30/07/2022 - 14.09kms / 753m ascent / 537m descent
It was lovely to wake up on my dream cliff wild camp even with the cloud that was shrouding me. I had many hours up there yesterday, and that had filled me with enough satisfaction, happiness and stunning views for the memory bank, that I felt fine to break camp straight away. I have developed a nice little system of packing since me and 'Superpack' started our journey together, so once done I felt good go! However, after a few steps on the path I did the usual phone and wallet pocket check .. no wallet! The feeling good to go feeling disappeared quickly!
I always keep track of it I thought, so why can't I remember it's last whereabouts?! Panic set in and I had to return to the cliff edge to unpack the organised 'Superpack', and sift through absolutely everything! However, it was nowhere to be seen! Arrrgghh! I felt lost without it for some reason! My first thoughts were that I'd have to retrace the path up to Les Lacs des Embarrat as I thought I remembered it being in my shorts pocket back there! I knew this would be a potentially futile task, but I'm the idiot who lost it so tough luck Craig .. get it done you fool I was telling myself! Kind as ever to myself! But then, a sensible thought entered my head .. the tent, you haven't checked the tent! I quickly unravelled the wet tent, felt around the inner, and came across a wallet sized mass! The relief was immense! I was so grateful to have found it that all the effort and mental anguish dissipated immediately, to be replaced with a happy desire to get going again!
The low of losing the wallet and then the elation of finding it made for a very content and relaxed descent into the beautiful Marcadau Valley.
The Marcadau Valley is a really attractive wide and flat valley, with the Gave du Marcadau meandering peacefully down it. The cloud was still hanging on the mountains, but the valley had a clear view to enjoy. It was pretty chilly though!
I arrived at the Refuge du Clot after a slow hour walking, and at 1st thought it was closed as looked dead with no-one on the large terrace! However, luckily it was open and I could enjoy a lovely café au lait looking back up the attractive Marcadau Valley.
From the Refuge du Clot it was a short hop to the Pont d'Espagne area, where the path would start the ascent up to Lac de Gaube and ultimately the stunning beauty of the Vignemale Massif! I was excited to get up there, but resolved to take my time getting up as the climb is gentle and really beautiful (if the cloud would clear?!).
After my 2nd café au lait of the morning at the Hôtellerie du Pont d'Espagne (1496m) watching the BROUILLARDY waterfalls from a prime time seat, I got moving quickly as it was quite chilly and my fingers were suffering (damn Reynauds)! I crossed the Pont d'Espagne and joined the busy path that climbed up to Lac de Gaube.
There were fascinating rocks on the path up that my private school education wasn't furnishing a satisfactory answer to. To me they seemed as if they had petrified tree roots within them, and erosion had now exposed them. But then I questioned why the petrified tree roots would remain raised from the rest of the rock formation?! I decided to go back to admiring the pleasant walk up with views of the small river to my right through the mainly large pine trees of the not thickly wooded climb. This was much easier on the grey matter!
After climbing the path that goes up the low Western slopes of Pic Mayouret (2688m), I got to Lac Gaube to clearing BROUILLARD and really warm sunshine, so I went for a bonus 3rd café au lait stop at the Lac de Gaube bar/restaurant! The views of the stunningly turquoise Lac de Gaube (1725m) were great from the terrace drinking coffee, but the true beauty could be appreciated walking along one of it's flanks that the GR10 continued along. By this point the path had switched sides of the valley to be on the Eastern slopes of Pic de Gaube (2377m) with Pic Mayouret towering above the other side of Lac de Gaube.
When the sun shines on the lake the turquoise becomes so intense and looks absolutely stunning with the other contrasting colours around it.
Once past the mesmorising Lac de Gaube, the path starts to steepen a bit for the lengthy, but really lovely climb up to the Refuge des Oulètes de Gaube (2151m), and the magnificent Vignemale Massif. I was excited for the treat ahead!
The BROUILLARD did ebb and flow most of the way up, and I just kept wishing for it not to be a complete whiteout up there, but preparing to accept it if it was! But I was hopeful as the sun was strong when out and my meteorological mind guessed that might be good to keep it clear?! My geological mind was drawn back to the petrified tree root conundrum by sections of path with erosion exposed tree roots. I always find it fascinating when trekking through wooded areas how trees growing right next to the path often have a part of their root network exposed by erosion (if the path is predominantly soil). It makes me try and imagine the vast array of root networks in all the trees around me, reaching deep and entangled into the mountainsides to extract the water required, and probably to cling for dear life to the steep Pyrenean mountainsides!
Once I'd been through meandering mindsets of meteorological and geological ignorance I was getting closer to the Vignemale 'bowl'. I was hoping they did café au lait at the Refuge!
Turning around to look back at Lac de Gaube now it was clearing was magnificent.
And the clearing weather was holding! Maybe my meteorological mind isn't so bad after all?!
Lac de Gaube eventually disappeared from view, but looking back still provided awesome views.
The journey up is spectacular. The GR10 switches again to climb up the left hand cliffs of Pic d'Estibe Aute (2816m), with Isardères (2724m) and Pic Alphonse Meillon (2930m) across the river and valley to the right. Looking up ahead the panorama of of Petit Vignemale (3032m) and Vignemale (3298m) was awesome! Pic Arraillé (2759m) and Pic de la Sède (2976m) flanked them to the left, and Pic des Oulettes (2760m) flanked them to the right forming an unbelievably impressive valley head. Such an awesome walk and sight, my gratitude at being there and experiencing those moments was massive! Also, my child like excitement at camping in front the North face of Vignemale was building with each metre climbed. I love camping, but the camping I'm doing and plan to do all the way through my GR10 journey is special. Each spot unique, and fingers crossed all stunning?!
I can let the pictures talk for themselves from now on. Welcome to the stunning sight of the Vignemale Massif!
The Refuge did have coffee so I was lucky to get a good half hour in warm sunshine appreciating the wondery of the place and the perfect, unadulterated view of the mountains!
I was lucky to be up there early so I chose a lovely spot on the edge of all the campspots. There weren't any bad ones really, I just don't like to be in the centre of things! A nice quiet edge space with a jaw dropping view would suit me fine!
I had the most awesome tent view, managed to get the angle just right!
Once zipped up in the tent lovely, warm and comfortable, I unwrapped the Goat's cheese I'd been carrying since Arrens-Marsous. It wasn't smelling bad, but just to be sure it didn't go off I decided it was fine to eat the whole lot! Mmmm mmmm! What another wonderful day!
Add comment
Comments