Friday 17 July 2015 - Pyrenees GR11 - Day 33 - Ordino - Hotel Coma (1360 metres) to Encamp - Can Fontbernat (1330 metres)

 

 

 

 

Distance: 10 km (Cum: 569 km)

Ascent: 700 metres (Cum: 31900 metres)

Time taken: 4.0 hrs including 0.3 hrs stops (Cum: 234.0 hrs including 46.8 hrs stops)

Weather: hot and sunny

A morning spent mainly on more of the same - pleasant forest paths.

The Brick felt much less like a brick this morning. There wasn't much food in it. But I feel weary. And that's after the shortest day since my day off in Benasque. My feet are recovering though.

Setting off after a leisurely breakfast at around 9.30, the sky was as blue as ever, though after last night's rain it seemed a little cooler. The forest path was lined with the usual wide array of wild flowers, with the orchids looking rather tired, but the bright flowers of dark red heleborine were looking cheerily chirpy.

Two mountain bikers whizzed down the hill as I ascended a path that was ideal for that particular sport (in a downhill direction only).

The 1983 metre Coll d'Ordino is at the top of a road pass. It has views towards an assortment of Andorran peaks, their high snow patches glinting in the hazy sun. Cyclists and walkers were enjoying being there.

A signpost indicated the way to Encamp. Two paths led in that direction. I chose the more heavily used path and followed some 'CI' signs. After twenty minutes it occurred to me that I was on a contouring path (Circular Itinerary?). Returning to the col, and the other path, a GR11 marker soon appeared and I made my way down to the rather large town of Encamp, wandered around it for a while, and eventually found Tobi and André at a pre-arranged rendezvous. Sorry I was a bit late chaps, and thanks for the beer.

Tobi is German German and André is French Swiss. Their common language is English. That's not inconvenient from my point of view. They had kindly rented an apartment for three at Can Fontbernat in a part of town that even Humphrey couldn't complain too strongly about.

After a restful afternoon for us all, beer o'clock has arrived and as a little 'extra' André has just been served tripe - proudly produced by the owner, who points to sheep on the hillside whose children's stomachs are now being eaten!

The owner and his wife then proceeded to showcase their culinary skills. We chose only two of the five starters on offer, so they brought us tasters to show us what we'd missed!

A lovely evening, spent with two like minded 'men of the mountains' and our most genial Andorran hosts.

Today's pictures:
A typical path from today
View back to our route into Andorra from Coll d'Ordino
Encamp
Can Fontbernat

Since the phone signal doesn't seem to support data any more, it may be two to three days before the next episode, when wifi is next available.

Next Day - Day 34

Back to Index

Thursday 16 July 2015 - Pyrenees GR11 - Day 32 - Coma Pedrosa valley (2270 metres) to Ordino (1360 metres)

 

 

 

 

 

Distance: 18 km (Cum: 559 km)

Ascent: 900 metres (Cum: 31200 metres)

Time taken: 8.8 hrs including 2.5 hrs stops (Cum: 230.0 hrs including 46.5 hrs stops)

Weather: hot and sunny, but clouding over at 4 pm, with a few spots of rain that came to nothing. Thunder and lightning with rain later.

A day spent mainly on pleasant forest paths, if a little steep (even thrutchy) at times.

On another bright, clear, hot morning I soon decided that bandaging the feet would be a good idea. It was, the bandages worked.

A rocky path led past Rifugi de Comapedrosa and down to Arinsal. There were many day walkers coming the other way, most of whom asked me how long it would take them to get to the Refuge.

A trudge through the streets and building sites of Arinsal was followed by a steep climb along the Cami del Coll de les Cases path. There were lots of wild strawberries. I hadn't seen those for a while. Also lots of wood ants intent on exploring stationary objects. So it was best to keep moving. The broad col at 1958 metres, with lots of fading St John's Wort was a pleasant enough spot to pause for a while.

There weren't too many views. That's a bit of a problem in a pine forest.

The descent to Arans was ... steep.

Arans turns out to be a small village on the main road. I chose the Font d'Arans restaurant for lunch because it was clear that it had wifi and I'd been incommunicado since yesterday morning. (More phone problems - I can now phone home but I'm unable to get to the EE website to buy any megabyte usage. So I'm having to rely on wifi, which is also refusing to connect where I am now.)

"We aren't open until 1 pm" said the elderly lady. I retreated for a few minutes of essential faffing and went back in.

" A coke please?"

"You'll find it cheaper from the machine outside" she retorted. The machine might have looked broken but it produced a cold can of coke for a euro.

Menu of the day (€10) comprised a huge mixed salad, a Sunday dinner sort of chicken dish, and a bowl of lemon sorbet. It was excellent. The proprietor, Nicole, talked all the way through it. She and her husband had lived in Chicago for twenty years. Of French origin they had then moved to Andorra. They now want to retire, so anyone interested in taking on a restaurant for forty covers, with a two bedroomed flat and two more bedrooms for staff should check that they have €50000, then contact Nicole via www.monvirtual.com/fontdarans/

I showed Nicole the blog entry that I'd been compiling as we chatted.

"You could make a book out of that" she observed.

Not this time, Nicole.

It was 2.30 by the time my coffee cup was empty and I'd found time to post yesterday's diary entry. So getting to Encamp looked a little optimistic. Pleasant paths through more pine forest drew me towards Ordino, to where I descended after it suddenly clouded over and I felt a few drops of rain.

The only person I saw was a lady dragging herself very slowly up the hill above Ordino. She looked exhausted.

There were many side paths. I'm sure GR11 chooses just one of many possible woodland routes hereabouts.

Two horses, and later a horse and a donkey, were lovingly swishing their tails in each other's eyes in a futile effort at fly control. Shouldn't they be offered fly nets?

I was knocking on the door of Hotel Coma by 5 o'clock and I was sitting on my balcony consuming the contents of my room's mini bar shortly afterwards. This time there was plenty of soap, and a lot of dirt was extracted from my clothing.

The evening was spent at Casa Leon with beer and pizza and the excellent company of Tony and Evie, two of very few English people I've chatted to since leaving Irun, apart from during the Collett's interlude in Panticosa. Originally from the Midlands, they spent many years in Bermuda before retiring to the south of Spain. They love it in Ordino, where it's a bit cooler than at home. It was a pleasure to meet you, T and E, and thank you for inviting me over to join you.

