Hikes

Day 9: 20 August: Rest day in Lescun

Nice to be back in Lescun for a rest day, a great place for that. When me and Yrr followed GR10 we also had a break in Lescun.

In the morning I had breakfast with the others and we took farewell. I will miss walking with Anika but we will try to met up later on and it would have been nice to join the Dutch team, Anika will have great company.

I also met Sandro and Philippe from Germany at the camping, both following HRP and both lightweight backpackers. They had learned to know each other on the trail. They invited me to walk with them the next day, I happely accepted the invitation.

After some washing I took a walk into the village. I picked up my parcel at the post office and sat down outside of the church to write. I haven’t had much time to do it. A guy came by and parked his bike and went in to the church and started singing, nice vocal. Otherwise it was very quite and peacful.

Around 12 I went to a restaurant to have lunch and there I was happy to bumb into Tasha, great surprise, who just arrived. I found out that she was the women in the tent by the cabin the other day. We had a nice lunch and walked to the camping together. I did some repacking and spend the evening with Tasha, having dinner at the gite at the camping.

Day 10: 21 August: Lescun to Montagne de Barnasse

I hiked together with Philippe and Sandro, who I met yesterday at the camping for the whole day. We had a lot of gear talking as both of them also are into ultralight backpacking. A friend of Philipp, joined us up to the Col de Pau.

The climb up to Col de Pau, was great. The clouds seamed to follow us and but we made it up before the view disappeared completely. We had lunch in the sun before continue on a more levelled path.

It was cloudy and you could see mountains sticking up through the clouds, like islands.

The campsite at the refuge d’Arlet (closed for renovation) at the lake didn’t appeal to us so we decided to continue another 30 minutes before we sat camp at a quite nice place with great views.

I made dinner, home dehydrated pasta with vegetarian bolognaise. Tasted great.

Day 11: 22 August: Montagne de Barnasse to campsite close to Ibon de Escalar

My alarm went of at 6, went up to back down the tent and to make some breakfast. Ready to go between 7 and 7:30, when it started to be light. This was the normal mountain routin. Philipp always starting a bit earlier than me and Sandro.

In the late afternoon we came to a the ski resort Candanchu. Here we could do some resupply. When we arrived it was still siesta so we sat down at the restaurant and had something to eat and drink.

We refilled some water and left the village. We walked about 1 hour and half and set camp close to Ibon de Escalar. It was late and I was to tired to prepare any proper dinner. I only had a sandwich before getting to bed.

Day 12: 23 August: Ibon de Escalar – half the way up to Col d’Arrious

Started early to climb the last part up to a lake. Nice that we already did some climbing last evening.

Sandor took a morning swim, he tried to swim in every lake we passed.

When we reach the Col de Moines (2168m) we had a great view over Pic du Midi d’Ossau and a beautiful valley with horses.

We walked down in to the valley, passed a couple of lakes.

We passed a sign 2 km to Refuge d’Ayous. Yrr and I stayed there when we were hiking the Pyrenees for the first time in 2009. Read about it here.

We continued further down, much further down. We had an early lunch break at a stream at the bottom before starting the climb up again (1643m). We dried our tents.

It was a long and hard climb, the guys disappeared, I took it easier as my astma was tough on me this day. Still I keept an acceptable speed. The last part was challenging, I had to climp on big boulders. It was exciting and I loved it.

I reach the Col d’Peyreget (2310m), I had a great view. Didn’t stop for a break, continued down to the refuge de Pompie (2031m) were I met up with the guys again. I had some chili. We also met two German girls, Simone and Eva, who joined us for the rest of the day.

We continued a few more hours in to next day stage, half way up towards Col d’Arrious. We had some difficulties to find a good camping spot for everyone, but I think we all found something in the end, I found my spot under a big big stone. We sat and ate together outside the girls’ tent before it was time to crawl into our tents. At least I was very tired.

Day 13: 24 August: Campsite half the way up to Col d’Arrious to Refugio de Respomuso

Didn’t sleep that well, the big stone above my tent, shined through the fabric. The night was warm, the stone probably kept some heat from the day. Sandro and I where the last who left the camp. On our way upward we meet some sheeps with three dogs that guarding them, you have to be careful when there are dogs but they are just doing their job to protect the sheeps. We made a small detour around the herd.

The climb up to Col d’Arrious was ok, still bit tired in my lower legs.

Here I had to decide if I wanted to do the Passage d’Orteig, as it was something you should avoid if you suffer from vertigo. The alternative would only take 20 min more but then I had to climb down and up again. Sandro convinced me to make the difficult part of todays trail.

We met up with the others at the lake before Passage d’Orteig. It was scary but Philippe gave me great support and learned me to find the right technique to climb and hold the rope. It was not difficult and I didn’t suffer too much of my fear of heights. Without my backpack I think it wouldn’t have been so scary. Afterward I was happy and proud that I made it.

We took a long rest at the refuge d’Arrémoulit, beautifully placed at the Arrémoulit lake. The guys took a swim and we had some well tasty lunch, similar to pasta bolognese but with chunks of meat instead. I regret I didn’t take a swim as the day was damn hot and the lake not freezing cold.

I took farewell of my cohikers as I had decided to take the alternative route as it would save me some time to reach Gavarnie, hopefully a half day later than Anika and Eli. The idea was to make next stage of HRP together.

It was a beautiful and I enjoyed the hike to Refugio de Respomuso, I past a couple of lakes. It was sometimes hard to find the trail but I navigated with the map and it was doable.

