First mountain stormAug 11 2019

Wet wet wet

Aug122019
Map thumbnail of location

So that cloud that we camped in that sent us to bed with a drizzle? Yeah it kept up all night. And all morning. And on into the afternoon.

I'm trying to remain positive but it's really annoying to be on Europe's most-views-per-mile trail and have a visibility of like 10 meters. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to do it again!

So anyway, yeah, very few pictures from today.

The first lake we passed, just after campThe first lake we passed, just after camp
A ravine that we thankfully don't have to go downA ravine that we thankfully don't have to go down

At one point we reached the Passage d'Orteig, which is a dramatic traverse across a cliff face. Below is the only picture I took :-(

It's not often you see traverses with safety cables!It's not often you see traverses with safety cables!

Doing it with wet shoes on wet rocks was a little nerve-wracking, but it was still a fun experience.

After that, we punched through the clouds (above? below? I can never tell what's going on) and got a quick glimpse of the valley we were skirting.

Thankfully we don't have to go down to that lakeThankfully we don't have to go down to that lake

After that, we were on the hardest pass of the trip (so far!). It had a very narrow (and hard to find) entrance into a ravine to climb and then descend. Crash got some pictures of me; I'll update this with one when I get it.

Crash on the ridgeline, trying to find the pass (we were way off)Crash on the ridgeline, trying to find the pass (we were way off)

After that, we had a grueling 1000-meter descent, followed by -- you guessed it! -- a 1000-meter ascent over another pass. This one had a great trail up to it though, which let us just fly up like 90+%, until the final switchbacks.

Look at this highway!Look at this highway!

Then we had another 1000-meter descent down to a refuge, where we had some dinner (ours, not purchased) before continuing on another few kilometers to knock out some of tomorrow's hike.

I had my rain jacket on for the entire day -- and needed it for virtually the entire day. I need a good sunny afternoon to fully dry out all of my gear; I hope I get one soon.

A waterfall we passed on the descent; Crash for scaleA waterfall we passed on the descent; Crash for scale
GavarnieAug 13 2019