GR10: Our story
Part 2: Etsaut - Loudenvielle
During the last week of August and the first week of September 2003 we did the second part of the GR10: from Etsaut to Loudenvielle.
August 22nd, we drive from Doetinchem via Rotterdam to Montréjeaux, where we arrive August 23rd. Here we park the car and take the train to Oloron-Ste-Marie. By the time we arrive at Oloron it is already past 5pm. Because the bus to Etsaut will not leave before 9pm and we did not sleep last night, we decide to spent the night at the campsite of Oloron. Next morning we take the first bus to Etsaut, where we arrive around 10 o'clock.
We leave Etsaut and start with the second part of our hike along the GR10. We planned to go all the way to Fos together with the two loops: Tour around the Pic du Midi d'Ossau and the long way from Cauterets to Luz-St-Sauveur. Already after the first day we notice that we will not make it. So we skip the first loop and we make Bagnères-de-Lunchon the finish of our second part of the GR10.
After an hour walk we arrive at Chemin du Mature. But from here our velocity goes down when the day continues. This because temperature is rising and we are almost unpracticed and still tired of the journey. After noon clouds covers the sun at times and we are glad that the sun disappeared for a little while. At the entrance of the national park a dog is laying on the side of the path. When we pass him he stands up and accompanies us; when we have a break, he even comes and sits next to us. When we continue he does to. But when we have to pass a herd of cows, the dog walks around the herd and joins us again when we passed the herd. About four o'clock we arrive at a plane just before the final climb to col d'Ayous. We are really exhausted and decide to pick our tent here. We are lucky with this decision because a little while later it starts to thunder. We shelter inside our tent while the dog watches over our tent and keeps the cows on a distance.
Next morning the sun is shining. The dog has exchanged our tent for the tent of another couple of hikers that is standing in the neighbourhood of ours. After breakfast with porridge and tea, we pack everything and leave for the col d'Ayous. Because early in the morning the temperature is not to high, the climb is not to difficult. Three quarters of an hour later we are standing at col d'Ayous. While enjoying the view, we notice that the other hikers together with the dog are also coming up. After a short break, we start descending along the lakes of Ayous to the Gave de Bious. We have another break just outside the national park. Here we see the dog for the last time; at the border of the national park he turns and enters the park again.
We continue descending along lake Bious Artigues and from here over the D231 to Gabas. Here we have a break in a refuge. We drink some cola and fill our water bottles for the evening and night. After this break we continue for the second climb of the day. Because temperature has been rising all day, it is rather hot again. After a short walk along the D934 we cross the river and continue climbing on the other bank of the river for a while. Then we leave the river to go to the corniche des Alhas, a very small path on steep cliff that is not suitable for people who are afraid of heights and somewhat later we pitch our tent for the night.Next morning starts sunny. After we have broke up, we start with a steep climb which takes us one hour. After that the GR10 stays more or less at the same altitude, so we can walk more relaxed. After lunch we climb to Hourquette d'Arre. During the descent we come along a small refuge that is filled with stones. Here we meet three hikers from Belgium. They had the intention to spend the night at this refuge, but they shifted plans and decided to descent all the way to Gourette. We have planned to spend the night at the lake of Anglas.
Just before we arive at the lake, we pass some remaining of old mining activities. All very interesting. Because the lake near the mining is quite small, we thought that it is the small lake just before the lake of Anglas. As an unfortunate coincidence the clouds come down and it becomes foggy. Due to this fog we noticed too late that the small lake was actually the lake of Anglas where we planned to spend the night. Therefore we pitch our tent on a less steep part somewhere along the descent to Gourette.Next morning we descend to Gourette through the shade of the mountain. In Gourette we do some shopping and have a small break. After that we start the climb to the pass of Tortes. Some parts of this climb are rather steep and because on the second part of the climb there are no options to shelter from the burning sun, it is a hard climb. Before we can have a lunch break in the shade of some trees on a small parking place next to the D918, we first had to descend. During lunch a lot of bicyclists and motorcyclists pass by; the D918 is a popular road that is part of the tour de France. The route continues following the D918 for about 2 km and in the meanwhile passes two tunnels and slowly starts to climb to the col de Soulor. We do not go to this famous pass, we leave the road to climb to the col de Saucède. Due to the still burning sun we get thirsty and we are glad that at the pass there is a small building and an opportunity to get some fresh water. First we planned to spend the night somewhere along next decent, but because of the early hour we decide to decend all the way to Arrens. Here we spend the night at the campsite that is situated near the river just east of Arrens.
Unlike the day before, August 28th starts with fog. That day we start with a nice climb through the woods. A little later we walk along the road to Col de Bordères. The route to lac d'Estaing takes more hours than expected; it is already lunch time when we arrive at the lake. Here we have the opportunity to dry the tent which is still wet from the fog. After lunch we climb to col d'Ilhéou. Because the weather is getting worse, we have to pitch the tent earlier than planned, what we did not do good enough. Just after we have pitched the tent, the three Belgian walkers pass, they want to spend the night in the cabanes de Barbat. During the evening there is a thunderstorm and because we did not secure the guy-ropes a gust of wind flattens our tent. After all we and our tent did survive the storm.
