The
bordermarkers of the Pyrenees : all my trips
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tuesday 12 september
2023 -
Revisiting bm317 with Carlos & Conchita
previous
trip
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Summary:
part of a series of 9 daytrips in september 2023.
This is day 9.
Today: climbing to bm317 with Carlos and Conchita Roca.
Weather: cloudy, a bit rain.
Same trip to be seen at Carlos & Conchita's website.
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According to Garmin
Basecamp (uncorrected track with elevation added by Gpsvisualizer.com):
Distance: 9,6 km
Max-height: 2342m
Min-height: 1730m
Elevation: +655m -655m
Total elevation: 1310m
Start 9:15 Finish 14:11
Total time: 4:56
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| Breakfast in Hôtel d'Annécy.
Yesterday I heard from the owners that the hotel will be closed in autumn. Alain, the oldest of brother and sister, will retire.
He told me that he had never seen the sea in his life.
And that the guests have become more 'pénibles', I guess more difficult to handle.
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| Also that the majority of the guests are regular guests who deeply regret the closure of the hotel. And so do I.
It's been my hotel in Lourdes for many years. I loved it's simplicity,
hospitality and proximty to the shrines. There were always rooms
available.
They never wrote down my name but expected me every year to come. Through the years I saw Alain age, just like me.
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| After thanking alain for all his hospitality through the years, we drive off. Bye bye hôtel d'Annécy.
We park here, west of Gavarnie.
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| We pick up a trail which
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| climbs SW to the GR10.
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| We spot marmottes.
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| Carlos and Conchita following.
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| We discuss our route. The original plan was to do bm315, 316-fake and 316 and perhaps bm317.
But Carlos & Conchita still feel a bit tired of our trip to bm417, two days ago.
So we decide to do only bm317.
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| The route is simple: a bit along the GR10
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| and then heading S into this long valley.
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| Progress is good, the climbing is easy,
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| with some drizzle rain in between.
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| We have arrived at Col de la Bernatoire with
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| bm317.
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| Bm317
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| Bm317
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| Plaque besides bm317.
There is one other similar plaque: near bm321 at Port de la Canau.
Why these 2 borderpasses have been chosen is unknown. Also when and by whose initiative.
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| Making pictures
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| and of course a selfie.
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| Bm317
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| Then a look at the lake.
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| And we find a remembrance plaque.
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| The clouds have drifted away and we can admire this
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| beautiful lake,
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| Looking into France.
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| A last view of bm317.
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| On our return we spot this very dead cow. We are surprised that we didn't see it while climbing, passing so close.
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| A view back
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| and then the last descent
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| to the parking.
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| There is another remembrance plaque on this rock
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| about Frenchmen fleeing occupied France in WWII.
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| We finish with
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| a lunch
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| with wine and sandwhiches.
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We say goodbye and drive back on the dirtroad through a herd of cows.
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| Carlos and Conchita will stay 2 other days to do other bordermarkesrs.
But for me it's the end of this holiday.
The last night I stay at the rainy camping La Hounta in Luz-Saint-Sauveur.
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And there is a resolution. Last year I reached my goal to have done each bordermarker at least twice.
This year it was my plan to redo all bordermarkers which I had done for
the last time 10 years ago or longer ago. For that purpose I made an Excel-sheet (see picture).
That resulted this year in long daytrips to bordermarkers where nothing
had changed in the last 10 years. A bit useless, I concluded.
So from now on, I will only redo those bordermarkers where something
has changed or to help Carlos & Conchita (or others) or for special
cases or just for the fun of walking in the Pyrenees.
In 2024 I will only travel to the Pyrenees in september.
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My return-journey:
Day 1: from camping La Hounta to camping Vaugeons, cheapest camping of France I think. (10:15 - 17:45)
Day 2: to camping de la Warenne, 5 hrs driving
Day 3: day of reposing, enjoying the beach.
Day 4: back home, 4 hrs driving
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previous
trip
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