Sunday 2nd July: Weather 0°C to 17°C
Bayssellance to Gavarnie: 15k walk: 5hrs 30 mins. 7.30am to 1pm
Altitude Gain and Loss: Total Ascent 300m: Total Descent 1800m
Accommodation: Hotel Marbore
View over mist filled Valle d'Ossoue
Refuge Bayssellance nestled in snow
Down through snow into mist
A spectacular day with blue skies
Sun not to far in Oulettes d'Ossoue
Sunny spot for cup of tea below mist
Carpark Barege d’Ossoue for hikers
Looking back at Vignemale Massif
Field of Irises and other wild flowers
Ahead to Cirque du Gavarnie
Lunch at Tourist Office Gavarnie
Wandering carless streets Gavarnie
High lights today - waking from Refuge Bayssellance in sub zero temperatures with fresh powdered snow all around, then down through the mist to sunshine in the Vallee d’Ossoue and looking back to the Massif Vignemale. And finally arriving in the picturesque village of Gavarnie with the spectacular Cirque de Gavarnie, a ring of snow capped mountains in the background.
It was surprisingly comfortable and warm in the top bunks and with 16 people in a room about 5m x 4m, and we had to open the window to cool the place down a bit. Not our usual morning. Most of the gungho mountaineers have been rustling in our dorm early and have had breakfast by 5.30am. We get up at 6am, pack, and we’re down to breakfast at 6.30am.
Breakfast is typical mountain refuge style - stale bread,jam and luke warm tea. At 7.30am, we put on our cold wet shoes and socks that have been sitting in the entry foyer at 0°C with no chance of drying, and we’re out into the freezing air with magnificent views over the misty Vallee d’Ossoue below. The Refuge Baysswellance is so pretty surrounded by fresh powder snow from last night. And there’s blue skies above.
It’s freezing as we trek down the icy path careful not to slip. There’s 4 walkers ahead of us. Good, we’ll watch them slip first and avoid the icy patches, but they soon turn off at the sign to the Vignemale Glacier! We’e on our own but not for long because we’re met by a stream of Sunday day walkers equiped with crampons and ice pics - clearly not hikers but mountaineers. We wonder where they’ve come from, and later we realise they’ve parked at a car park down the valley. But they would have had to have left there before 6am to meet us at the top when they did.
It’s a steep slippery hike down. Soon we pass Russels caves. The caves were hewn out of the rock for Count Henry Russell, in the 1880s, to provide accommodation in his exploration of Vignemale. They can still be used for an uncomfortable bivouac but seem to be mostly used now as a ladies toilet. It’s still a cold 4°C for most of the way down - too cold to stop for a coffee. After 2hrs, we see the Ouletes d’Ossoue - a stony high valley dotted with sheep - and there’s a patch of sun at the end. Another 30 mins and we’re in the sun and the temperature jumps to 14°C. Oh for a hot cup of tea with a slab of rock solid butter and runny jam on a stale baguette on the first flat rock we can find.
Looking back, we can now see the Massif Vignemale rising through the mist at the end of the valley where we have just come from. It’s quite a magnificent site and compensates for not seeing the full north face of Vignemale yesterday. There’s masses of wildflowers and marmots popping up everywhere. We could be in the alps.
At the Bareges d’Ossoue (small dam across the River Ossoue), there’s a car park full of cars belonging to hikers and mountaineers we’ve seen up the mountain. They’ve driven up from Gavarnie on a stony narrow road which we will follow as the GR10 now goes up the mountainside to the Refuge des Granges de Holle and doesn’t pass through Gavarnie, which we have decided to visit as a side route.
It’s a gradual downhill walk through the narrow Ossoue Valley and very beautiful. As soon as the Vignemale Massif disappears from behind us, the first mountains of the Cirque du Gavarnie loom in front. The road winds through a narrow gorge and soon we see the pretty little village of Gavarnie ahead. Down the road and into the village square and at 1pm, we’re sitting outside the tourist office watching the comings and goings of cyclists, hikers and just plain tourists.
We wander up the street and find our Hotel Marbore and we’re able too check in at 2pm. The room is lovely, clean and quite spacious. Before doing anything, we leave to check out the village and visit the tourist office to see what tomorrows options are to visit the Breche de Roland, high up at 2800m behind the Cirque de Gavarnie. According to legend it was cut by the sword of Count Roland in 778 in anger after a failed battle attempt. We’ll think about which way to climb to it tonight. We also pass by the Hotel l’Astazou, our failed booking.com place that looks run down and closed. We’re not sure why our booking.com was cancelled but the Hotel Marbore looks heaps better anyway.
Back to the hotel to wash a mountain of damp musty clothes. The weather has become not only colder, but very dry and there’s a breeze blowing so a good time to get stuff dry. Then it’s time to curl under the bed covers and email and blog and watch the end of the Tour de France. At 5pm, Ian trots back up to the the small Casino supermarket and arrives back with dinner - dried trout, tomatoes, mache and fresh baguette - all spread out on a towel on the bed - washed down with a 4 euro bottle of Syrah rose.
An email arrives from Bill and Joan, whom we met previously in Gabas. They are also here in Gavarnie in the same hotel!! And they have met up with Art and Jackie, whom we had met previously in Lescun and again in Cauterets. It’s a small world here in the Pyrenees.
Closed Hotel l'Astazou
Hotel le Marbore good for washing