- Distance: 11.6km
- Ascent/Descent: 268m up, 742m down
- Time: 4 hr 6 min
A welcome shorter day—though not without a steep 700m descent to Bidarray.
Morning came, and neither of us were too willing to get on the trail. A bit of breakfast, though, and we were on our way, leaving the farm as it were.
Misty and overcast, the track ambled along the crest defining the border for the first two hours, sometimes in France, sometimes in Spain, we passed several border monuments before coming to something noted in the guidebook as the Cliff of Vultures. Yep, steep cliffs, vultures overhead.
What we did not expect was the drop-off. Yeeikes, that is steep, sharply down a stony slope, overlooking a green lush valley far below. We encountered chains for the first time to grab onto—this isn’t something you want to do if it’s raining—and still more down. After yesterday’s slog, it was a bit more of a struggle than expected, but finally, eventually, it becaume a moderate dirt path, and then boom, we’re on paved road, where it stayed that way into town.
A little detour to get to our Hotel, the Noblia at the train platform (can’t call it a station), and we were done a bit after 1pm. Then some wash, beer for me on the terrace as I scribble these words… and likely a nap.
Tomorrow: a much harder day, more sportif as they say here, and perhaps the start of another long-duration heat wave. We are wondering about the timing of that, while we have a zero in St Jean on Monday during the forecast peak, we won’t be high enough in elevation to really avoid it the following days. Best bet it to likely leave early around sunrise (6:30pm this time of year), and my thinking is we’ll just ask for early departure and breakfast.
But we will see.