Ascent / descent: 1349m (21691m) / 763m (19792m).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 1240m / 1856m / 2509m.
Weather: Marvelous.
Yesterday evening I wondered whether it would have been better to stay at Luz St Saveur instead of continuing to Bareges, but today I was overjoyed that I had done that choice. Because there was a truly spectacular day awaiting me in the Pyrenees today after having woken up to a very good breakfast in Gîte d'Etape l'Oasis. It was such a day that you only dream of experiencing.
Walking through the Bareges valley in the morning.
Out of Bareges I soon get to see with my own eyes how big damages the flooding has done, where the riverbed was there goes now a deep rift through the town. The GR10 is originally crossing the river over a bridge, but that is now impossible. So in the start you have to stay on the road up through the valley, it's however not the worst part of walking alongside a road on. I'm back on the GR10 at the parking lot beneath Pont de la Gaubie (1538m), after the bridge the only things that matters are the high mountains and beautiful scenery.
Lac de Coucyla Gran with Cabane d'Aygues-Cluses situated next to it.
From here the trail goes up through a lovely valley past little creeks and waters, with panoramic mountains on each side. Horses graze in the wet and tall grass. Next to Lac de Coucyla Gran is Cabane d'Aygues-Cluses (2150m) a popular target for a picnic, but the cabane itself is quite spartan. It's a green wonderworld.
Then the trail wants to take you up to the highest point on the GR10, if you don't count the route past the Hourquette d'Ossoue as the main route of the GR10, the Col de la Madamète. This isn't that easy, since the beautiful scenery makes it almost impossible not to stop on the way up to enjoy the view. The climb is making an abrupt stop at Lacs de Madamète (2299m). Blue water against blue sky and thoughts back to the Lac de Bastani at Corsica. Just like there I here also have to sit down by the water's edge and do nothing else than enjoying the sight.
View from the top of Col de la Madamète.
Antennas and domes just like out of a science-fiction movie is appearing behind me in the horizon, it's the Pic du Midi de Bigorre (2877m) that has a huge astronomical observatory on its summit. If the scenery has been great on the way up, then the scenery revealing itself at the top of the Col de la Madamète (2509m) is a wonder. I gaze upon the magnificent Néouvielle. Pic de Néouvielle (3091m) joins forces with great lakes and mountains to create a marvelous view.
Clouds reflecting in the surface of Gourg de Rabas.
Each step down from the pass is almost like a new photograph, it's what you say...a day of Kodak moments. The further down you get, more of the magnificent lakes below are revealing itself with Pic du Néouvielle more and more dominating. The few clouds that are in the sky are drifting over the water mirror of Gourg de Rabas, reflected in the water. Yesterdays travails are forgotten, this is an epiphany. Water and lakes in the landscape always brings out the best in a view, Lac d'Aumar and Lac d'Aubert no exception.
Magnificent scenery around Néouvielle.
I have to sit down and put my feet in the water of Lac d'Aumar (2190m). There are a couple of people around the lake and I've met quite a few on my way here, but I'd expected that it should've been more on a day like this. When I walk towards Col d'Estodou (2260m) I can look down at Lac d'Oredon (1856m) far below, knowing well that I have to go the steep way down even though the GR10 doesn't.
Lac d'Aumar.
Chalet-Hôtel de l'Oule is closed for restoration so I chose to go down to Lac d'Oredon instead; the alternative was Refuge de Bastan. From Col d'Estodou there is about 400 meters down, and I have to start tomorrow by going up the same steep way. The evening at the Chalet-Hôtel d'Oredon was a nice ending to a fantastic day in the Pyrenees.
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