I had a very good sleep – pretty comfy bed and warmth made all the difference. Four bunk beds and only one me – what a waste 🙂

I bring plenty of water from the stream to wash my hair – who knows, I might see another human being today as I’m so close to Gavarnie 🙂 In fact, I’ve just seen someone walking down in the valley. Very bizarre because that’s not a path from the cabana. Another mystery… I guess I’m getting used to that now.

When I have breakfast I can hear someone on the other side of the hut. Did he sleep in the hut or walk up from Gavarnie this morning? I’ll never find out because he doesn’t speak a word of English but at least he takes a picture of me. I show him that I leave my stuff in one of the lockers and go up to Piméné. He is surprised that I go on my own but gets on with his work and I’m ready to go.

After maybe a couple of minutes I can hear a strange noise. I first think that it might be something like a quad – the path down to Gavarnie seems suitable for vehicles like that. It would make sense because they have to bring stuff to the hut somehow and it looks like they are going to open it very soon.

I don’t have to wait long to see the source of that noise. Just look at this!

He came back perhaps eight times with different things. Even though he is disturbing the silence in this beautiful place, all this is just fascinating to watch. Right, I need to move on! I keep going while some of my yesterday’s photos are uploading (I have a tiny bit of signal up here). I keep looking around  – this place is so peaceful again. I get to the path from Hourquette d’Alans but this time I turn left towards Piméné. I notice that there is someone following me. I’ve been walking really slowly but not because I’m tired. I’ve been breathing in everything around me. The girl behind me eventually catches up with me on Petit Piméné. I spend a while here studying yesterday’s route and trying to find out where I missed the path to Brêche de Tuquerouye. The truth is that the path is covered with snow and that I didn’t have much chance to see it. I could perhaps just go across just keeping azimuth on the pass. Would it have been wise? I’m not sure.

When I get to the top of Piméné the views are breathtaking. I try my action camera – will see what happens. I have no idea about taking videos.

I have a chat with Celine – that girl who caught up with me on the path. We take a few photos of each other and I tell her my plans for today and the rest of my trip. She shows me Vignemale and shows me on the map which way I can go from Gavarnie.

We start walking down. I could just stay here all day and watch these beautiful mountains…

When we get back to des Espuguettes, she goes to have a chat with the guards and finds out about de Bayssellance. They say it’s open and there won’t be any problem to get a bed there. In the meantime, I pack everything I left here this morning. Suddenly my backpack gets very heavy but I get used it again very soon. The path to Gavarnie is not difficult but after having already walked to Piméné and back my knees really don’t like walking down. I slow down so much that Celine offers to take my backpack for a while. I don’t think that it will make any difference. There are times when walking down is just awful and you cannot do anything about it. It’s like coming back to reality after a mountain top experience. Yes, I guess that this is just another truth that mountains show you very clearly. Climbing up is often tough but walking down can sometimes be a hundred times worse.

I make it to Gavarnie eventually and I’m so relieved to be able to go on flat for a while.

Celine insists that we have a drink before she goes back to Lourdes. I have a glass of lovely cold fresh orange juice, say goodbye to Celine and after getting some food I set off to Cabane de Ossoue where I’m going to sleep tonight. I had a mad idea to try to walk to de Bayssellance today but by now I’ve put my mind back on the right track (it sounds a bit like another oxymoron to me, I must say…). It’s already after six o’clock and I still have a fair walk ahead of me. Though, I have another stop before I go. I stop to buy a few postcards which are completely different from those available in every single souvenir shop. I’ll have them for Aga’s and Ania’s birthdays. They are two people to whom I still send postcards from all my holidays. Knowing the joy when they find them in the letterbox is priceless.

Celine told me not to go on the road but on the path on the left side of the stream. Avoiding the road seems to be a great idea. When I get on the path the first thing I see is this:

It immediately gives me a shot of new energy. Signposts for Santiago make me feel better wherever I am.
The path gets narrow and dark almost straight away, and it’s rather not flat. Perhaps, after about 10 hours of walking, I should have taken an easy route or even the offer of a lift to the dam from Celine.

I have a few climbs on the way before I get to the bridge and cross the stream. Now I’m on the road. I don’t think straight anymore. I walk about 200 m and I turn around to see the valley behind me.  There is a car right by the bridge and a bloke standing next to it. I keep walking and turning around from time to time as I’m not sure what he’s doing. I would rather see him going back to Gavarnie which he does eventually… I wasn’t too comfortable, I have to say. It’s getting dark and there’s no one else around.

I get to the Cabane de Milhas but I decide to walk another 2 km to the Cabane de Ossoue by the dam. The only reason for is that I want to have less to walk tomorrow, so I can leave things at de Bayssellance and climb Vignemale. It turns out to be the second bad idea this evening. On my last legs, I get to the cabana. It is open and it’s clean but that’s about all good about this place. The window is broken and there is absolutely nothing there – just bare floor. Like I say the good thing is that it’s clean in here – no rubbish, no bugs… If I have ever been close to rough sleeping, it’s tonight. I again thank God for that huge black bag which I got from Cabane de Estaube. May He abundantly bless those good souls who brought and left them there.
I put the bag on the floor, take out the sleeping bag and put on absolutely all the warm clothes that I have with me. In fact, all the clothes that I have. I boil some water and have a hot tea before I go to sleep. It’s been a long day and the night is going to be even longer… I can hear the water flowing through the dam and in these circumstances, it’s not a calming sound. It’s cold, ‘noisy’ and I’m aware that there is a van parked in the carpark by the dam. I’m almost sure the owner is not there. I’m not an overly fearful creature but you can imagine what’s going through my mind…