Ascent / descent: 1691m (13379m) / 1314m (12369m).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 650m / 1027m / 2288m.
Weather: Cloudy in the morning, sunny rest of the day.
I awake to the disappointing realization that it's grey and gloomy outside, it's disappointing since this is one of the days I've been looking forward to the most. I still have something to learn about how to deal with high expectations. I walk together from Borce with Dominique after having breakfast in the gîte; his plan is to walk the Tour du Pic du Midi d'Ossau after today. This means that this will be the last day on the GR10 together with him.
Fort du Portalet, which in old times guarded the mountain pass between France and Spain at Col de Somport.
High above the mountains are being bombarded by clouds. After Etsaut the trail is going along a small road to the start of one of the most exciting parts of the GR10, the Chemin de la Mâture. Carved into the mountain the track is going up the Sescouè valley, originally built to transport timber used to make ship masts down from the mountain. Whatever weather it is, going up the track is an exciting walk. Not facing the mountain you look down into the deep Sescoué ravine with the Fort du Portalet guarding the mountain pass between France and Spain on the other side.
Chemin de la Mâture, a track carved into the mountain to transport timber down from the mountain.
After leaving Chemin de la Mâture behind us the trail takes to the forest. We take a short detour to the Pont de Trungas, which is nothing more than a small bridge over a river. After a while it became clears that it's time to say goodbye to Dominique. His knees are troubling him and he struggles to keep up with me, and he is now not sure of whether he is even able to finish his walk. He will only walk to the Refuge d'Ayous and since I'm going further than that we bid farewell. I've had very nice time on the trail with Dominic, so it feels a little bit sad to leave him behind. The good news is that the weather has started to clear.
When I arrive at Cabane de la Baigt de St-Cours (1560m) the clouds have almost nearly disappeared completely. Next to the hut are Ruth and Therese having a coffee break, bought from the farmer at the cabin. I buy myself a glass of coke that is served from a one liter bottle stored in a water trough. This appears to be a day of farewells; I wasn't to meet the two Swiss women again in the trip either. After the hut a nice valley is going up towards the mountains.
Cabane de la Baigt de St-Cours, where the farmer runs his own small café.
On the way up the pleasant valley I also walk by Yves and Jean-Paul. High up a herd of sheep a going in a lone up the side of the mountain. The trail goes steep up towards Col d'Ayous (2185m) where I pass Col de Hourquette de Larry (2055m) on the way up. And then I can do nothing but smile from ear to ear. From the pass there is an excellent view, I'm looking straight at the majestic Pic du Midi d'Ossau (2884m). Deep below is Lac Gentau with Refuge d'Ayous situated next to its blue water. Not a cloud in the sky, the disappointment forgotten.
View back from Col d'Ayous.
I sit down on a small hill next to the pass while I'm enjoying the view and a cup of hot tea, before I climb up to Pic d'Ayous (2288m). A magnificent view to massive mountain scenery. There is a good deal of people here as well, but I can see even more people down by Refuge d'Ayous and the lake below. I eventually let go of the marvelous horizon with all its peaks and heads down towards Lac Gentau.
At the refuge there are a lot of people, the cabin reportedly being fully booked for the night apparently (it's a Saturday), and there are many tents being pitched along the water. I eat a sandwich at the cabin before I also say farewell to Yves and Jean-Paul as well. Then I go down into the sea of people towards Lac de Bious-Artigues (1417m), where I'm almost are walking in a queue down the valley. Above the trail Pic du Midi d'Ossau is getting higher and higher. The reason for why there are so many people here gets soon apparent after the lake (Bious-Artigues), a huge parking place in the end of a road makes the area easy to access. The trail is following the road down to Gabas.
Pic du Midi d'Ossau. An excellent view from Col d'Ayous with Lac Gentau and Refuge d'Ayous below.
Gabas however is with the exception of the road that goes straight through it a quiet place. Though it's not the biggest place in the world either, just some few houses on each of a partly trafficked road. Even so, the place has two hotels and a local bar, in addition a very small chapel. The evening gets nice; I meet Jean-Jacques who I eat dinner together with. He is also walking the GR10, but he is breaking the trail up over several years. A small pack of cows are being shepherded through the road. Chemin de la Mâture and the view of Pic du Midi d'Ossau was part of why I choose to do the GR10, so I had a great day in the Pyrenees today.
Gabas.
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