From Gavarnie to Refuge des Espuguette

^22-07-11

One might think after a rest day one is rested… but…

I start the day slow; check-out from the campsite is at 11, so I let my tent dry out (that’s the main reason, yes 😉 and then ramble into town to get some more bread and cheese from the shop.

On my way back out I meet the english-danish couple again and we traid stories for a while.

Then I slowly make my way out of Gavarnie and towards the famous Cirque (a half cicle of steep rock cliffs and a very high – the ‘world’s highest’ – waterfall. I share the wide gravel path with millions of day tourists and hordes of rent-for-the-day mules and horses with their riders. It’s already very hot, so I have a long rest in the shade already after 45mins or so.

Finally I arrive at the Hotel du Cirque et de la Cascade.

After topping up my water, I have a quick look around, and head straight on a lovely, slowly climbing path up along the north-east side of the valley.

Luckily there is quite a bit of shade from trees and the occational spray from small rivers dropping down from the cliffs that I walk along under.

After a while I’m at the first plateau by Chalet du Pailla at 1750m asl.

I have another long chill in the last shade of trees, and wait for the mid-afternoon heat to wear off a little before tackling the last climb over open meadows up to Refuge des Espuguettes at 2015m asl.

And that’s enough for today, with the heat and a heavy backpack after the resupply of food in Gavarnie. I put up my tent together with some others in the Aire de bivouac just by the refuge, wash at the refuge’s nice and cool fountain, watch the sunset, and soon fall asleep to the sound of grazing sheep, cow and the refuge’s very curious and cute mules.

approx. 3h (this time excluding all my endless breaks, otherwise it would be too embarassing);

7,1km, 700m ascent, 70m descent

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