Wednesday 28th June: Weather 12°C to 18°C to 12°C Cool and overcast with 10mins of rain
Gouretteto Chalet du Soulor: 10.1k walk: 5hrs leisurely from 9.30am to 2.30pm
Altitude Gain and Loss: Total Ascent 550m: Total Descent 325m
Accommodation: Chalet du Soulor
10 of 10 for Hotel La Boule de Neige
Looking back on Gourette
View East from Col de Tortes
Col de Tortes (1800m)
View west from Col de Tortes
Green green meadows
Coffee almost at the bottom
Vultures feeding frenzy on carrion
Road to Col d’Aubisque cut in side
Col d’Aubisque info
Lunch at Col du Soulor
Storm clouds rising
A very short day with no record breaking ascents and descents but an amazing balcony walk along a road, the D918 to the Col du Soulor, with fabulous views across the Val d’Azun. This road climbs in the opposite direction to our walk to the Col d’Aubisque of Tour de France fame.
La Boule de Neige was just a fabulous Hotel and we slept in til 7am after a long arduous day yesterday. A short time to blog and phone home before a wonderful breakfast at 7.30am. Everything you could wish for - Muesli, yoghurt, fresh fruit, pancake and maple syrup, several different croissants, fresh bread with orang juice and a cup of tea. I’ll score this hotel 10 out of 10 on Booking.com. We’re stuffed when we leave at 9.30am - a late start knowing it is a short day.
It’s sunny and a cold 12°C and it never warms up despite a really steep 450m climb up to the Col de Tortes - not to be compared with our 1800 metres of yesterday, but short, sharp and slippery after the rain last night. The views from the Col de Tortes (1800m) are fabulous from both sides - green green meadows and forests. The descent down the other side is equally as steep and there’s no spot for a coffee until we’re almost at the bottom - a few cakes rescued from breakfast. It’s warmed up a little to 18°C.
At the bottom we meet the D918 road and follow the old GR10 signs around this balcony cut into the side of sheer cliffs, passing through a few dark tunnels. It’s such a relaxing walk - almost level and no stones to trip over so we can enjoy the scenery. There’s zillions of cyclists, as this road goes to the Col d’Aubisque, a famed Tour de France col. Half way along teh road, we see a flock of vultures swooping and feeding off some carrion on the ground 100 metres below us in the ravine. Something smells but we can’t see what it is but still an amazing site to see 50 vultures in a feeding frenzy.
The road slowly climbs to teh Col du Soulour at 1474m where there’s a collection of motor cycles, cars, vans and cyclists clustered at the 3 restaurants/cafes at the col. It’s windy and cold and now 12°C as we shelter behind a kids playground having our last tomato and butter from Lescun, with a few hunks of left over bread. Too cold to sit and enjoy for too long.
Down the road on the other side is the Chalet du Soulor, our home for tonight, but there’s a sign on the door that it doesn’t open until 5pm, and it’s now only 2.30pm. But at least there’s picnic tables on the deck where we can shelter from the wind, have a cup of tea, do some blogging and enjoy the panoramic view of the valley down to Arrens Marsous where we’ll be heading tomorrow.
It’s raining and cold, but we’re under shelter with a panoramic view across to the green mountains shrouded in mist and rain. At 4.30pm our super friendly host Valerie comes to rescue us and makes us a nice hot cup of tea before showing us to our room. It has a big double bed and a shower, the toilet is up the corridor. A hot hot shower warms us up, and after reading an ebook for a few hours, we head downstairs to have a wine and a beer on the cosy lounge.
Dinner at 7.30pm is enough to feed 4 people - and it probably was intended for 4, not just us 2. A French couple who followed us up to the Col du Soulor arrived at the Chalet late, but declined dinner. We suspect they sheltered in one of the warm restaurants up at the col and had a late lunch early dinner. Our meal is a huge casserole of chicken and vegetable, followed by fresh fruit, slices of cheese, fresh bread and a local red wine.
We’re stuffed pigs going to bed. The meals in the Pyrenees have been hot and hearty and despite walking umpteen kilometres each day, it doesn’t warrant meals double the size, especially when we’ve already had a large late lunch. Bed at 10pm and it’s still raining.
Sheltering deck of Chalet du Soulor
View from deck mountains and cows