of the trip; the boots are nearly finished and have been repaired several times. We intend to carry much less weight in Spain relying on the pilgrim hostels and so we can use light weight trek shoes instead of boots.
Later in the afternoon it was time to attend to our hairdressing needs, Tony is the only pilgrim to bring out his personal hairdresser to France for a haircut and beard removal (no more catching spiders webs while walking through forests), Jane: It is not a professional job(!!), but at least he will be cooler. We could have stuffed a cushion with the hair that was taken off him.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

18.07.08 Friday.

Juillan to Lourdes.

Last night we made contact with Graham and went out for a meal at the Argentine grill down the road. We walked out after paying for our pastis, the tapas starters were indescribably bad fast food deep fried breaded mush, never ever done that before but feel it was well deserved. We went back to the hotel and had a very good meal if a little nouvelle cusine that left us a bit hungry in the morning when we walked off to Lourdes, George was an enthusiastic participant walking four times further than the rest of us. Lunch was taken in the shade at the side of a track with our feet in a dry ditch (we had to cram in the full pilgrim experience for Graham in only one day).
After lunch we walked down into the little village of Bartres where the miracle of Bernadette was reputed to have happened. We passed the fountain of Bernadette with its huge car park for a couple of dozen coaches and rapidly on down into Lourdes to a remarkably pleasant campsite called Domec just of the main road into Lourdes. We then went shopping for a good meal to await the arrival of Betsy and Jane from Bordeaux in their hire car.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

17.07.08 Thursday.

Montaner to Juillan

After a good night once the yap dog from the family next door had been put to bed, we were up at 06:15, there has been no one around to pay any fees to so we left, a simple but adequate campsite. No shops and no food so a cup of coffee and 10 miles or so to Ibos on a chocolate bar. It was good walking along a low wooded ridge so we arrived for coffee and patisserie at 11:30. Little of note except that after a dry night and no dew it rained most of the morning, the trees kept the worst off so our luck holding really.
At one bend in the road was a 'table d'orientation'. This was beautifuly made and installed in 1952 identifying dozens of peaks in the pyrenees. It was of no use to us unfortunately as a) it was damp and the visibility was not good and b) trees had been planted in front of the table so the only possible view was of said trees!
We then went on the extra couple of miles to Juillan where our friend Graham had booked him and us into a Logis Hotel L’Aragon – it is on the main road from Tarbes to Lourdes and since we joined from the side through the old village we wondered which way to turn when we found the road, but we made ourselves understood to madame behind the bar in a local café and soon found it, they were even expecting us. Amazing how a plan made by text and email can hang together!
Had a walk around and went to supermarket to get lunch for tomorrow and on return to the hotel were greeted by an enthusiastic George with Graham who had just arrived. All set now for a walk to Loudes tomorrow.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

16.07.08 Wednesday.

Marciac to Montaner via Maubourguet.

After breakfast from Rob Robinson at the great little campsite run by him and his wife, and advice as to possible next stops, and being very aware of the distance to be covered in order to meet up with our friend Graham with George the dog on Friday evening, we set off for Maubourguet. The first few miles took us through the usual mix of woods and field and past the chap in the photo who we heard long before we saw, sadly he did not want a walk to Spain.
There followed a slightly tedious bit across the floor of the valley of the Ardour river – notable as the most easterly river off the Pyrenees that does not join the Garronne but flows to the sea at Bayonne. We reached Maubourguet at lunch time and were fortunate to find one of those places that do a standard Menu du Jour with wine for 12€ , we sat at 12 05 bread, water, wine and a tureen of potage (veg soup) arrived almost immediately. After 2 helpings of that we then got a choice bayonne ham or egg basquaise followed by a main course of duck, steak or lamb chop with frites, followed by cheese or dessert. It was not surprising the place was full of everyone from the plasterers next to us to the Electricity de France men we later saw removing a high voltage insulator from a pylon, very sensibly they were not touching the wine.
After a very pleasant 2 hours we went back to the tourist office that had just closed when we arrived and tried to find, with help of a pleasant girl there, a campsite slightly closer to Tarbes where we are due to meet Graham – there is one Rob, and we think the one you were trying to remember, it’s in Montaner a very small Municipal right in front of the Mairie and next to the bar restaurant. It took us till 19:00 to get there, a bit over 25 miles but with a very sensible 10-12 miles to do tomorrow.
We had just missed the festivities at Montaner, as the previous weekend there had been a medieval weekend. The village boasts a large field on a hill which from the amount of horse droppings must have been fairly covered in horses, and a moated castle at the top of the hill. There were also recreations of medieval buildings at various intervals up the hill. It looks like we missed by just 3 days an exciting weekend, but I suppose if we had been earlier then the campsite would have been full rather than empty as it is.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

15.07.08 Tuesday.

Montesquiou to Marciac.

