- Distance: 13.0km (232.4km total)
- Ascent/Descent: 195m up, 1142m down
- Time: 4 hr 29 min
A "recovery" day is what the guidebook says. Sure. And it was cool and fresh and pleasant down the glacial valley under the Pic du Midi to the little settlement of Gabas.
The cabin wasn't too horrible to sleep in, but with 7 humans in our room it did get a touch warm, and breeze through the open window didn't really help much--it only cooled off to 20C outside, even at our elevation, as a high overcast clouded the skies overnight. The cabin warden at breakfast warned us it might rain in the morning, be sunny midday, and be raining in the afternoon, at least that's what we understood of her French, so we packed up all the raingear for easy access (rain jacket, kilt, pack cover) and headed off.
We decided to take a slightly longer variant down, rather than the GR10, possibly more scenic (yep) and possibly fewer people than squeezing past the hundreds either slowly coming up to the refuge, or chattering as they went back down. The variant didn't disappoint, it went up a bit to tarns and lakes, then down past some pasturing operation (through weedy overgrazed dusty spots, ugh) into a glacial valley. The forecast rain didn't come, and the skies remained cloudy and cool, so it was pleasant walking. We encountered a sheep flock guarded by two patous, but the dogs were pretty chill as we approached, sitting down and casually watching us now and then as we both walked through the middle of the flock. The man coming up with his unleashed dog (both the dog and the unleashed part prohibited) was pretty grumpy, but perhaps he was a shepard, didn't give off tourist vibes.
Along the valley and then at the end we met the GR10, and lots of people walking up the concrete road, Euro bros with baggy football shorts and jerseys, women with black leather designer handbags, children in flipflops, all out and having a good time, I felt guilty for assessing them. But by the time we reached the lake, we had lunch, didn't last long (too many shrieking kids), and walked the remaining 4km to the hotel, which didn't open until 4:30, so we had drinks at the little grocery store, and then the owner of the store said "oh I'll open the hotel at 3 for you", so yay a shower.
And that was our day, plus dinner--a delicious veggie torte with cheese and onions, beef in pepper sauce, the best cheese we've had so far--nice and tart--and a fruit compote thing for dessert.
Tomorrow a longer day than usual, 22km, and the high point of the GR10, at 2475m or somesuch (some 8200ft).