- Distance: 13.0km
- Ascent/Descent: 771m up, 282m down
- Time: 4 hr 35 min
- Weather: 8 to 10C in the morning and misty, 11 to 16C in the afternoon and sunny
Walked out the hotel in wool, and then up past a ski area and turned south. Walked to a new modern refuge, and I wasn't up for a sandwich, so I ordered a ham and cheese omelet off the menu and shivered a bit in the 10C weather, and watched my shadow flicker. Maybe this low overcast will lift and the sun come out? It tried, but failed.
Headed over a col, and dropped into a nature reserve. This is big, really--this is the first time where we've actually seen native landscapes. In the 1930's the French government declined not to open this "new" area for grazing, but keep it as a nature preserve, which means that the hillsides aren't stripped and barren and full of cowshit and flies. Made me think that at this point, with the steeply declining population of France, it might be worth it to probably stop supporting so much pastoralism, France certainly has enough cows and sheep, in less sensitive and more accessible places. Hahah that's a joke, French farmers and their almighty subsidies are why the European Union exists.
Anyways, on the way back down it got nice and sunny, yet still cool, and whoa there were there a lot of people suddenly about. Sure it's a Sunday, but still. Spotted some sort of bog orchid, and looked up and saw wonderful mountains surrounding the lakes. Our destination was at one of the lower lakes. I wondered "why all these lakes" and then got my answer at a signboard--all part of some hydroelectric development scheme in the 1950s, aha.
Fortunately Chris had spotted a shuttle bus service a few days ago, and we got a nice ride the last 4km down to our "hotel". I was real wary about this spot--it gets a 3.4 on Google--but it was clean at least. The facilities though were wanting, we were assinged a room with a double bed (too narrow) and bunk beds, with another room and two beds up in a loft in the hallway. Hm, well, there's not much choice here so this'll have to do.
Drinkies on the terrace, a skimpy dinner of soup and meat spaghetti, and bed.