Next morning it is still dropping a little. First we assess the damage; nothing is broken, only the sticks are bent a little. When everything is packed, we continue our climb to the coll. Here we take a short break to enjoy the view, before we descend to the refuge de Wallon. Here we briefly meet the three Belgian; they are leaving the refuge, while we are entering to get some hot chocolate. From the refuge we take the road and not the route, because the road looks nice and easy. And it is, only not long after we have left the refuge a dead sheep is laying on the road, not very tasteful. We follow the road till the route crosses the road, here we pick up the route again. The last part of the descent goes through the woods and is more steep. Finally we arrive at Cauterettes where we stay for two nights at the campsite most close to the centre.
31 August, after a good day rest, we continue in the direction of Pont d'Espagne. Because of the weather - the clouds are hanging relatively low and the grass is very wet - we take road D920 until the GR10 crosses the road, here we take a path called Chemin des Cascades. The path does honour to its name. The closer we get to Pont d'Espagne the more crowded it becomes. It stays that crowded till Lac de Gaube. During the climb to the lake we see several marmots and near the lakes we enter the clouds. When we have our lunch break at the lake the clouds went up a little so we can see the other side of the lake. From here it get a little less crowded. After lunch we continue climbing, first to refuge des Oulettes de Gaube and finally to a height of almost 2500 m, where we spend the night. During the last part of the climb we find us between two layers of clouds.
Next morning the clouds above us broke. Only, during the descent from refuge Bayssellance, where we had a break with a hot chocolate, we enter the clouds. Due to the fog we miss all the beautiful scenery. Due to the fog and the descent we make little progress; it is almost noon when we finally reach Oulettes d'Ossoue, where we have lunch. At that moment we are under the clouds, so we can not see the mountains, but we can make a little more progress. At barrage d'Ossoue we doubt whether we should take the road or continue on the GR10. We decide to do the last, what we regret when it gets foggy again and later starts to rain. Due to the fog we almost get lost, because the GR10 makes an unexpected turn and we see signs wherever we look. After a while puzzling we find the right way and continue. At the end of the afternoon we reach the metalled road, which we follow to Gavernie. This is a very touristic village, where we spent the night on the campsite.
Next morning, our shoes are still wet and the clouds are still quiet low, so we decide to take the road to Saint Sauveur, because we do not like a repetition of the day before. In the morning Gavernie is completely deserted and all souvenir shops are closed. The road was not heavy ridden over. When we reach Luz-Saint-Sauveur, its is over one o'clock and the shops are unfortunately closed. We spend the night at campsite "Les Cascades" which is situated near the centre of the village. During the evening we decide that we will take the PR to Barèges.
Next morning, 3rd of September, the sun is shining. We follow the road from Luz-Saint-Saveur to Barèges till the yellow signs of the PR joins the road. Here we follow the PR though several hamlets. The PR is a good alternative of the GR10. We really enjoyed this route. At Barèges we pick up the GR10 again. In a meadow along the D918 we have our lunch break. During the lunch break we putted up the tent to let it dry. After lunch we continue our way to the pub at Pont de la Gaubie. Here we buy an ice tea and we take a few litres of water along for during the night. After the bridge the route starts to climb in stages. Because it starts to rain a little at the end of the afternoon, we decide to pitch the tent at an suitable place.
Next morning it is raining, therefore we make a slow start. When the rain stops, we break up and start climbing to col de Madamete. Before we reach the col, it already starts to rain again. The rain will join us for the rest of the day. Because of the rain the stony path is slippery and we can not enjoy the nice landscape we are walking through. This day we only come till a shelter near lac d'Aubert. During the afternoon it is raining cats and dogs and we are getting cold while we wait in the shelter, where the water is leaking in. At the end of the afternoon the rain stops, so we can pitch our tent near lac d'Aubert.
After a good night sleep, the sun is shining and we make a flying start. We enjoy the nice landscape and soon we reach lac de l'Oule. Here we take an alternative route to col de Portet; when the GR10 joins lac de l'Oule we turn right and over the barrage we go to the other side of the lake, which we follow till a path goes up the slope. We take this steep path and climb up to a skiing area. Here the path becomes less steep. We cross the skiing area and climb to col de Portet. By the time we reach the col, the weather change and becomes clouded and somewhat rainy. The path from the col is muddy and frequently used by the cattle, what makes is even more muddy. During lunch it is dry, but we are surrounded by the clouds. It will stay like that until we start to decent more seriously. Certainly we see several villages down in the valley. Later that afternoon we enter Vielle-Aure, a village with some old parts. Here after we go to the campsite in Saint-Lary-Soulan, which we saw earlier when we were uphill.Next day we stay in Saint-Lary-Soulan, to relax and do some washing.
During the night it starts to rain. During the day we have several severe showers. Because of the rain we do not see much of the track from Saint-Lary-Soulan to Loudenville; we only saw our shoes. In Loudenville we hear that it will stay like today for several days. Because we want to continue for only two more days, we decide to leave the GR10 and go to a bus which can take us to our car. About noon we leave Loudenville on the D25 to Genos and finally to Arreau where we take the bus to Lannemezan and from there the train to Montréjeaux.
8th September, we drove home.