A stroll back along the pleasant main street saw me resume what seems to be this entire trip's ongoing battle with the internet whilst watching an impressive electrical storm from my balcony. In fact the wifi issue may be resolved from the balcony!

Today's pictures:
Looking back up towards Portella de Baiau from below Rifugi de Comapedrosa
A rare water powered Massey Ferguson tractor in Arans
Ordino from the descent path
Horses above Ordino
Ordino's main street (in a possibly futile effort to glamourise Andorra!)

Next Day - Day 33

Back to Index

Wednesday 15 July 2015 - Pyrenees GR11 - Day 31 - Àreu (Casa Besoli) to Coma Pedrosa valley (2270 metres)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distance: 18 km (Cum: 541 km)

Ascent: 1800 metres (Cum: 30300 metres)

Time taken: 9.5 hrs including 1.7 hrs stops (Cum: 221.2 hrs including 44.0 hrs stops)

Weather: some high cloud and a very light breeze has made life a little more comfortable today; only 24C at 2300 metres. The weather is finally changing, bringing better walking conditions but probably also some (much needed) rain.

This was another brilliant mountain day once the tree line above Àreu had been cleared. Welcome to Andorra.

But back to last night. Alone in Casa Besoli's dining room I was first brought almost equally large jugs of water and of quite acceptable red wine, plus a basket of bread. Then a massive bowl of noodle soup with a ladle. I ate as much as I could (about a third) before giving up in the interests of saving myself for another course. That was the mixed salad, with lots of olives and some very juicy tomatoes. Whilst I was ploughing through that, a plate of four large sausages in a tomato and onion sauce arrived. It was nice to be able to work on both plates (and read Gayle's blog) at the same time. When those plates had been emptied I was brought another one with a good slice of tasty cheese, and a final plate holding a giant peach. A lovely meal - just a shame I had nobody to share it with...

Sausages seem to be the staple diet in this part of the world. It seems ages since the days of eggs and bacon in the Basque country.

Breakfast was a more spartan affair. It usually is, but I tend not to want very much anyway. In these parts it's basically orange juice and as much toast and jam and tea or coffee as you want.

My sore feet disturbed my sleep again last night, so I bandaged them up this morning and limped off with the usual 'grit' in my shoes. Bizarrely, after 9.5 hours on the trail, the bandages have come off my feet and for the first time in over a week they don't feel excessively sore! The cooler weather may have helped.

It was nice to see something actually going on in Àreu, as most of the small hamlets GR11 passes through seem to be dead. John Deere was mowing a field, and another large field was full of irrigation channels - just for the hay crop. I found all the cows later.

The conditions are obviously suited to mulleins, which were growing up to about ten feet high in the verges.

Before long, tarmac gave way to dirt and that track was left in favour of a lovely woodland trail that reminded me of the best bits of Macclesfield Forest. You had to keep moving to avoid the biting flies though.

After a while I met a couple of gents from Paris coming the other way. They had Enormous rucksacks. They were concerned about camping in the Aigüestortes National Park. Apparently both camping and bivouacing are banned. What we do is technically bivouacing, which is allowed in most places, subject to certain restrictions that aren't an issue (eg you should be at least an hour from a road). But the Aigüestortes people object to anyone sleeping out. Apparently if they catch you - and they have people assigned to that task - it's a €450 fine. That's one reason why I passed through that Park so quickly, albeit taking the risk at Port de Ratèra. [I'm not sure how much truth there is in all this - plenty of people are sleeping out in the Park and I have yet to come across a report of anyone actually being fined.]

Anyway, I ambled on up the path, gently ascending to the cackle of the nutcrackers and the rush of the waterfalls across the valley. After three hours I reached a large car park at the end of the dirt road that GR11 skilfully avoids. That provides easy access to Refugi de Vallferrera, which I had no reason to visit.

So I headed on in stunning mountain scenery, to Pla de Baiau for lunch. On previous HRP visits our route had touched this point but we had entered Andorra via Port de Boet slightly north of the GR11 route. So I'd not previously been up the 'nippy little scree slope' that Humphrey's notes so elegantly describe. But before that - I'd escaped from the woodland flies and had a most relaxing time. I was in no hurry as I planned to camp up at Estanys d'Escorbes where Humphrey had his defining moment with the horses swimming across the lake in the night.

When I got there I disturbed a herd of over twenty izard (like chamois), and the horses were all there in their swimming costumes. And there were hundreds of cows. No wonder they need lots of hay in Àreu!

I wandered around for ages and sat for half an hour in a likely spot absorbing the ambience of the place, but it was only 2.30 and there would certainly be biting insects and marauding cows later.

Nearby is the metal box with nine bunks - Refugi de Baiau. Some, like Tobi, feel compelled to stay there for the experience. I feel compelled not to succumb to that experience, especially when there's a chance of ten students turning up at the door. Which is what would have happened.

So I decided to hop over the Portella de Baiau and into Andorra. I soon met a couple of day walkers, then the ten heavily laden students, some of whom were clearly not happy with life.

Looking back, I'm not surprised. The ascent to the pass was over a large boulder field followed by Really Steep Scree. It wasn't easy. How the students managed to get down without a major incident I don't really know.

The other side of the pass, unlike my scary experience getting into Andorra two years ago, was easy. I descended to a lake where 45 children were playing (so they'll be staying in Refugi de Comapedrosa - I think I'll give that a miss). From there an easy walk took me into Coma Pedrosa, a classic hanging valley. A flat site for the tent was found at 6 pm, but I waited for an hour until the children had gone past before putting the tent up. I didn't want to set a bad example by blatantly ignoring the bivouacing rules, but it probably wouldn't have mattered. Anyway, I was happy on my little rock.

The sun soon dropped behind the mountains, so no overheating occurred.
The usual delicacies have been enjoyed, but tonight I have a real treat. A bar of chocolate I bought in Benasque is finally solid enough to eat! It's delicious, albeit about twice it's original surface area.

Today's pictures:
Casa Besoli
A huge mullein plant - note the walking poles
The view to Portella de Baiau from Estany de Baiau - you can just see the 'path' snaking up the scree
Looking back into Spain from Portella de Baiau
My excellent campsite in the Coma Pedrosa
My not so sore and rapidly repairing (I hope) toes

Next Day - Day 32

Back to Index

Tuesday 14 July 2015 - Pyrenees GR11 - Day 30 - Tavascan (Casa Feliu) to Àreu (Casa Besoli)

 

 

 

 

Distance: 16 km (Cum: 523 km)

Ascent: 1350 metres (Cum: 28500 metres)

Time taken: 8.5 hrs including 2.0 hrs stops (Cum: 211.7 hrs including 42.3 hrs stops)

Weather: sunny and boiling hot

I saw one other walker today, a chap coming along GR11 the other way just above the hamlet of Boldis Subira. He asked me if there was a pub there. "No, the place is completely deserted, but the first water point you come to is the best."

