Thursday 23rd June: Blue skies and cool to warm, 16°C to 20°
Col de Turini to Refuge de Merveilles: 15.7k walk: 8.30am to 3.30pm, 7hrs
Accommodation: Refuge des Merveilles
Leaving Camp d'Argent
Entering the Mercantour Parc
Stunning scenery
In the middle of it all
Jenny through the spring flowers
Graham and Jan at L'Authion Fort
How nice is this day
Jan's photos aren't as good as Ian's
At the Col de Raus 1999m
And the views get better
So many wild flowers
More rhododendrons
The scenery becomes Martian
Last patch of snow
Another big climb. More than 1000m today. A most spectacular day in the Mercantour National Parc. Jenny had especially wanted to detour to Merveilles for the geological features and I was interested in the hieroglphics. We had tunning views from the Col de Raus (1999m) and the Pas du Diablo (2040m), then down into the Vallee des Merveilles (Valley of Marvels) famous for its Bronze age hieroglyphics.
Our day starts early at 6.30am to beautiful views through the forest and down the Valley back towards Moulinet. There's no WiFi so Graham is the first down to breakfast. It's very ordinary - bread and jam with awful coffee, but at least a hot cup of tea. Ian has bought a jar of honey from our host and Jenny bought a loaf of bread for our picnic today so lunch might be better than breakfast!
We're up the road on the GR52 at 8.30am, another early start. A beautiful blue sky day and after an hour we're at L'Authion, a dilapidated fort left over from the Maginot line. There's many walkers on this part of the GR52, some going to the Vallee des Merveilles, others coming from it, and many day walkers from the near by road, the D68. There’s also another refuge, Valmasque, further up the Valley de Merveilles where many walkers have been to, or are going to.
There's a 400 metre climb to Col de Raus at 1999m and the views across the Mercantour in all directions are stunning. Picture perfect except for a light blue haze. At one point, we can see right back to Monaco, just when we thought we'd left the Mediterranean behind. We reach a point just short of the Col de Raus at 10.30am and time for a coffee under a shady pine tree. It will be the last shade for today as from now on we're above the 2000m tree line.
It's a steep rocky climb up to the Pas de Diable from the Baisse de St Veran at 1836m. There's a cool breeze but it's hard work. At 1.30pm, after a few breather stops, we're there, and just over the Pas there's a few lakes, where we have lunch. It's a stony steep walk down through boulders and lakes to reach the Refuge des Merveilles.
The Refuge is already crowded with hikers. We can't get into the showers until 4pm (no rush, they're stone motherless cold) and the dormitories don't open until 6pm. There's a little sitting room where the hikers gather and chat - no English voices here and no oldies either. Mostly young fit hikers.
At 4pm, Graham braves the showers first - think of cold and double it he says. I'm happy with a quick splash and a dash, Jenny the same and Ian does a graham and has a two second cold shower. The dorms are crowded and we take the only bunks available – high bunks. Many hikers stay here a few nights to explore the Valley of Marveilles and have already claimed the best bunks.
The dining room is full. Dinner is at 7pm - pasta soup, followed by stewed turkey with more pasta, then a dish of stewed mashed apples (we think), a bit like baby food. We discover another group of Aussies after hearing the only English for a few days - a group of women from a bush walkers club in Sydney who are doing it tough - long hard walks, below basic refuges, and a lack of veggies.
At 8.30pm, with no lights upstairs, it's time for bed. There’s 56 of us all sleeping together in the one dorm, lined up like cows waiting to be milked - and the little one said roll over! The bed was comfy, it was warm enough with two blankets.
Little do we know what the night would bring!!!
Pas du Diablo at 2404m
Now that's lunch with a view!
Our GR52 Red and white signs
Lakes after the Pas du Diable