Day 17 – Gabas to Gourette

September 14, 2019 – Departed 8:25 – Arrived 18:40

This was supposed to be a long day and indeed it was. Basically the hike was going up for the first 7.5 hours from Gabas (elevation 1,035 m) to the Hourquette d’Arre (2,465 m), then down to Gourette the rest of the time.

The climb represented a change of elevation of over 1,400 m, and at times – specially near the end – it was nothing short of brutal. Not what I like, as you know. In fact I was at times so focused on the physical effort that it really took away from the pleasure of being there. On the positive side I made it, and in one piece. But I really had to make a mental effort to look around, admire, take pictures, and enjoy.

There were indeed some pretty sights. The path at the Corniche des Alhas is running along a cliff and is quite breathtaking. Later on, the path crossed the beautiful plateau near the Cabanes de Cézy with tons of pretty flowers, and overlooking a vast plain below. At the midpoint of the hike, I came across a nice spot along a stream – it was perfect for a break, so I refilled my bottles with fresh water and dipped my feet in the stream while having peanuts and dates. Higher up, the final section before l’Hourquette d’Arre is also quite grandiose, although very challenging from a hiking point of view. There was some snow left from last week so I made a tiny snowman, my first of the season. It started melting right away and I am pretty sure it has now joined the many beautiful streams that I saw today.

On the other side of the pass as I was starting my descent it started raining. Big drops, but it didn’t last. It made the rocks a bit slippery but I got to Gourette without problem. I am staying at the chalet of the Club Alpin Français which at the moment is run by volunteers – they have been unable to find a permanent manager. They invited me to have the apéritif with them and a bunch of mountain bike riders. I then went to the local restaurant for dinner and had my first taste of garbure, a hearty soup local to this region.