The others were long gone by the time I got my breakfast at 9 am. They must have sorted out an early start whilst I was wrestling with changing rooms, and elephants in the roof. I was glad of the lie in.

Whilst today's walk had its fair share of belvedere or gently graded paths, it also had copious doses of the up and down thrutches I was expecting yesterday. Starting past the old bridge, then across the river - 400 metres of genuine steepness to get to a lovely belvedere path that's the counterpart to yesterday's 'spectacular high level traverse' on the other side of the valley.

The path is a bit crumbly, but wires have been inserted in a few places to make life easier.

I was just pottering along, and stopped for quite a while to commune with a few folk.

- David sadly won't be able to join me after Andorra, so this will be a genuinely solo crossing apart from the excellent day with Harry from Panticosa. I'm still hoping to see David when I finish.

- Conrad, we exchanged comments about 'the simple life'. Ironically, just after that the stitching that anchors the top of one of my rucksack straps to the rucksack gave way. This is fairly fundamental to carrying the load. I've managed a temporary fix but it's a worry. The rucksack came FOC for review, which can now be a cradle to grave review. "Low durability." The only other gear issues that I can think of now are the silk liner that (as usual) has become a tube, and the Pacerpole tips that (as usual) have disappeared up their own backsides.

Humphrey kindly sent me a long message with lots of info about Girona. It sounds like a great place to visit, but perhaps with Sue. I should, feet permitting, finish this trip earlier than planned, but I don't really want to commit to anything other than the train home, and I might even try to change that if it's possible. I'm still referring to a long list of comments that Humphrey sent me ages ago. I should have tried the hotel restaurant here in Àreu, just for the hell of it!

I also caught up with Mick and Gayle's exploits on GR10. They are enjoying better weather than we did in 2013, though I'm not sure how the bloodthirsty basajaun of the Baztan Forest will take to them camping on his patch.

The belvedere ended at the deserted hamlet of Boldis Subira, where I failed to take on enough water. I managed, but what remained of my litre after the col ahead tasted like hot bath water.

Lunch was taken on the corner of a switchback, and I dried out the tent and washed (so that's where the water went!) and bandaged my feet, which looked and felt horrible. The bandaging seems to have worked slightly, and one foot is definitely on the mend.

The forest track was pleasant enough, but the steep ascents and later descents were really quite tiring and hard on the feet.

I startled a deer - red deer sort of size - in the forest, and at the high point of the day, 2243 metre Coll de Tudela, I was surprised to find a caravan and 4WD together with signs about dangerous dogs. They must keep sheep up here, but I didn't see any.

Sore feet took my mind off much else as I steeply and slowly descended 1000 metres to the hamlet of Àreu. Given the heat I opted for the easy life and checked in at Casa Besoli. Sue's crib sheet helped and I established the following - prices are for Rosie's benefit, they are probably similar to Refugio prices.
Room (en suite but no soap) €25
Dinner (cena) 9 pm €15
Breakfast (desayuno) 8 am - €4

There's no bar here, so I went back to a bar for a coke and a beer, and picked up some supplements for wild camping from the well stocked little shop with a friendly proprietor who has a few more words of English than I have of Spanish.

Again for Rosie's benefit, a coke, a beer, two packets of soup and a banana cost €5 in total. But some of the Rifugios charge €3 for a coke.

There's no sign of Martin - perhaps he's at the campsite, nor of the Spanish dad who is doing GR11 in around 36 days with his 12 year old son. They may have gone ahead of me today. Their routine is to get up at 5 am and set off pre-dawn, enjoy a  siesta when they arrive at their destination, then emerge for the evening, before going to bed after 11. So they have two long sleeps each day...

The current Cicerone guide continues to be excellent and seems to be used by all non Spanish nationalities. It's 'The Bible'. But over the past three sections my altimeter has noticed some possible errors. Rosie and her partner may be pleased to hear that the combined ascents of 4600 metres on stages 26 to 28 are overstated by around 800 metres. It's a pleasant surprise, but strangely I found the combined day of 26 and 27 easier than the shorter day 28. Perhaps it was just my feet that found that out...

Another thing, the refuge at Estaon (which I missed) comes highly recommended, as does the slightly off route Refugi d'Amitges on stage 24.

Not much to say about views (hazy) or flowers (unexceptional apart from some giant broomrape specimens) today.

Today's pictures:
The old bridge at Tavascan
This moth/butterfly spent a very happy half hour harvesting my hand
Rucksack problems
The view down to Àreu from below Coll de Tudela

Next Day - Day 31

Back to Index

 

Monday 13 July 2015 - Pyrenees GR11 - Day 29 - La Guingueta d'Àneu (Nou Camping) to Tavascan (Casa Feliu)

 

 

 

 

Distance: 23 km (Cum: 507 km)

Ascent: 2050 metres (Cum: 27150 metres)

Time taken: 10.2 hrs including 1.7 hrs stops (Cum: 203.2 hrs including 40.3 hrs stops)

Weather: I could have fried eggs on the rocks

Camping next to a children's playground in Spain. I should have known better. Spanish children play until midnight. And they took delight in tripping over my guy lines.

I didn't hurry this morning. My plan was for a leisurely start and a thrutch up and down to Estaon. That didn't transpire. Instead of a thrutch it was a steady ascent and descent on ancient paths reminiscent of those found on the GR10 route.

I started past the Panta de la Torrassa lake, with fishermen reflected in the still waters, past a machine gun nest built by Franco between 1947 and 1952 as part of his Pyrenean defence line. It seemed quite strange to me, not knowing very much about Spanish history.

The ascent did start off up a fiendishly steep path, but it soon saw sense and assumed a more sensible gradient.

Dorve provided my last water for the morning. By the time I reached Estaon what was left of it tasted like warm bath water. Today's temperatures were around 30 to 35C but with a light breeze it didn't seem too bad.

The hamlet of Dorve was full of incomplete buildings, with nobody around until I heard banging and crashing from one of the buildings. A brown cat appeared and ran off, the only inhabitant.