When I arrived at Refugio de Respomuso it started raining, quite heavely, and I had heard there might be a storm later as well. The refuge was full but they put me on a waiting list. I was in doubt, I really wanted to continue another hour or so, at least to find a campsite. I met a French guy, Jerome, we already met briefly at the refuge d’Arrémoulit. He was camping nearby and was going to eat at the refuge. Around half past seven I got a bed, I took a quick shower and got some food.

Tried to call home but the phone didn’t work and I had no connection since a 24h.

The refuge was crowded. I slept in a room with a lot of people. There was very hot and no air, so it was hard to sleep. It was just awful, I regret my decision to stay in the refuge, it would have been much better in my own tent. Lesson to learn.

Day 14: 25 August: Refugio de Respomuso to Lac d’Arratille

I went up at six and was ready to walk just after seven. I wanted to reach Refuge Walloon around 11 as there was a storm expected in the middle of the day.

On my way up to Col de la Fache (2664m) I met Jerome again. He was in a bad mood as he had followed some wrong paths during the morning.

It was hard for me to reach the col, struggling with the astma. A group/family of 10 people invited me for a coffe break at the lake but I continued. They probably thought I needed a break.

At the col everything was fine again and I continued directly down. On my down I surpisingly run into Tasha, who was on her way up to climb the summit of de la Fache. We talked a bit and hope we would meet further ahead again, maybe already in Gavarnie.

I made company with Jerome down to the refuge Wallon. We had some lunch together, biff stew with rise, quite nice. Decided to continue a bit together.

It started to rain and it was a bit cold. But there were no storm. We decided to move on. We had a quick stop at the stream, I clean some clothes and had a refreshing foot bath. Jerome had a swim.

We discussed to stop and camp at Lac d’Arratille, higher up, 1,35 h a head. But it was also tempting to continue another 2 1/2–3 hours over the two cols, Col d’Arratille (2528m) and Col du Mulets (2591m) and set camp down at De Gaube, which is a very nice place to camp. But the weather didn’t look promesing and the climb and descend shouldn’t be done in bad weather and the weather forecast was not on our side. At the moment the weather was sunny but things change fast in the mountains.

Jerome decided to move on, I decided to stay above the lac, it was a nice place to stay the night and I didn’t want to take the risk to get trapped high up in the mountain in bad weather and I was also a bit tired.

While setting up my tent the cloud started to gather, I had made the right decision, but it made me worry about Jerome. Luckily on his way up to the col he met some other hikers heading down and they adviced him to turn back. At first it didn’t rain much but after a while we had a lot of rain, hard wind, hale, and even thunder. It lasted for an hour. I got some rest in my tent in the meanwhile, almost got to sleep. After the storm it was ok weather again. We ate dinner together before saying good night.

Day 16-17: Gavarnie, rest day and change of plan

I woke up after a good night sleep around 8. Still a bit cold before the sun came up over the mountains. Jermome was packing down when finally came out of my tent. We had breakfast together. Talked with some girl from Belgium who also where doing HRP.

Jerome took farwell and continued. I went to wash my clothes and charge up all my devices. I also had contact with Anika, who had arrived in the morning last night, they were all staying at a gite.

When walking through the village I run into Tasha who just arrived, she was having a lunch. We decided to met for dinner that evening.

I met up with Anika, Eli, Eva and Darra and we had a nice picknick by a stream together. All the others had a swim, not me, I am still a chicken when it comes to cold water but it was refreshing with a foot bath.

Sandor and Philipp past by, arriving to Gavarnie, it was nice to see them again. They were also planing to stay at the camping, nice with some company there.

I came back to the camping late in the afternoon and had a nice rest outside of my tent. Talked a bit with Sandor and Philipp and went to meet Tasha. We had a nice dinner, the food not too exciting though. We dicided to meet up the next day and walk to the Cirque. I had decided to take another rest day so that I could join Anika and the others on Monday after picking up my package.

Tasha and I had a great and slow walk up to the Cirque de Gavarnie. Tasha had also invited me to stay for one night with her in the hotel which I accepted. It was great to have a bath and a real bed for a change.

Before meeting up with the others for dinner I had a phone call home and due to family resons I decided it was time for me to return home. Very sad but I felt I was needed at home and wouldn’t enjoy any further hiking. The mountains will still be there for me to return and finish my hike on the HRP.

We had a great evening togethe. It was sad to say good buy to everyone and not be able to join with everyone on the third section of the trail. I was happy thought that most of the people I learned to know during the last two week was there, I did miss Keith and Lesley there, who wouldn’t arrive to Gavarnie before the 31st.

It was also a good buy for Tasha, who had decided to leave the Pyrenees and go to somewhere else to hike. We left the mountains together the day after and went to Toulousse. We spent a couple of nice days together, eating to much nice food, before taking the flight home for me and Norway for Tasha.

Hope to be able to come back soon.

Day 3: August 15th: From Lac de Barroude to Urdiceto power station

We went up with the sunrise, on the otherside of the lake there was already some people fishing.

On our way down to Parzan the sun started to warm us up and soon it was too hot again. The last part before reaching Parzan we have to follow a rather busy road for some kilometers. In Parzan we could do some resupply and we took the opportunity to eat some heavy food, (food that is too heavy to carry such as canned clams, fresh fruit and vegetable etc). We had a really lovely lunch in a not so lovely spot, at the parking area, right outside of the supermarket. But at least we got some shadow.

As we slowly slowly made our way up in the heat we met two really nice persons, Ally, from Irland and Christoffer from France. We had some nice breaks with them in the shadows. Both of them had been out hiking for a while, doing a mix of many different trails.