Sue and Martin's Big Adventure
Day 38 - Wednesday 1 September 2004 - Stage 31
Postcard Summary
Bilberry
camp to (nobody seen for 24 hours) Masia-Noarre campsite
Long leisurely day in varied scenery with
frogs – 8.25 hours, 14 km, 650m ascent
After yesterday’s huge boulders and very
slow going, today was a delight. Only
400 metres of ascent to the first col, then an undulating route to have lunch
at an unmanned refuge – Rif Pujol – it houses nine people and is very smart and
clean. Looks like a large metal trunk
from the outside. Then a nice gentle
descent during which we had to make a route decision. We came to Camping Masia because it sounded
nice in the guide book, and the clouds were building up….and as I write, from
the comfort of the bar at Camping Masia, it is raining. Correct decision. The alternative would have been another high
wild camp, probably with lots of frogs, which have dominated the day. Now looking forward to a nice meal at the
restaurant here.
Diary Entry (by Sue)
Tonight I write
from the comfort of a chair with a beer in front of me. We have dropped to a
highly recommended campsite, Bordes de Graus, at 1360 metres, where the 'excellent
sanitary facilities' have proved just that - showers had and washing done.
Our quiet
campsite last night had cloud below it this morning. When cleaning teeth last
night we heard barking - fox? wolf?
deer? The muesli was nice with added bilberries, and we got off at 8.30,
wearing gaiters due to wet grass. The climb was steep on the narrow, cairned
path, crossing rocks in parts and passing two false cols.
The last section
was steep scree, but the Col de la Cornella (2485 metres) was a superb notch in
the sunshine and a just reward for the climbing. Mountain mix went down well. Descent
over steep ground to two lakes and a contouring path to the next col.
Another short
climb to the Estany de Calberante. In this lake were hundreds of tadpoles and
on the grass surrounding it, lots of tiny frogs. The tadpoles were concentrated
around the silty edges, until disturbed, when the water heaves as a tidal wave
of tadpoles heads for deeper water.
This nicely put
off the climb (steeply) to the next col at 2610 metres, where there was a good
view of Mont Roig, and of the three Gallina lakes and refuge.
The view from Col
de Calberante
The descent past
these lakes was lovely - large polished
rocks, waterfalls and streams - the sheep were surprised to see us! The
obstacle of the water filled gully before the refuge, mentioned in Joosten's
guide book, was easily passed and refuge proved an excellent place for lunch.
It is unstaffed
and has beds for nine. Martin brewed inside whilst I made a pâté baguette
outside, despite the lack of sunshine. The refugi was opened in 1984 and is
named after Enric Pujol, a mountaineer killed on Broad Peak
in 1981 aged only 28. It would be a cosy place to stay, with its candle
chandelier.
The path down
from here was also a good one - steep in parts and over smooth rocks in other
parts. It followed a stream, meaning that frogs were ever present - both adults
and tiny ones.
At least this
afternoon was cooler than yesterday - some cloud cover and a cool breeze. Saw
our second snake of the trip, about 9 inches long and bronze coloured. Despite
being provoked, it wasn't in a hurry to escape.
Through silver
birch trees before reaching and crossing a stream. Another brief but pleasant
section of path brought us to a dirt road. This zigzagged down and joined a tarmac
road, that passed by the nearby uninhabited hamlet of Quanca. After passing the
reservoir and dam, the hamlet of Graus was reached, where our campsite is
located.
There had been an
option of going higher and traversing across to tomorrow's route, but this
option wasn't mentioned in either guide book, and in view of the black clouds
above, the descent to this site was chosen. No storm, but plenty of rumbles of
thunder, and some black clouds. Of note, we hadn't seen anyone for over 24
hours when we met two Spaniards on their way to the refugi - an indication of
the remoteness of this section.
Arriving at 4.45
pm, a beer was welcome before the tent went up. After showers etc, we retreat
to the bar, for diary writing and postcards. The restaurant here conserves one
of our evening meals in case Refugi de Certascan cannot oblige tomorrow. We eat
green beans for starters, chops, ratatouille and salad for main, and yoghurt /
creme caramel for pudding. The 'english speaking lady' misinterprets a couple
of orders to achieve this! The rain patters on the skylights above.
Addendum:
The Enric Pujol refuge provided a couple of peach drinks that somebody had left
behind there - very welcome on our way down to Graus. Also there was a plaque:
"ENRIC
PUJOL 10/2/53 - BROAD PEAK (KARAKORUM) 5/8/81" and a quotation from
Frederich Nietzsche.*
Stats
and route (Viewranger):
14
km, 650 metres ascent, 8.25 hours
* “Let
us face ourselves. We are Hyperboreans; we know very well how far off we live.
'Neither by land nor by sea will you find the way to the Hyperboreans'—Pindar
already knew this about us. Beyond the north, ice, and death—our life, our
happiness. We have discovered happiness, we know the way, we have found the
exit out of the labyrinth of thousands of years. Who else has found it? Modern
man perhaps? 'I have got lost; I am everything that has got lost,' sighs modern
man. This modernity was our sickness: lazy peace, cowardly compromise, the
whole virtuous uncleanliness of the modern Yes and No. … Rather live in the ice
than among modern virtues and other south winds! We were intrepid enough, we
spared neither ourselves nor others; but for a long time we did not know where
to turn with our intrepidity. We became gloomy, we were called fatalists. Our
fatum—abundance, tension, the damming of strength. We thirsted for lightning
and deeds and were most remote from the happiness of the weakling,
'resignation.' In our atmosphere was a thunderstorm; the nature we are became
dark—for we saw no way. Formula for our happiness: a Yes, a No, a straight
line, a goal.”