Another good day start after breakfast at the Chateau le Haget, then a great walk over field and forest to the little hamlet of St Christaud with its 11th century church – unfortunately closed but with a disused funeral carriage, under a lean-to shed. Just before this we were joined by the dog of the day (Buster3). This one was long haired and more friendly than the previous two, it rapidly became obvious that it knew exactly where we/it were going only leaving the way to take what eventually proved to be a short cut. We had started fantasising about where he had come from and had he been sent out from the campsite at Marciac to lead us in, or was he a manifestation of a previous pilgrim doomed forever to guide others to their destination. We had sat down about 11:30 not far short of Marciac when a deer broke cover and shot across the route about 10 feet from where we were sitting with our friend in hot pursuit. He disappeared for a while and we were chatted to by a couple of travellers on the way by horseback. When we reached the bottom of the hill he reappeared having been stirring up trouble with a couple of farm dogs, one of whom needed dissuading from attack with a walking pole.
We entered Marciac under the strict control of our guide who led us to the second bar we passed, where we sat for beer and lunch. The lady of the bar came out, gave him water and called him by what we think was his name and there he remained when we went on just out of town to the campsite. Was he on commission? We don’t know.
Marciac it appears is home to one of France's largest jazz festivals starting in August (unfortunately) it also has a bronze statue of Wynton Marsalis who performs there every summer.
We are staying at the Camping du Lac which is run by a delightful English couple who spent a ½ hour or so with us trying to work out where best we could stop tomorrow night. As Donald Rumsfeld said ‘there are known unknowns and there are unknown unknowns’ etc , and this is certainly true when trying to find out the existence of campsites or not. Tomorrow’s prospective campsite doesn’t exist. Probably. The philosophers had an easy job in comparison, I think.

Link to where we are on Google Maps

14.07.08 Monday Bastille Day.

Auch to Montesquiou.

A grand day out Grommet. After a slightly noisy night in the campsite, some people celebrating Bastille day a bit early, we started with clear skies and a fresh cool morning. After getting out of Auch, we had breakfast in a lavoir. These are the refurbished public washing areas in most villages and towns, they are completely unused but many have been renovated and provide a pleasant place to sit, usually at the edge of a shallow pool about 10ft by 15ft. After about 3-4 miles consistently up hill on roads we came out of the communale forest of Auch and there over a wheat field we got our first sight of the Pyrenees with 14 hot air balloons in the distance. At last after all these weeks a real landmark in our progress.
Shortly after we were joined by a foxhound, who amiably followed us but at a short distance for about 10km to the village of Barran. This was a lovely little village with all facilities (closed of course as it was a public holiday) except for a bar/café to get a drink.
We reached our destination for the day (L’Isle de Noe) at 12:00hrs, and after a biere and our lunch had an hour's rest in the shade while the tents dried. The morning had passed quickly and relatively painlessly while we walked over some of the most pleasant countryside we have seen, perfect walking weather cool and bright with clouds gradually building up did help. We saw our foxhound friend chase a family of three deer but fail to catch one, and also a sighting of what may have been a Jersey Tiger, points for the first to find out what this is.
It was far too early to stop so we moved on to our next probable campsite, arriving in Montesquiou about 16:00 and a campsite in the grounds of an old chateau (Dutch owned again) with pilgrim reductions again. The Dutch seem to have taken to this part of France as the English have to Dordogne. We are also having a pilgrim dinner and breakfast, 48euros for camping, two evening meals and two breakfasts.
While coming through the village we came across their Bastille Day celebrations which seemed to consist of a communal meal on tables outdoors on the sports field. The celebrations were just about over but a lot of good natured noise and singing could be heard even from a distance. It looked like any good village bash that we would have at home.

13.07.08 Sunday.

Roquelaure to Auch (rhymes with gosh!)

A short day after yesterday's 22 miles, so we planned to stop early in Auch at the Municipal there and shop before 12, Tomorrow is Monday and Bastille day so no chance of shopping in Isle de Noe which is where we hope to be. During the nine miles before breakfast in Auch we pass a field of sunflowers that have labels – it seems the farmer is experimenting with different cultivars for best yield. This is a common crop in this area and is looking very well at present.
During our breakfast on the bank of the River Ger we were approached by a Frenchman walking his dog, asking if we were pilgrims, it appears that we have reached the Route De Arles which is the route we shall cross the Pyrenees on and the possibility of Pilgrim Hostels becomes a reality once we can find out where they are. He had completed the Camino twice, once from here and once from Le Puy en Velay. The route De Arles travels around the south coast of France to Arles on the Rhone delta and would be the route taken by pilgrims visiting Rome after Compostella, the one remaining pilgrimage would then be Jerusalem completing the Big Three medieval pilgrimage sites. We intend to follow it to Puenta del Reina near Pamplona where it joins the main Camino. By then we hope to have shed some of the excess baggage required for camping and lightened our packs considerably.

Link to where we are on Google Maps