05/08/2022 - 19.16kms / 1442m ascent / 324m descent
After the rain last night it wasn't particularly wet packing up. 'Superpack' was brimming with fresh supplies and it was a good feeling walking through Luz-Saint-Sauveur to start another day on my beloved trail!
I resisted all the pastries shouting out at me, I'd had my fill yesterday and I have to watch the waistline you know! The GR10 took a different route out of town than that in my guidebook, which I'd scouted yesterday on the walk up to the castle, but I'd thought nothing further of it.
It wasn't until I was scurrying back from a missed waymarker hoping I hadn't been seen that I bumped into a young Belgian guy by the name of Guillaume, who later informed me that this stage has been completely changed to the other side of the valley to my old guidebook! I dread to think of the confusion I'd have gone through without that crucial bit of information - merci Guillaume!
We started walking together from my well noticed waymarker error, and soon arrived into Viella. It was a lovely little village with the perfectly placed Auberge de Viella shouting at me to stop for a café au lait! Guillaume joined me and we were treated to the most exuberant host, a man full of life and songs who also gave us free homemade cake! Breakfast leftovers but delicious, and never mind the waistline I thought!
After being reassured by our hosts mother that he wasn't always so cheerful we set off from Viella entertained and replete. The path left and started a climb passing through a couple of really lovely villages clinging attractively to the steep hillsides of Soum de Nére (2394m). The first one was Viey.
And the second one was Sers.
I absolutely loved how they'd been built, and it was apparent they were so well cared for and most likely loved by the fortunate residents!
I certainly knew I'd feel fortunate if I lived in either!
The altitude gain was a surprise when looking back at Luz-Saint-Sauveur. I think the villages had distracted me from noticing the gradient, and with most of the climb done it wouldn't be long until the town of Barèges.
It really was developing into an artistic cloud day!
Which I won't ruin with my commentary!
Just that they seemed to drape over mountains in all sorts of attractive ways!
At the top of the morning climb I stopped with Guillaume for another café au lait (for me!) at a lovely little bar/restaurant with a great view from the terrace up towards our destination of Barèges.
Barèges can be classified as a town I think! Based around a sulphurous smelling thermal baths it wasn't too bad, quite attractive, but after the beautiful villages I'd walked up through it was difficult to compare! However, I found a nice central cafe to sit in the sunshine and have a ... can you guess what?! Yes, that's right, a café au lait! It took all my willpower to resist the incredible pastries inside, especially the local specialties of tarte aux myrtilles traditionnelle!
It took me a while to get myself going from my relaxing people watching stop, but with more climbing up the valley that Le Bastan flows down I forced myself to saddle up and walk! The GR10 followed path then track through attractive farmland climbing gently along the lower slopes of Pène det Pouri (2587m) and Soum de Mountarra (2452m) towards Tournaboup, a ski station in winter, and a mountain bike destination in summer.
There was a nice little totally basic cafe/snack stop just before Tournaboup ran by a super friendly old guy who loved to chat. His favourite advice was how to take a route in the shade along the old mountain road, which explained to me why I'd seen a couple of people seeming to take the wrong route! Relieved I knew why I continued and followed his sage advice!
After the ski station of Tournaboup the GR10 turned to climb up the valley of the Ruisseau d'Escoubous.
I got the sense that the cloud art seemed to have taken a new and maybe more dramatic turn in the afternoon! Again, no commentary from me required!
There was a path junction at Pont de Pountou, where the GR10 continued to climb, diverting away from the Ruisseau d'Escoubous that was fed from the Lac dets Coubous that seemed a popular day hike. I could see why when looking up at dramatic Pic des Crampettes (2484m), Pic des Lurtet (2506m) and Pic d'Astazou (2622m) cradling the lake.
The climbing up the valley was relatively gentle. There were some steeper sections but nothing too bad! The scenery became more dramatic as the valley narrowed. The mountains seemed to move in on the path, and it was a lovely climb beside a stream that fed the larger Ruisseau d'Escoubous now below me.
I was happy to be climbing into such beautiful terrain, happy enough to even manage to take an OK looking selfie!
It seemed to be pine tree territory up here in this valley. They were doing their best to grow between any rocks and boulders they could.
That cloud artist was at it again! Joking aside, the clouds are so active in the Pyrenees. They provide fantastic views in conjunction with the mountains most days. It's a feature of the journey I'm quite used to now.
The path skirted impressive boulderfields on the way up, and the stream disappeared under them for a while. I was now flanked on my right by Pic de la Touatère (2510m) and Pic de Caoubère (2496m), whose cliffs rose steeply from the valley floor. I was getting excited to find a wild camp in this valley, hopefully there would be an amazing one!
The place to call home for the night jumped out at me on coming to the top of a slight climb from a meadow area where I had considered stopping. I was massively relieved to have carried that bit further on as the spot I found was just perfect! Streamside, great grass, flat and fair to say in a stunning location!
Getting set up quite early in the sunshine allowed me to make good use of the awesome Goal Zero Nomad 10. I'm so pleased I'm carrying it. It charges my smart watch easily and keeps my power bank topped up between long mains charges. Really simple to use, without feeling delicate or easy to damage.
I was so happy with my wild camp - an amazingly beautiful location to spend the night.
With the sun gone the temperature dropped rapidly and significantly, so once I had admired as much as I could of my surroundings I zipped up for the night hoping I stayed warm in my lovely sleeping bag, but designed for warm summer nights! Of course my warmth was boosted by the thermal liner, but I sensed this cold may permeate the layers!
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