Hiking in the Pyrenees

Trip Start Jun 15, 2004
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Trip End Apr 03, 2005


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Flag of France  ,
Tuesday, September 14, 2004

After leaving Interlaken we travelled into France. We had wanted to get to Lourdes, one of the gateways to the Pyrenees, in one day which seemed pretty feasible looking at our Eurail Map. In checking with the Railway though it turned out that the only way to get to Lourdes in one day was through Paris. If you want to pull out your atlas you can see just how out of the way this route is. It would have taken 16 hours so we opted for a two day trip stopping in the University town of Montpellier. We arrived in Montpellier and the weather was warm and sunny. It was about 4:00 in the afternoon and the area around the train station was packed. We managed to figure out the tram system (there are only two routes) and made our way to the area where the youth hostel was supposed to be. We found the hostel after a minimum amount of walking but the sign on the door told us they were full up for the night. Back on the tram we went in search of the tourist office. Thanks to the help from two young Mormon boys (always easy to spot in their short sleeved white shirts, ties and name badges) we found the tourist office and got a map and the name of a few hotels. After checking with about 5 full hotels we learned that there were two conventions in town and that most hotels and pensions were 'complete' which is french for full. After several more tries we found a room in the Hotel D'Angleterre. The room had two really small beds and a shower (the toilet was down the hall) and a great little balcony with french (what else)doors overlooking the street. Dave at Col d'Arratille
Dave at Col d'Arratille
 We headed out and found a grocery store to purchase the makings of a french culinary feast. Considering that we have a stove and one really small pot we were limited in our choices. We opted for a round of Camembert, some fresh tomatoes, a baguette and a bottle of red wine. We ate on the balcony and got a good nights sleep before heading off the next morning to Lourdes.

Lourdes is famous thanks to a young girl named Bernadette who in 1858 had a series of 18 visions of the Virgin Mary in a grotto just outside of the town. The visions were accepted as real by the Vatican and Bernadette was canonized in 1933. There is now a huge complex built over the grotto and 5 million people a year visit Lourdes on pilgrimage to touch the walls of the grotto and drink the water. About 400,000 people dunk themselves into the water hoping for miraculous healing. We of course, came for the hiking.

From Lourdes we caught a bus to the small town of Cauterets where we started our hike. Before heading out we hit the grocery store and found an outdoor gear store where I traded in my warn out hiking boots for some new ones. Yup, brand new boots for a 4 day backpack trip. Some would argue the intelligence of this move but what the heck. The trail leading to our first Refuge (this is what the French call the mountain huts) started right from the middle of Cauderets and started gaining elevation as soon as we left the main street. The trail followed a beautiful river with numerous impressive waterfalls. Dave below the Col de Fache
Dave below the Col de Fache
 The water was so clear that we could see the fish and rocks in even the deeper pools. The weather was pretty cloudy and misty and we walked for the 4 1/2 hours to the Refuge Wallon without seeing any mountains. Everyone kept telling us that the weather was going to improve so we kept our fingers crossed. We were welcomed at the Refuge and told that dinner would be served at 7:00. The Refuge was very old, very rustic and a bit smelly. I think that they were afraid of fire so never heated the place. It was very damp and rather mouldy. We had our own room however with clean dry bunk beds. After stowing our gear and a quick wash in the cold water we headed for the great room to eat. We met some very nice people and we were served a terrific meal of cream of spinach soup, mashed potatoes and big sausages (one of the Brits at our table was dismayed that he travelled all the way to the French Pyrenees to be served Bangers and Mash) followed by cheese and dessert. The vegetarian was served an omelet and her own bowl of mashed potatoes.

We had a good sleep and enjoyed a breakfast of Cafe au Lait, bread and jam before heading out for a round trip day hike west of the refuge at about 9:00. The hike took us from the refuge at 1812 meters up and over Col de le Fache at 2664 meters. On the way the fog lifted and we were greeted by beautiful peaks all around us. The hike up to the col was very pleasant with a gradual elevation climb over alpine meadows. It was very windy at the col and only 2 degrees. Dave celebrates another pass
Dave celebrates another pass
 We had planned to spend a bit of time at the col and eat a snack but when I had to wipe frost off of the rocks prior to sitting down we decided that the stay would be a short one. As we started down the other side (in the shadows) we walked over frozen scree into Spain. Once down off the pass we found ourselves in a beautiful, warm, green meadow criss crossed with streams. As the sun warmed our chilly bones we headed out of the valley up to Col de San Martin (2295 meters) back into France. After crossing this col we dropped down slightly and then headed back uphill to the Col de Cambales at 2706 meters. The top of this pass was warm and sunny with a spectacular view down over the valley which was strewn with many alpine lakes shining in the sun. After hanging out in the sun for at least an hour we headed down into the valley to explore the Lacs de Cambales close up. The walk was really beautiful. It was so quiet and we saw very few people. The entire hike took about 8 1/2 hours and even though we were not carrying our backpacks, we were ready for the 5 course meal that awaited us back at the Refuge.

The next day we started out at about 9:30 am (no point starting to hike before the sun gets over the mountains) heading for the Refuge Oulettes. This hike took us east through some really pretty valleys past lakes, (Jacquie braved the cold glacial waters long enough for a quick dip) streams and waterfalls up and over Col d'Arratielle at 2337 meters and then a fantastic traverse of a scree slope. From the traverse we turned uphill again to cross over the Col des Muluts at 2591 meters. We stopped just over the top of the pass and cooked a little pasta for our lunch while looking down the steep slope and out towards the Cirque d'Oulette and its glaciers. A spectacular view on another gorgeous day. We took our time wandering down the trail arriving at the Refuge at about 6:00 pm. What was noted as a 5 1/2 hour hike took the pokey Guyaders 8 1/2.

The next day we got up early to make our way back into Cauderets down the Gaube Valley as we had to catch the bus at 1:00 from Cauderets back to Lourdes. It was yet another cloudless day and we were witness to the sun breaking over the mountains hitting on the peaks above the glaciers. After stopping at Lac de Gaube for breakfast we hiked back to town and caught our bus. On this trip more than any other we met so many nice people that we would love to keep in touch with. One couple in particular, John and Heather from Manchester England, have a brother who lives in Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island about a mile from where my brother Keith lives. Crazy world really.

Anyway, we will stay one more night in Lourdes before making our way out of France and into Spain.

Happy Trails

Dave and Jacquie
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