Guide book writer Brian says this is the easiest place on GR11 to get lost. Not with the new signposting. Just follow the signs to Lo Caubo.

I caught up with a French trio with day sacks at the first col, Collado de la Serra, from where there were views back to what I imagine are the iconic twin peaks of the Parque Nacional de Aigüestortes. Humphrey has alerted me to them as follows:

"By now you'll have passed through the St Maurici National Park, which is probably my favourite region of the range, bar none. The iconic twin peaks – Los Encantados (The Enchanted Ones) have their own legend. It seems that a couple of the boys decided to skip Sunday mass and go off after ibex instead. As a result they got turned to stone."

There were so many mountains and lakes. These two skipped my attention. Sorry HMP3, I'm a failure.

Surprisingly lovely gently rising paths through shady woodland led to the high point of the day, Coll de Montcaubo (2201 metres).

[Just to let you know, I'm writing this under duress. The room I was in had no lights, which I could cope with, then the tap exploded, which I couldn't cope with. I'm now in another, 'normal' sized room. That means it's about eight times bigger than the old one.]

Now then ... an eagle circled over the summit as I walked down towards Estaon and bumped into Martin, who had set off from Hostal Orteu half an hour before me. He was looking very chilled, albeit rather warm in another sort of way.

The long descent brought me to a pretty hamlet (Estaon) with an enticing Refugi recommended by Tobi. I filled up with water and perused the menu. I would have succumbed to any offer, but nobody was around. I'd planned to spend the night here, but it was only 12.45.

I decided to continue to Tavascan.

I'm glad I did. It was a delightful walk along ancient pathways including a spectacular high level traverse at the end of the day. Much care was needed and that section was only very slowly completed.

There was nobody else on the path, and silence apart from twittering songbirds which included a shrike. Butterflies fluttered, oblivious to my presence. The path was lined with clustered bellflowers, harebells, yarrow, crosswort and wild thyme, to name just a few.

On arrival in Tavascan a man advised "You'll need a beer?" Jenny will know the answer to that one. So that's how I was enticed into the chaos that is Casa Feliu.

I wasn't alone. The other Martin turned up after I'd done my chores and a German couple coming along GR11 in the other direction also spent the evening here. The food was ordinary and erratic - the owner kept forgetting to bring things like bread and ice cream. We were promised breakfast at 8 am when we arrived, but now she can't do it until 9 am, and my shoe box of a room had its problems as previously related, causing me to be moved from the dark cubby hole to this more normal room above which someone is rearranging the furniture.

I'm sure I'll sleep well eventually!

NB It's rumoured that guide book writer Brian is currently on GR10 heading east to west, so Mick and Gayle, who have just started GR10 from Hendaye, may bump into him coming the other way. Apparently he looks a bit like Alan Hardy.

You can read Gayle's excellent reports on their GR10 traverse at http://gayleybird.blogspot.com

She and Mick had a more disrupted night than mine on their first night of wild camping!

Today's pictures:
Early morning by the lake
The distressed village of Dorve
Looking back to Aigüestortes from Collado de la Serra
Tavascan from the high level traverse

Next Day - Day 30

Back to Index

Sunday 12 July 2015 - Pyrenees GR11 - Day 28 - West of Pòrt de Ratèra (2500 metres) to La Guingueta d'Àneu (Nou Camping)

 

 

 

 

 

Distance: 25 km (Cum: 484 km)

Ascent: 450 metres (Cum: 25100 metres)

Time taken: 9.8 hrs including 2.3 hrs stops (Cum: 193.0 hrs including 38.6 hrs stops)

Weather: Guess what? Sunny and Hot, though clouding over a little in the afternoon

I left the idyllic campsite at 7.45 and headed 100 metres up to the broad grassy col - Pòrt de Ratèra. You could camp up there, and the reflections in the small lake where I startled some chamois were stunning.

After that it was a long but easy walk down to Estos (this should read 'Espot'), soon reaching the tree line via a lovely contouring path crossing snow patches, and soon after that the tourist line in the pine clad granite scenery fringing picturesque reservoirs masquerading as natural lakes. Good paths built for Mr and Mrs Fat and their children Fathe and Fatshe made life relatively easy, though at the moment my feet aren't finding anything particularly easy despite frequent cold stream dunkings.

Anyway, paths more reminiscent of country walks than of Pyrenean boulder hopping led gently down to Estos (Espot), where I dived into the first restaurant I came to for an excellent three course dinner.

A couple of hours later I was stumbling along the path to La Guingueta d'Àneu, via the pretty village, and rather more easily said, of Jou.

By now the 'hedgerows' were rather more Cheshire like, with umbellifers, scabiouses, pinks, Eryngo, lady's mantle and broomrapes competing for space in the scrub beside the path.

I had to choose between the Hostal and the campsite. The former looked as if it was the focal point of the fiesta which appears to be going on. So I'm at Nou Camping, next to the children's playground. The sound of them playing, with the siesta-sound backing track will no doubt send me to sleep at some point.

The evening was spent with Martin, a German from near Nuremberg, who set off on GR11 a week or so after me. Hence a short entry. There are others on the route!

Today's pictures:
Early reflections at Pòrt de Ratèra
Looking back on the descent to Estos (Espot)
Sunday lunch (just a bit of it)
Woodland on the path to Jou
The village of Jou

Next Day - Day 29

Back to Index

Saturday 11 July 2015 - Pyrenees GR11 - Day 27 - Barranc de Lac Redon (1815 metres) to just to the west of Pòrt de Ratèra (2500 metres)

 

 

 

 

Distance: 22 km (Cum: 459 km)

Ascent: 2050 metres (Cum: 24650 metres)

Time taken: 10.8 hrs including 2.0 hrs stops (Cum: 183.2 hrs including 36.3 hrs stops)

Weather: I can't recall in my lifetime having ever experienced such a spell of hot, sunny settled weather. It's lasted well over three weeks now and shows little sign of changing. The closest that I can remember is a cloudless Easter week in Cornwall in the early 1980's.

What a fantastic mountain day. It's days like this that make it all worthwhile. Last night I was sitting in a sauna in my tent composing the day's diary entry. Tonight I stopped an hour earlier, at 6pm, in this idyllic spot with views up to tomorrow's col in one direction, and expansive views back to my route and over France (where there's cloud) in the other direction. The sun won't leave the tent until 9 ish (9.30 actually). I have a shady rock to sit on and a light breeze is controlling the flies.

