Sue and Martin's Big Adventure
Day 47 - Friday 10 September 2004 - Stage 38
Postcard Summary
Friendly
refuge to Eyne Valley
A morning of lakes and pines, then high
plateau before fine ascent through trees – 8.7 hours, 20 km, 600m ascent
Another lovely sunny hot day and a scenic
start past lakes nestling in pine woods.
A few ski pistes to negotiate before we arrive in the village of Font-Romeu
Diary Entry (by Martin)
We rose to find
that our breakfast was neatly laid out and our attentive guardian soon served a
big pot of tea for Sue and a similar size pot of coffee for me. Nobody had
snored (house rules forbade it) - house rules also forbade getting annoyed with
anyone who does snore! - so we had slept pretty well.
After chatting
to the English couple we got away at 8.40 after noticing a sign at the Refuge
for a 4-day circuit, staying at refuges, which looked very scenic. (It went to
the north west
I wore trousers (legs)
today so as to avoid getting my injury dirty - it has dried out quite well, and
it was a trainer day for both of us - no rough ground.... - well, not a huge
amount! We wandered off in the sunshine at a pleasant 19°C, past a herd of very
noisy cows to some lakes in a pine tree setting - very like a miniature Killarney Park
(Canada
There were
dragonflies and ducks and leaping fish. Yesterday's Dutchman was passed at 9.30,
still slumbering in his tent - we won't see him again. By 10.40 we were at Col
du Pam - 2000 metres, having descended all of five metres. This called for a
mountain mix stop, after which we descended on a sometimes pleasantly
contouring path through trees - other times messing about on rough steep tracks
and roads - to Font-Romeu.
A ski piste on
the descent to Fort-Romeu
Here we quickly
managed to replenish our euros and acquire food (mainly lunches) to see us
through the next few days. Shop1 supermarket was probably the best since Danchuria,
but (luckily) we had to rush to get the job done by the time it shut for lunch
at 12.30. Or we might have been even heavier!
On the way out
of Font-Romeu I tripped on a curb. So a hand and thumb were bleeding and
shoulder skinned despite t-shirt protection. Trouser legs saved another leg
injury though the trousers were further damaged. So I was a sorry sight as I tucked
into a lavish lunch (1.00 to 1.45) of crisps, baguette, sheep's cheese, pâté de
trois poivres, tomatoes and a bottle of coke. That certainly made us both feel
better.
Unfortunately Véron's
route had been built on - a new housing estate blocked our way, so we took a haphazard
route down through fields, and over a narrow gauge railway line.
Soon after this
a hopeful looking track ended and we had to make our way steeply down to the D29
road through a thorny jungle of bushes. And so we reached Pont de Bou and crossed
the busy main road to Andorra
Véron's directions looked uncomfortably
strenuous or impossible, so we chose to walk the remaining 3 to 4 kilometres to
Eyne along a quiet road (the D29 again) after a short stretch along the main
road.
3.45 pm - Eyne - horses, dogs, a good
water point to take on four litres before continuing for ~ 3 miles / 1½ hours /
400 metres ascent, up the pretty Eyne valley, through a nature reserve, mainly
in trees.
Quite a few people coming down, (lots of
day walkers seen today). Treasure found - a Snickers bar. At 5.20 we find a
nice spot at 2015 metres. When will we climb so heavy and camp so high again? Beautiful
on the way up, with the low sun glinting on red berries and rushing water below
menacing grey clouds dashing across the sky. Tent soon up.
Dippers in the river - haven't seen them
for a while. A marmot suddenly spots us - he is just a few yards from the tent.
We are soon relaxing in the tent in journey
honoured custom, with chores being completed and this entry being made between
courses. Spaghetti carbonara and added ham is consumed by 8.15 as the light
starts to fade - around an hour earlier than when we started the journey. Asleep
soon after 9 pm, by when it is completely dark. Lights of Font-Romeu in view
below. Clear sky but warm.
Stats
and route (Viewranger):
23
km, 1200 metres ascent, 8.7 hours
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