I didn’t get a great sleep last night because the wind kept flapping our tent during the night. Also, there was lightning somewhere far off again, where we could see the flashes in the sky but never hear the thunder. So it was crucial I kept my eyes covered.
We got an early start and did some great work hiking in the morning. We saw our first glacier. I think it was actually the second one our guidebook mentioned but perhaps the first one is already gone. I could see this one being gone in another 10 years. After the glacier we would use the GR-10 trail, the trail that runs in the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean entirely on the French side of the border, all the way to the town of Gavernie. This trail is much better maintained than our typical trail, so we made much quicker work when we transitioned. I actually felt like I was good at hiking again.
When we reached the summit, we took a brief break and then descended into the wind to a hut. At the hut, we saw Simon, whom we hadn’t seen for a couple of days. We also met a couple from the Netherlands and Belgium who are also hiking the HRP. We decided to hike on with Simon. We hiked down through a huge, magnificent valley, with waterfalls cascading all around us. The granite mountains were all really impressive. There were giant, persistent snow fields that had not yet melted and added to the drama of the landscape. We hiked next to a river which had amazingly clear water and terminated in a dammed lake. We ate lunch on the banks of the river and then stopped at the lake to swim. While we were relaxing, the Dutch and Belgian couple joined us and swam too.
After spending a while relaxing there, we continued to hike on with Simon. We figured we would stay somewhere outside Gavernie, which was a very popular tourist town. Then we would go into town tomorrow, get some food, and head out later in the day. We met a French woman hiking the GR-10 who told us we could camp at the refuge closest to town. We were planning on staying further out because we weren’t sure camping was allowed there. After a rest in the shade, we hiked on to the refuge in question just outside Gavernie. It turns out they charge money to camp, but we were already here. They also offer showers (hot water, no soap, no towels), and charging, both of which we needed.
We sat around socializing, me Zoë and Simon, once we had sorted pitching tents, and taking showers. Soon enough the Dutch and Belgian showed up and joined us. Then an hour or so later, Clemens showed up! He’d had a particularly big day. It was a great reunion and way to talk with our new friends all together. It was so much fun talking with everyone, swapping stories, and finding out how everyone’s trip had been going to far. Before we knew it we had talked past curfew and the Refugio host came over to tell us to keep our voices down. We all went to our various tents for the night, with many conversations still to be had. Another day.