I made lots of notes today. Perhaps I'll just reiterate them by way of bullet points.

- missed from yesterday
On the descent through woods, lots of cow wheat and round headed? gentians, as well as the tall green variety of gentian.

My bus ride could perhaps be analogous to a TGO Challenger who plans a route along the road from Cannich to Drumnadrochit and decides he may as well go by taxi.

- woke 6.10, away 7.05, a quick departure due to midges and flies. Unusually a bit of dew on the tent.

- after five minutes pass an excellent flat camping spot at 1830 metres. Ho hum.

- strong phone signal, but not for EE (got a signal briefly a bit later, but not for long).

- I'm passing lots of little stakes with 'Epic run' markers.

- shady ascent with flies.

- passed an elderly Spanish backpacker who asked me the way (I can do that - he followed me all the way to the refuge at Restanca).

- managed nearly 400 metres of ascent before the sun got me.

- blinded by the sun, can't really see the way ahead.

- engulfed by flies at every pause.

- reach Pòrt de Rius, chat to two lads. (It was cooler and breezier there, the end of my fly problems for the day. The lads were marshals for the 'Epic run'. It's 105 km, with about 100 participants who started at 6 am. Pòrt de Rius is 27 km along the route.)

- from late yesterday I've been on our HRP route, but I leave it beyond Lac de Rius (I'll rejoin it later for the stage from Restanca to Colomèrs).

- fabulous views of granite mountain scenery (but fewer flowers in the granite landscape).

- I pause for a rest. There's a stillness in the air, just the sounds of dribbling water, twittering birds and buzzing flies.

- 9 am, early clouds are forming. Is the weather changing? (The answer was no, though tonight some cloud rolled up the valley above which I'm camped, then it rolled back out as the sun went down).

- descend to a spring and take a photo of today's provisions! (Later, perhaps - it didn't make the cut.)

- 9.30, two pairs of runners lead the 'Epic run' pack. The next man is 10 minutes behind (about 20 went past, including one lady, before I left the route).

- you weren't expecting this! I'm filmed walking along the path, then I'm interviewed for Spanish TV. My most erudite TV interview ever. Shame nobody will understand a word.

- leave the runners to it and head to the Restanca refuge. 11.30. It appears to be shut until 13.00. Deserted. Continue up to Lac deth Cap de Pòrt for lunch and a foot wash. It's an idyllic spot. I'm back on our 2004 HRP route.

- soon afterwards I pass a sign that indicates I'm roughly half way into stage 23 of this 45 stage walk. And I'm on Day 27 - my train home is on Day 54. All very symmetrical, things must be going to plan.

- lots of people on this beautiful and popular path, many of them intent on climbing to the easy 2833 metre summit of Montardo. After that turn, just a couple of French ladies coming the other way.

- final col of the day, Pòrt de Caldes (2570 metres). 2.30 pm. Meet three Spanish boys. They can't believe how far I've come today.

- yet more fine views ahead. I'm satiated with them today. It's a good job I like long days in the mountains, they don't get much better than this one.

- pause in the sunshine for another foot wash, then pass the new and the sad old refuges at Colomèrs.

3.40 pm - set off up the easily graded path to Pòrt de Ratèra (2590 metres). Take a 15 minute break in the shade of a pine tree before ambling on past where Sue and I camped on 28 August 2004.

- take my time ascending. There's no hurry. Nobody else around after 5 pm. Arrive at the perfect spot just before 6 o'clock. Perfect timing for a leisurely evening.

- excellent spaghetti carbonara

That's it really. The sunset was splendid.

Today's pictures:
A typical view from today
Gentian common to this granite area. Sue will name it.
Brilliant campsite below Pòrt de Ratèra
Brilliant sunset from campsite

Sent from Espot with the first phone signal since yesterday morning. It's a big job catching up with the comments, let alone replying to them. I will try when I get a chance though.

Next Day - Day 28

Back to Index

 

Friday 10 July 2015 - Pyrenees GR11 - Day 26 - Benasque (Hotel Avenida) to Barranc de Lac Redon (1815 metres)

 

 

 

 

Distance: 21 km (Cum: 437 km)

Ascent: 1350 metres (Cum: 22600 metres)

Time taken: 10.3 hrs including 1.7 hrs stops (Cum: 172.4 hrs including 34.3 hrs stops)

Plus a bus ride of 11 km with 700 metres ascent as far as Puen del Corones, from where the walking statistics start.

Weather: guess what? sunny and hot

Like Tobi and many more before me, I'm a GR11 cheat. On the advice of Humphrey, Brian (the guide book author) and others - namely my own two feet, I caught the 7.15 am bus from more or less outside the hotel for an hour's ride up to 1980 metres. 'The track's a Snore' said HMP3,  'take the bus'. This appears to be perfectly acceptable, as on the excellent E5 route between Verona and Lake Constance.

Others on the bus included the first two English speaking voices I've heard for a while - Rona and Danny, a young Irish couple struggling with very heavy loads. They started from Irun but skipped the hefty section between Candanchu and Benasque in order to meet up with Rona's parents. They were moving very slowly. I don't think I'll see them again.

So, having covered the first three hours of today's route by 8.15, I was able to linger and take my time eating the bag of breakfast the hotel gave me last night together with a flask of coffee that I did drink. I should have looked inside the bag before I set off, as I now have a hotel tea spoon, several packets of sugar and some other goodies that I might have left behind had I known about them. The butter has just gone in my pasta. I examined the poorly feet and applied a plaster where the skin had broken. But with clean socks and Sue's advice, my policy today was one of immersing the feet in cold water every now and then. They are still sore, but holding their own. They were so bad on Wednesday night I thought the trip was in jeopardy; now I know that if it happens again a day's rest should relieve the problem.

What about the walk? Another fine mountain day in the HRP / GR11 style. That is, there were long sections across and up and down boulder fields of the nature that GR10 doesn't encounter. At each end of the walk, long sections through woodland. Humphrey was right about the ascent to Puen del Corones. We had plenty of time to admire what really amounted to the same view all the way up, from the bus, which provided it's own entertainment. First gear was extremely difficult to engage, and I noticed the engine cover would have been flapping had their been any breeze. It's not a route on which to use your newest assets...

The middle section of today's walk, including the boulder hopping, was absolutely glorious. Rocks and lakes in the high Pyrenees.

