Ascent / descent: 1100m (51044m) / 678m (49228m).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 1718m / 2150m / 2250m.
Weather: Cloudy, some sun, rain, fog and later a bucketful of rain.
Pic du Canigou was somewhat in my mind for this day, but not unexpectedly bad weather was predicted. So today I focused mainly on the walk to Cortalets, and instead go for the summit bid from there tomorrow. There were a few that woke up early at the refuge to get up to the summit before the bad weather, but too early for my liking. There are some magnificent red colored clouds over the mountain in the morning.
In the morning above Refuge de Mariailles.
There is also a cabin above Refuge de Mariailles that possibly could be used by walkers, l'abri pastoral de Mariailles. From Mariailles the GR10 is making a long traverse of the Canigou-massif and the route is starting by going on an easy loop up through ravin des Sept-Hommes before it ascends to Col Vert. Already you have moved to higher ground and you can look down at Mariailles. The waymarking here is not so good, so for a while I'm wondering if I've taken the wrong way and gone into another trail that is also marked on the map.
Looking back down at Refuge de Mariailles.
The waymarks are returning when I cross Font d'en Marty (1964m). While the GR10 turns left is the path up to the summit of Canigou continuing further up the valley towards Refuge Arago (2123m), I follow that trail up to a cabin that is on its way to become a ruin. The cabane is in a bad shape, and outside a danger sign is hanging. It starts to rain, the group that sat and rested at the cabane (Arago) rises and continues undaunted onwards.
The trail is going over some large stone slabs above Jasse de Cady.
Above Jasse de Cady the trail is going on some large slabs in a stony field, below some shepherds are gathering their animals. The view isn't exactly cheerful, what was a blue horizon is now a grey and dark horizon. But the grey horizon is staying put at the moment, so the walk alongside the flanks of Canigou is still nice. I am not far away from Refuge de Mariailles again as the birds fly at Col de Segales (2040m), but there is a deep gorge between us.
The rain stopped after not so long, but it's still a colorless weather. In clear weather there would have been a view to far away from the trail. After Col de la Jasse d'en-Vernet (2040m) the fog is slowly creeping over the mountain and I descend down into les Conques. This is an area often devastated by avalanches and the resulting marks are evident, so some care is needed when passing through. Refuge de Bonne-Aïgue (1741m) is appearing out of the fog at a convenient time, I can eat lunch peacefully in shelter from the wind and rain. The cabane wouldn't have been so bad to stay the night in.
Dark clouds in the horizon.
When I climb up from the cabane I encounter another couple that also stayed at the Refuge de Mariailles. They'd walked over Canigou and started some time before me in the morning, but they could report that they didn't get any view from the summit. I come up to an orry (la Casteille) and a dramatic view. There is a short stay in the weather and some blue sky to see, but in the horizon the rain clouds are tearing at the mountain sides and there is a black wall coming my way. Fortunately, there isn't far to Cortalets from here.
Refuge de Bonne-Aïgue.
The fog is sweeping in over me with great force and then the rain is starting to pour water over the landscape. In the weather the trail up towards Canigou is disappearing behind me and a small lake is barely visible. At Chalet-Refuge de Cortalets (2150m) the rain sheets above the entrance are blowing heavily in the wind before I'm standing inside in the heat and spill water out over the floor. Inside there is a fire in the fireplace, making crackling sounds. Quite the changing weather today, but the walk was nice.
Orry at la Casteille with dramatic clouds in the horizon, an ominous wall approaching.
The weather is howling outside while I sit inside in front of the fireplace and enjoying the place's own beer, Els Cortalets. There aren't many guests here today, but the dinner is good. Claire is arriving later in the evening. They say it should normally be nice weather tomorrow, we'll see then, if the weather is inviting for a summit bid to the Catalonian holy mountain.
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