The
bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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monday 14 september
2020 -
Backpacking along 272-279 -> day 2: doing 275-279
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Summary:
part of a series of 6 daytrips and 1 multiday trip in september 2020 in
the Pyrénées Atlantiques. This is trip 7 - day 3
Today: from Lac de la Chourique continuing along the border until
Refuge d'Arlet. After pictching my tent there, I make a 4h roundtrip to
cover bm278 & 279.
Weather: splendid
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According to Garmin
Basecamp (uncorrected track):
Distance: 23,1 km
Max-height: 2093m
Min-height:1743 m
Elevation: +1519m -1401m
Total elevation: 2920m
Start 9:01 Finish 19:58
Total time: 10:58
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| After a good night's sleep on the soft grass underground, I start at 9h.
From the Lac de la Chourique (or Ibon Acherito in Spanish), this is the route ahead to the ridge.
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| Spotting chamois.
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| Halfway up, cairns appear.
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| Towards the ridge, it gets more rocky. The route is well waymarked with cairns.
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| A last chamois observing me.
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| A last view back to the Lac de la Chourique.
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| This is approximately the waymarked route to the ridge.
There seems a more convenient 'pass' to the right:
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| this one, but the cairns take me
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| to this part of the ridge.
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| At the ridge with this splendid view of the sunbathed mountainside and the route to bm275
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| and to bm276.
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| Cairns continue to
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| lead me along the mountainside
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| easily to Col de Laraille.
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| Almost there.
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| Bm275 is hardly noticeable on
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| the rocks.
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| Bm275, better to see with some chalking.
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| Bm275
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| Bm275
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| Bm275
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| Bm275, looking towards Col de Pau.
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| Bm275, looking into France.
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| These painted markers show the border of the Parc National des Pyrénées.
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| Then descending and
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| continuing along the hillside (and not descending to the bottom of the valley)
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| on cattle tracks when available.
This picture: getting closer to Col de Pau
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| and later on joining a red-white GR-trail.
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| At Col de Pau, bm276 is about 15m to the S from the actual pass.
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| Zoomin to bm276
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| Waymarks.
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| Refuge d'Arlet is at 2:15h walking.
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| Bm276
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| Bm276
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| Bm276, looking back to the actual pass.
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| Then further along the borderridge.
The Pic ahead involves some climbing at first.
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| Waymarks not seen before: white-red-white.
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| After the climbing
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| the trail gets more horizontal. Col de la Cuarde comes in sight.
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| It is a pleasure to walk on this trail in this marvellous weather.
This picture: in the valley to the right, you can spot a signboard.
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| That is this signboard with bm277 in front of it.
This is Col de la Cuarde.
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| A memorial plaque nearby
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| commemorating the refugees who fled France in WOII.
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| Col de la Cuarde
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| Bm277
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| Bm277
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| Bm277
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| Bm277
Time to take a lunch-break.
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| Then going on with in the far distance
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| Pic du Midi d'Ossau.
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| Getting closer
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to Col de Saoubathou.
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| A new phenomenon: large white shepherd dogs who are nasty for walkers passing by.
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| Now close to Col de Saoubathou.
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| Col de Saoubathou
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| Another stretch of easy trail,
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| passing the Cabane de Lapassa (in the distance) and
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| beyond the Cabane this signpost.
Descending into the valley will bring you to Borce and Etsaut. That is how I will return to my car tomorrow.
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| Continuing to a next sort of col.
Soon beyond the col ,
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| you can spot the roof of the Refuge d'Arlet
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| with Lac d'Arlet at his feet.
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| The refuge with to the left the borderridge where bm278 can be found.
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| But first I have to collect water at the lake.
I haven't encountered any stream along my route today, that is to say from Lac de la Chourique until Lac d'Arlet.
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| Then I pitch my tent behind the refuge. That gives more privacy than on the bivouac-field besides the refuge.
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| In the background on the ridge is Col d'Arlet with bm278.
With a much lighter backpack, I depart for a roundtrip to cover bm278 and 279. It will take me 4 hours from 16h to 20h.
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| Climbing to bm278, looking back at refuge and lake.
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| It's a short climb to Col d'Arlet, ± 15 minutes from the refuge. No waymarks but the route is very obvious.
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| Almost at the Col, with a view back and
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| a zoom-in to Pic du Midi d'Ossau.
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| Bm278 is from the actual pass ± 35m to the NW on the ridge.
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| Bm278
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| Bm278 after chalking.
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| Bm278, looking back to the actual pass 35m SE.
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| Bm278
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| Bm278, refuge d'Arlet and lake in the background.
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Then descending SE on the Spanish side along a waymarked trail.
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| The trail descends to the foot of the next valley climbing up to Col de la Contienda.
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At that point, the trail itself descends further bending W and you have to leave it here to climb
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| SE uphill on the grassy hillside.
No trails, hardly any cairn but the direction is obvious with the Col in sight.
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| It is tough climbing on the grass.
You have to find your own route towards the Col but that's no problem.
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| Almost at the Col with
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| bm279.
It took me 1,5 hours to get here from the Refuge d'Arlet.
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| Bm279
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| Bm279
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| Bm279
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| Bm279
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| On the other side of the Col, descending on a well waymarked trail (with cairns)
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| until this shepherd's compound.
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| Looking back to Col de la Contienda.
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| Beyond the cabane, I arrive at the end of the dirtroad with the two cars.
Two men are loading donkeys with cargo and they tell me
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| that I can return to Refuge d'Arlet along a shortcut waymarked with these white poles.
I climb to a ridge
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| and arrive at this valley with a cabane (Cabane des Caillaous).
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| and join the waymarked trail towards the refuge.
I'm relieved because it's getting later and later.
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| On well trails I proceed to the refuge (visible in the distance) and it's getting dark when I arrive at my tent.
The refuge's ward-lady rebukes me for not using the bivouac-field but so be it. Too late to change.
It takes me an hour to cook, wash myself, eat and brush my teeth. It's
been a long day, perhaps too long but still I'm glad that I did the
additional roundtrip along bm278-279.
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The next day I pack my tent in the rain but it gets dry soon. I descend in 4,5h (1500m descent) to Etsaut.
It's a beautiful and easy walk with much silence and already autumn colours. Lunch at a restaurant in Etsaut.
While enjoying my lunch, I hear
that this
region has been declared suddenly to an 'orange' region by the Dutch
government.
A further stay will mean 10 days quarantine when I return
in Holland because of the covid-19-epidemic. But most of France is
still 'yellow' so I can take my time to return home while spending
already some days of my quarantine in the yellow regions.
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After a day of rest in Lourdes (very quiet because of the epidemic), I
drive 17/9 to the Dordogne for a visit to the caves of Lascaux and the shrine of Rocamadour.
On sunday 20/9 I drive back to home sweet home and obey as a well mannered citizen my few remaining days of quarantine.
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