The high point of the day was reached quite early by way of a good path with occasional rock steps, from where the bus dropped us. An easy 800 metre ascent to a fine viewpoint. There were good views back to Posets, but in contrast to previous days there wasn't any one huge massif in front of us, just five ranges of mountains stretching into the distance ahead.

Soon the half built Refugio de Cap de Llauset came into view. The main structure looks complete, but judging by the response from the Barrabes staff when I enquired as to whether it was open, there's a long story about a disastrous project.

I lunched beside a musical stream - it couldn't decide between Indian music or folk music, but it was a good concert - near the faltered refuge construction before heading up to the next col with a couple of Spaniards. We couldn't understand a word of each other's language until I pointed to one of their ancient ice axes with a wooden shaft - "classic" - "si" they seemed pleased in the same way as I soak up admiration for my old mountain bike.

I was planning to camp by the Anglios lakes, but it was only three o'clock. I couldn't face four hours of frying in the sun. So I continued down into steep woodland on a good path. For four hours, passing Refugi de Conangles. I debated whether to stay there, but with alleged good camping a bit further on, I headed for that.

Brian says there is good water and camping at the start of this ascent. I've found the water - brilliant, I can almost reach out and  collect spring water from the tent. But the wild boar seem to have destroyed all the flat spots. Never mind, I'm comfy and will sleep well with the soothing sound of running water, despite the slight slope.

Interestingly, I'm now back on the HRP route we took in 2004. I think we left Julie to hitch back to civilisation along the main road that runs past the Conangles refuge, after an exciting descent, which I can remember as if it was yesterday, from Collada Mulleres. Happy days.

No phone signal here. I'll try to find somewhere tomorrow.

Today's pictures:
Looking back to Ibón Inferior de Ballibierna early in the day
Estanys Cap d'Anglios from Collada d'es Ibons
Foot maintenance
A slopey campsite, looking back towards Aneto

PS Thanks for the comments. I'll reply sometime when the screen isn't sunblinded!

Next Day - Day 27

Back to Index
 

Thursday 9 July 2015 - Pyrenees GR11 - Day 25 - A Day off in Benasque (Hotel Avenida)

 

 

 

 

 

A day off at last. And I need it.

Weather: cloudless and hot

I woke at 8.30 thanks to the shuttered windows.

Breakfast wasn't anything to shout home about and I've no idea how the coffee machine was meant to work. I did get a nice meal last night at Hotel Llibrada though. TV in the background led the news with 'Grexit'.

The day has been spent lazily, mainly in the spacious apartment, planning the next stages, buying too many supplies, and nursing my feet.

I've bought various items that I hope will protect the feet from further damage, but there seems no point in bandaging them until I start walking again. So we'll see what happens tomorrow.

Benasque is a quaint little town with various outdoors shops, including Barrabes, which is a bit like Ellis Brigham's shop in Castlefield. There's a Visitor Information office, but nobody there speaks English. The staff at Barrabes have made up for that and given me the information I need. I think. Perhaps.

I'll be loaded up with all sorts of interesting bars and gels for the next section - stuff I've turned my nose up at in the UK, but with the rare opportunity to buy some proper hill food I took the plunge.

I've had another issue with the phone, which recently gave me a new to me message - 'Device out of memory' and refused to do very much at all. Consequently I've deleted some stuff, most significantly lots of emails and all the music, which I can manage without and reinstall when I get home. After deleting everything I could think of I noticed that the photo 'gallery' is now showing three separate folders - camera (216), download (5) and picasa (25952). So perhaps that's where the problem lies! Why do I need 25952 picasa images on the phone? I've since managed to work out how to stop the sync with Picasa, and I may have removed a sizable 'cache' from the gallery, but I can't see how to remove the Picasa images without also removing the photos I've taken on this trip. There's always something! (Later - clearing the cache seems to have sort of worked as I now have 25951 grey images and a picture of an elephant.)

Yesterday I mentioned my chat with Jean-Luc about the comparison between the three usual walking routes across the Pyrenees.

There's the HRP, Haute Route Pyrenées or Haute Randonée Pyrénéenne, which translates literally as the High Route of the Pyrenees - a high level route that isn't specifically waymarked and isn't a prescribed route, though some publishers, eg Cicerone, have guides that describe one person's take on the route. It was Frenchman Georges Véron who pioneered and defined the HRP. He promoted the climbing of certain peaks as an essential part of the route, and there are a few other notable peaks which aren't far off track. It doesn't necessitate actual climbing at any point, but a head for heights, good navigational sense and some scrambling ability are essential. Depending on the season, luck with the weather and your own route choice, familiarity with an ice axe may also be essential. Sue and I walked a version of this route in 2004 - a superb walk. It's popular, and currently many people will be enjoying their high traverse, spending more time in France than in Spain.

GR10, which we walked in 2013 and which Mick and Gayle are about to embark upon, is a long established and well waymarked route on the French side, whereas GR11 is Spain's more recent answer to GR10, also very well waymarked.

Jean-Luc told me that his son works at an establishment on the GR10 route and reports that during the 'season' around ten to twenty people pass through on GR10 every day.

I didn't realise how quiet in comparison GR11 would be. I had a brief encounter with Mitxel in the Basque country and am still in touch with Tobi, who is about three days ahead of me. I've also met a few folk coming the other way (all these crossings can be done east to west as well as west to east); mostly they have been walking just sections of the route.

I may have started a little early to encounter the main GR11 'traffic'. It'll be interesting to discover how many folk Rosie and her partner encounter two to three weeks behind me.

The weather can vary immensely between GR10 and GR11, with the HRP somewhere in the middle. When in sunny Spain, you can often see cloud spilling over from France. So the GR11 walkers may be in a lather of heat and sun cream, whilst those on GR10 may be under heavy cloud or even enduring a rainy day.

This all means that GR10 brings with it a greater sense of camaraderie than the other routes, especially as there is lots of good 'gite d'étape' accommodation along the way, geared to the needs of the like minded walkers. There is plenty of accommodation along GR11, but little knowledge or understanding of the route.

Today's photos taken around Benasque will hopefully bring back happy memories for Humphrey in particular. The third picture down is taken outside my hotel; the Barrabes store is just out of picture to the left. Music is playing in the background.

