Day 19: Aire de Bivouac at Refuge des Oulètes de Gaube to Aire de Bivouac at Barage d'Ossoue

I had a very comfortable nights rest at the foot of Vignemale's North Face. It was unbelievable to wake up, unzip the tent and have such majestic beauty right there in front of me. I lay for a while (after bladder emptying!) with the tent doors rolled up just marvelling at the mountain with it's sadly retreating glacier, awaiting the sunlight to start changing the deep greyness of it.

The sun soon arrived on the sharp peaks, developing shades of red on them as the sunrise was in it's infancy! I knew I was in for a beautiful morning spectacle. I was loving being there in the moment, I was conscious this was my 2nd visit here, but probably my last whilst passing through on this awesome journey. I was so happy to absorb all of it, it's a special place for me. I reminisced climbing Petit Vignemale on my birthday back when I was last here (September 2018 I think?!). I called my mum and had some tears up there - I'm an emotional sop!

As the sunrise aged the red colours faded to yellowy shades, before the lighter grey version of the Vignemale Massif was on display for the day! It was 08:00 and time to sadly break camp, as here tents must be down by 09:00. It was chilly out of the sun, usual finger problems, but I knew a coffee at the Refuge was close, as was the warming sun!

Once packed, I walked to the Refuge for a café au lait with an incredible view!

After such an amazing start to the day it was time to contemplate the detour away from the GR10 that I had planned for today! I would miss a tiny section of the GR10, but pack in what I hoped would be a stunning route. I knew a bit of it, but beyond where I'd stopped back when I visited Cauterets a few years ago was unknown ground! I just hoped I could find the route, which I suspected wouldn't be waymarked! I was a bit apprehensive - I told myself to remember that fear and excitement produce the same physiological response in the body. Apprehension is also excitement - I never could recognise this before, but I've had some excellent help of late which helps me with my emotions, including this little gem. So I set off both apprehensive and excited!

The climb up from Refuge on the GR10 was sparsely populated by the early morning Refuge and Bivouac overnighters. The ascent that switchbacks a bit over nice secure rocks and path, afforded fantastic Vignemale viewing!

To start my 'adventure circuit' I had to leave the GR10 a short way into the climb from the Refuge, and say my temporary goodbye and apologise for the deviation. It feels strange leaving the trail, but if I didn't get lost we'd be reunited later in the day! The first order of play was a steep climb up a boulder field to Col d'Arraillé (2583m), a very narrow pass between Col d'Arraillé (2759m) and Pic de la Sède (2976m). I had climbed this a few years before and remembered how easy it can be to lose the path! You have to keep a close eye out for cairns ahead of you and then it's OK to navigate!

Once up the boulder field, the view over the other side of Col d'Arraillé was of a spectacular steep sided valley, with the path barely visible making its way high up along, and then down the left side of Pic d'Arraillé (2759m) as I looked at it. This meant negotiating another boulder field, and scree, with cairns again marking the safest route. It's an immense feeling being within these boulder and scree fields.

It really is an immense feeling being within these huge boulder and scree fields. The silence is deafening, and the humbling nature of where you are is palpable.

On my way down the insanely steep slopes of Pic Arraillé I performed an awesome slip on some loose ground, right onto my backside! I think the only things that saw me were the Marmots I'd passed earlier that were still playing high above me! I was OK, no human being saw me!

The path of the route I was taking climbed steeply again, switchbacking up Pic de la Sède (2976m) and then traversing across Pic de Labas (2946m) towards the lakes at the start of my day's route.

The view down to Lac d'Estom from the traverse across Pic de Labas was as stunning as I remembered it! Cauterets lays in the valley way below the lake.

Once at the first of the attractive lakes of the ascent, Lac des Labas (2290m), I was passing into unknown territory and would think only small cairns as waymarkers! I met a local lad who gave my excitement a shove towards apprehension as he informed me when the clouds are developing as they were 'this is not good'!!

The path up to the second lake, Lac des Oulettes d'Estom Soubrian (2360m), was nice and clear! It was a steep boulder path, probably walked a lot from Cauterets as a day trip. So far, so good!

Climbing above the lakes revealed their true beauty as the sun shone down on their mirror flat surfaces and created amazing reflections of the granite cliffs of the imposing mountains.

I was hoping these clouds mirrored on the lake surface wouldn't develop into a storm as I entered the much more remote and barren terrain ahead!

Lac de Couy (2450m) was the third lake.

And following this is when the path kind of petered out and the terrain ahead became visibly more rugged and remote feeling.

The fourth lake, Lac Glacé (2580m), was situated in the most amazing surroundings of shiny rock cliffs, I want to say slate, but I have no idea! But they were wildly impressive, a deep and shiny grey it seemed. The feeling of excited loneliness was as awe inspiring as the views of the lake in this wild landscape!

The path now headed up towards the highest target of the Col des Gentianes (2725m), which is sandwiched between Pic d'Estom Soubrian (2829m) and Beche de Pouey Mourou (2777m). Cairns were definitely the order if navigation here, but with the visibility fine and those clouds not developing into a storm is was fine! It was so beautiful and exciting, apprehension was being fully felt as excitement now! Such a fantastic place to be trekking and to experience.

The final lake to pass above was Petit Lac du Col.

Which demanded an excited and extremely satisfed selfie! Apologies for the view interruption with my mug!

The final part of the climb along the slopes of Pic d'Estom Soubrian (2829m) was briefly shared by some trail runners who were on a day circuit from Cauterets. They caught up to me and scurried on ahead quickly to the Col! I looked with envy at their feather light trail running packs, but I was immensely happy to have my heavy 'Superpack' on my back! Oh, and my handbag! I must talk about my handbag at some point. Not today though, too jaw droppingly beautiful for that!

Once at Col des Gentianes (2725m), I was presented with the opposing side of the Vignemale Massif I'd left this morning! Simply fantastic! A stunning panorama from this side as well!

Sorry, but the view and feeling required another selfie! Mum will appreciate these I reckon!

Trekking down towards my temporary home of the GR10 felt really good, especially being treated to the view of the Vignemale Massif from up on this diversion adventure. The mountain lineup was as follows - Petit Vignemale (3032m) on the right of my view in front of Pointe Chasenque (3204m) and Vignemale (3298m), and then Pic de Montferrat (3219m), Punta Inferior del Tapou (3124m) and Pic de Milieu (3130m) filling in the left side of panorama. Simply stunning slabs of granite standing high and mighty (I think they're granite!).

After negotiating a strange path route via a stream crossing with the trail runners who had lunched at the Col, the path eventually descended far enough to return to the GR10. I had only missed the climb out from the Refuge des Oulètes de Gaube to the pass of Hourquette d'Ossoue (2734m) which I had done when I climbed Petit Vignemale on that previous visit, and the subsequent very steep descent to where I was now. So me and the GR10 were good with that!

The path kept on descending down the impressive valley, with the Ruisseau des Oulettes being fed with waterfall tumbling down from the giants above, and also itself tumbling down a few cascades. This all added to a lovely finale to the trekking day.

The path was pretty quiet, so I took it slowly to both absorb where I was leaving as I descended, but to also fully appreciate, and be grateful for the day I'd had. It was a very pleasurable amble down!

The descent eventually leveled out and the Ruisseau des Oulettes widened over the flat valley floor on it's approach to the Barage d'Ossue (1834m). I had decided to use the Aire de Bivouac there to allow a relatively short hike out to Gavarnie tomorrow, for the two night stop and recoup at the campsite there that I had prebooked from the UK. I'd made it on schedule!