Ascent / descent: 1550m (17037m) / 440m (15066m).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 878m / 1988m / 2242m.
Weather: Sunny with some clouds, with fog in the afternoon, evening and night.
I'm up and away early in the morning today, the weather forecast has predicted a thunderstorm after midday and the brutal force of the night is fresh in my memory. Today the trail is entering high grounds, with an ascent up to 2242m, and I don't want to be caught in a thunderstorm at that altitude. Jean-Jacques has finished his walk, but even so he gets up early to keep me company at breakfast.
Estaing church in the morning hours.
In the wee hours of the morning there is however very little that is indicating that bad weather is coming, but that was true for yesterday as well. When I arrive at Col des Bordères (1156m) I've already seen the reddish hue from the morning sun illuminating the mountains in the background. It's quiet around; there is no one else around. Small wisps of fog are drifting past the Estaing church before I move down to the Gave de Labat. The trail is mostly following the road through the valley, but it's nevertheless a pleasant walk.
Lac d'Estaing. Mountains are reflecting in the clear water.
But then the trail is leaving the road and goes into a completely awful path through the woods, here a storm has razed the area and trees are blocking the path everywhere. It's like walking through a thick jungle, I've to climb over and crawl under fallen trees and bushes. I'm almost completely soaked when I finally emerge from the wild thicket, and I almost feel like I'm a tree myself.
Cabane d'Arriou-Sec.
Lac d'Estaing (1161m) is a very nice lake where the mountains are reflected on the surface, but the camping site on the other side of the lake makes it a bit touristic. It doesn't get better when a large bus with tourists drives by and releases its payload. From here I go upwards, there is an ascent of 1081 meters up to Col d'Ilheou.
View from Col d'Ilheou where the clouds are filling the valley like a fjord.
At Cabane d'Arriou-Sec a pig is so curious that it gets near the electric fence with its nose when I walk by, the silence is broken by a high pitched squeal. I pass through some dense clouds on the way up to Col d'Ilheou (2242m) and appear above to a nice view. The clouds are now occupying the valley I've walked up from. I take a break and eat lunch at the top of the pass until the clouds comes rolling and chase me onwards.
Walking above the Gave d'Ilheou, it's steep down on one of the sides with a view towards mountains and rolling clouds.
The clouds are tearing at the mountains on the other side of the Gave d'Ilheou where the trail is going high above with a steep view downwards. Then Lac d'Estaing with Refuge d'Estaing next to it is appearing. I arrive at the lake and get to enjoy the sight before the clouds finally roll in for good and the view is hidden for the remainder of the day.
View down towards Refuge d'Ilheou and Lac d'Ilheou.
The announced thunderstorm never arrived; instead a thick fog is distributed across the landscape throughout the rest of the day. By going rapidly I've been walking ahead of the clouds all day and had a nice walk, but by doing so I arrive at Ilheou way too early. It's gusty outside and they're not letting anybody inside the refuge before quite some time has passed. A long afternoon and evening is the result, but I make a nice acquaintance of Dominik and Anna from Germany.
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