Next Day - Day 26

Back to Index

Wednesday 8 July 2015 - Pyrenees GR11 - Day 24 - Barranco Llardaneta (2470 metres) to Benasque (Hotel Avenida)

 

 

 

 

Distance: 19 km (Cum: 416 km)

Ascent: 600 metres (Cum: 21250 metres)

Time taken: 8.3 hrs including 1.2 hrs stops (Cum: 162.1 hrs including 32.6 hrs stops)

Weather: sunny and hot, but with a pleasant breeze above 2000 metres

My diversion from the main GR11 route was justified by this morning's superb mountain walk over undulating rocky terrain.

The day started from my campsite that probably wasn't seen from the path, with the opposite of that semi circular bridge way back in the Basque country. This one was 'V' shaped. Much easier than fording the river though.

Which was exactly what I had to do a few minutes later when I turned left off the path to the Refugio and headed towards Collada de la Plana. Nearly all the way to the col the modern Refugio d'Ángel Orús with its semi circular balcony was glowing in the morning sun. Just a small dash of humanity in a vast landscape that I gave up trying to capture with my camera. (It's there in the top picture - I think you get a bigger image if you click on it.)

It was slow going for the entire morning, but not stressful as there were easy rock-hopping sections in between the climbs up and the climbs down where nuisance walking poles could be thrown down a few metres. Much easier than the descent to Pineto on Sunday, on which the discarded poles would have been lost forever.

I had company for an hour or so. Jean-Luc turned up at the 2702 metre Collada and we admired the views back to Posets and ahead to the Aneto massif. He reminded me of myself about fifteen years ago. Coming from Toulouse he's a big fan of the Pyrenees. We discussed the various long distance walking routes, about which more tomorrow. His rucksack was small enough to have the aura of a day sack, but he was doing a six day circular backpack, carrying all his provisions and complaining about being out of condition. He camped further on than I did last night, but he got a later start. His tent must have been in the shade for longer.

The first 500 metres of descent to a lake at 2200 metres was through beautiful rock scenery, on a path that wasn't really a path, just the safest route as indicated by blue dots on occasional rocks.

There was no need to carry much water, thanks to the almost perpetual flow of spring water from Posets.

I made a note that there were no clouds and I surmised they would appear later. They didn't.

For most of the day my left foot, with the troublesome toes, behaved well, wrapped in my spare handkerchief. Last night when washing my feet I'd questioned why one foot should be causing problems and the other was perfectly fine. I shouldn't have. By the end of today the right foot had developed the same, but worse, symptoms. By the time I walked into Benasque at 4.30 both feet felt as if the shoes were full of gravel.

Back at the lake at 2200 metres I got a distant view of total nudity. I couldn't help glancing in that direction when I got closer. It was one of those occasions when the view from a distance over promised. I went back to concentrating on avoiding the lizards and frogs on the path.

The long descent progressed from boulder hopping and rock manoeuvring to a path through lush vegetation with nettles, showing signs of some sort of former habitation at the 2200 metre lake, below which the heat rose but the shade increased as an area of steep pine forest was negotiated. There were quite a few people around. I sat down for a break. It wasn't to be, the rock was too hot.

Further down, the pine gave way to a lovely winding path through beech and birch woods lined with tall thistles and clovers, with the ever present spring water for face washing and drinking.

But the path was not level and however light on my feet I tried to be I could feel increasing soreness in both feet during the 1500 metre descent.

In the sweltering heat I was reminded of the lyrics from a song in 'The Rock Machine Turns You On' compilation, likening things to 'a Chinese wrestler's jock strap cooked in chip fat on a greasy afternoon'. But in my case it is the cheese fat, not chip fat, that has prospective hoteliers running for cover.

I decided not to inflict my smelly persona on any sweet smelling Spanish driver and walked an extra 3 km, leaving GR11 at Puen de San Chaime in favour of the hot and dusty road to Benasque, where Sue had booked me in to Hotel Avenida.

They had the booking but thought it was for two people. Accordingly I was shown to an apartment round the corner from the hotel. It would accommodate six people. It'll do.

Today's pictures:
The view back to my campsite and yesterday afternoon's descent. Can you spot Refugio d'Ángel Orús?
The view ahead, from Collada de la Plana, with the Aneto massif
Pyrenean Eryngo (Queen of the Alps)
The woodland path near Puen de San Chaime, by way of contrast

Next Day - Day 25

Back to Index

Tuesday 7 July 2015 - Pyrenees GR11 - Day 23 - Barranco Montarruego (2110 metres) to Barranco Llardaneta (2470 metres) near Refugio d'Ángel Orús

 

 

 

 

Distance: 16 km (Cum: 397 km)

Ascent: 1450 metres (Cum: 20650 metres)

Time taken: 9.5 hrs including 2.5 hrs stops (Cum: 153.8 hrs including 31.4 hrs stops)

Weather: like the fumes from a witches' cauldron being stirred by the devil

I didn't have that much to eat last night thanks to the huge lunch, but by midnight the chocolate I'd bought had hardened just sufficiently for it to be eatable rather than drinkable, so it had to go before it melted again.

On another cloudless day I braved the midges, waiting for the sun to disperse them but leaving the tent as the sun hit it (fine timing required), and set off on the easy walk to Biadós. Our 2004 HRP team stayed at the campsite here before heading to the north of my route today.

The walk down to Biadós was through cotton grass and great yellow gentians, with the Posets-Maladeta massif blocking the horizon ahead.

I found Refugio de Biadós a little elusive. In the event I stopped for elevenses just below it, eschewing the temptation to find the Refugio and enjoy a cold coke there.

It soon came into view as I walked off in the opposite direction.

I'd decided to take a minor variation on the standard GR11 route and follow the southern section of the Circuito de los Tres Refugios, which circumnavigates the Posets massif and rejoins the standard route tomorrow.

I must be a glutton for punishment. My route climbed about 1300 metres from the low point of the day, up to Collada Eriste, at 2864 metres the highest point of the trip. It was higher than Cuello de Tebarrai, before Panticosa, but easier. Nevertheless the scree was very steep in places and there were some easy snow slopes just below the pass.

Today I didn't need to stop quite so frequently, but with no time pressure I moved pretty slowly. At one point, after a steep slope beyond the distinctive spike of Cantal de Barrau, the guide book suggests heading for the 'obvious col'. To me it wasn't quite so, but the waymarks over the rocky terrain were more than adequate.

There were a few people on today's paths, mostly day walkers. No sign of anyone doing GR11 in my direction.

That's a shame, as encounters with other people are I think necessary to keep this diary interesting.

Moss Campion featured strongly as I strode through the snow today, and a flock of snow finches graced the high point. There was no angry chamois today.

I dropped down into the new vista, finding this place to camp as suggested in the guide book. It would be possible to camp next to the high lake, Ibón Llardaneta, pictured in my guide book as a snow scene. Today there was no snow there, but a massive waterfall coming from the slopes of Posets required a river crossing. Shame about the bandages on my poorly toes. I'll have to improvise tomorrow and restock my first aid kit in Benasque. 

Curiously, the outflow from Ibón Llardaneta flows inexplicably south, towards the mountains. Barranco Llardaneta, appears to flow from high up the slopes of Posets, and by-passes the lake by a few metres.

The descent to this excellent site, where I could enjoy a brew in the sunshine without being plagued by insects, passed through an area full of stunning deep blue clumps of Spring Gentians, with some equally stunning Trumpets for good measure. The afternoon brought a few clouds and a light wind, so today was not quite so sweltering, perhaps because I'm a bit higher.

Today's pictures:
The view to the 'obvious col'
Now it's a bit more obvious
The view ahead, from Collada Eriste
Today's campsite at 2470 metres

Next Day - Day 24

Back to Index

 

Monday 6 July 2015 - Pyrenees GR11 - Day 22 - Plana Fonda (2080 metres) to Barranco Montarruego (2110 metres)

 

 

 

 

Distance: 28 km (Cum: 381 km)

Ascent: 1350 metres (Cum: 19200 metres)

Time taken: 11.0 hrs including 3.2 hrs stops (Cum: 144.3 hrs including 28.9 hrs stops)

Weather: sunny and unerringly hot

On another cloudless day I managed to pack up before the sun encroached on my shady meadow, and I was away by 8 o'clock.

Despite the statistics it was an easier day, spent mainly on easily graded tracks that were kind to my poorly toes. Just as well they were easily graded. The 1200 metre ascent from Parzán to Collata Chistau took me five hours, during which I stopped for a drink and a rest after each 100 metres of ascent, getting through three litres of water in the process. I'm usually faster and drink less, but with the temperature being nearly 35C in the shade I reckoned best be on the  safe side. Also, camping before the sun goes down brings it's own issues.

Even now at 9 pm, long after the sun went, it's well over 20C in here. I've managed a much needed full wash, but the process of chucking the dirty water out let a cloud of midges in. So I'm relatively clean, but covered in midge bites and sweating like a pig.

Do pigs sweat?

This morning's walk was hot but easy. Once over the nearby col, from where the top photo was taken, the path dropped pleasantly down a rock staircase lined with Fairies Thimbles and saxifrages and passing a large family of marmots and a lone horse - perhaps it was his bell I could hear last night - to a dirt road that was followed for a further 13 km down a twisty valley full of conifers, to Parzán.

The village looks fairly new, though apparently it has been a mining centre since at least the 11th century. Sadly it was destroyed in 1936 in the Spanish Civil War and has been rebuilt since then.

I went to the spectacularly good supermarket, bought lunch supplies, then went to the restaurant across the road for a coke. 11.30. Finding open access wifi there, I lingered. Lunch menus came out. I couldn't resist. I also knew that two hours spent outside a nice restaurant might have the edge on two hours spent in a tent under siege from insects, albeit tonight's cloud of midges took me by surprise - it's my first encounter with them on this trip. The ones that got in (hundreds) are slowly being eliminated. Perhaps the weather is to blame; as you might gather I'm spending my nights as high as possible. I'm not up to date with the news, but I suspect I'm not the only one battling with a  heatwave.

When in Parzán, I noticed the line of our HRP route on the map. Sue, Julie and I passed through on our way to Bielsa on 19 August 2004. I don't remember Parzán, but I do remember waiting, dripping, in the church at Bielsa with Julie while Sue scoured the village for the last room for three people. Once the storm had abated, I think it was the day of Julie's kit check whereby the rubbish bin in our room was the receptacle for the excess baggage that was preventing my Phreerunner tent from assuming its rightful place inside her rucksack. Curiously, our HRP route went somewhat south of my route today. I think the HRP route we took (or mis-took) may be harder, featuring 'raspberry rise' and 'the wrong valley', and claiming any items that weren't securely fastened to our rucksacks.

The only walkers I saw today were a few DofE type teenagers on the approach to Parzán. I've seen nobody apart from hydro plant workers this side of Parzán. Mind you, I can think of better things to do than walk up nearly 1200 metres of dirt track on a Monday afternoon!

St John's Wort and a tall blue plant lined the track that goes all the way up past a hydro plant and it's impressive generator building, as far as Ibón d'Ordizeto, a lake that I didn't get to see as I turned off at Collata Chistau. But I did see my first nutcracker of this trip, and a large black squirrel. The water point at 1715 metres (pictured) was extremely welcome.

Even the sections of ascent that shortcut the track to the lake were well constructed, possibly a throwback to the area's history of iron and silver mining dating back many centuries.

The final pull to the 2346 metre col was up steep scree as the well graded path still lay under snow. You could see the different, progressively easier, routes taken as the snow slowly (even in this weather?) melts.

Beyond the col, a bothy that looked in good condition was soon passed. The condition of various bothies I've passed is generally unchanged from Brian Johnson's observations in his 2014 edition of the Cicerone guide. Personally I wouldn't want to stay in them, but they are available (often very small and not very clean).

This bothy had a big male chamois outside. The chap moved away and then eyeballed me for a few minutes, making aggressive barking noises. I moved on.

A pleasant high level traverse eventually brought me to the left turn that took me over boggy ground past a choice of water sources to this excellent site near Barranco Montarruego, about an hour further on from the high col where the track on which I'd spent much of the afternoon was finally abandoned in favour of the narrow mountain paths that are harder on my toes.

Flies supervised the pitching of the tent, later bringing along their midgy friends. I have a good system of cooking etc, involving the tent's midge defence and the use of my arms similar to that in the chemistry lab when we performed dangerous experiments behind a barrier.

I'm not complaining - the system is now working, the temperature is no longer uncomfortable, and I have good views.

Goodnight.

Today's pictures:
Looking back to Plana Fonda, with yesterday's descent route and Monte Perdido behind
Lunch
A spring fed water point - very handy on days like today
Camp above Barranco Montarruego 

If this posting has already appeared it's because I sent it earlier. But it 'sent' much faster than expected with a  weak signal, and I can't spot it having 'arrived'. Sorry for any confusion. I'll blame a blend of altitude and heat!

Next Day - Day 23

Back to Index