Thursday 22nd June: Weather 20°C to 31°C Very Hot and sunny
Lescun Balcony Circuit: 18.5k walk: 9am to 4pm
Altitude Gain and Loss: Total Ascent 1025m: Total Descent 1025m
Accommodation: Herbegement Pic D’Anie Hotel
Morning view of Cirque de Lescun
Highlight today was hiking the Balcon around the side of the Pic d’Anie, at an average height of 1600 metres with spectacular views to the east over the Lescun valley and to the North East to Les Orgues de Camplong.
The morning was a coolish 20°C when we awoke at 6am to email/contact home and finish some blogging, with a hot cup of the from our Jet Boil parked in the shower. Our breakfast at 7.30am was simply French with toast and jams, a yoghurt, orange juice and coffee/tea. As soon as we are finished. I take my map downstairs to ask Marlene about a walk we were thinking of doing, and she immediately drags out an IGN map of scale 1:25,000 together with a guide Book by John Foot called Lescun walks. I had read about the walks he describes on his website, which was what attracted me to Lescun in the first place.
Green trees and meadows
Blue Skies
Icy Cold water in 30°C
Morning tea at Cayolars d'Anaye
Need a hat not a cap
Pic du Midi d’Ossau in distance
Lunch Tomatoes and Mayonnaise
Afternoon view Cirque de Lescun
Through teh forest
Magnificent Pyrenees
Cuppa tea near Refuge L'Aberaout
Marlene suggests the Balcon walk, and shows me the way marks of Sanchese Plateau, the cabin at Cayolars d'Anaye, the Balcon walk to Cabane de Lacure and across the ravine to pick up the GR10 Cabane de la Baitch and follow it via Refuge L’Aberaout to Lescun. And we did and it was spectacular.
After packing our backpacks with just rain gear, lunch, Jet Boil and several bottles of water, we leave Lescun at 9am and walk along a quiet road that turns to Gravel before reaching the Plateau de Sanchese where there are several cars parked by hikers already up in the mountains somewhere. From there, it’s a steep 600 metre climb through forest, following the River Anaye to the open plateau at the top at 1500 metres. It was a hot climb, and by the time we reach the small shepherds hut at 11am, we’re glad to find a water spout with icy water pouring from it into a trough, and a seat in the shade. Perfect for a coffee spot.
From here we can see the Balcon walk with several other hikers already on it and after our short break, we’ve joined the Spanish hikers wandering aimlessly in the Pyrenees with no set agenda. The Balcon walk is spectacular overlooking the Lescun Valley spread with views across to the Pic du Midi d’Ossau, a twin peaked mountain we’ll visit in a few days. It’s an icon of the Pyrenees and the most photographed of all the mountains here.
It’s much hotter now at 27°C - and we’re at 1600 metres where it should be cool - but at least there’s a breeze blowing up from the valley. After an hour of hiking in open grassland around the Balcony, we spy the GR10 on the opposite side of the ravine, and start looking for a way across. There’s been no signs at all, so we’re relying on Marlene’s guidance and Ian’s GPS.
As the ravine reaches a head, the two sides of the valley merge and we’re able to wend our way through the grass, across the stream and up to the track where we immediately spot the classic red and white marker indicating a GR route. There’s two shepherds cabins, the Cabane de la Baitch and Cabane d'Ardinet and both sit below the high mountain wall called the Orgues de Camplong - named because they look like organ pipes. There’s also a shady spot under a solitary tree - at 1pm it’s time for lunch of bread, tomato and Mayonnaise - no butter and no cheese which would have melted as the temperature had now reached 31°C.
Another hour of walking and we’re at the Refuge L’Aberaout, a 3 storied A framed building originally built in the early 1900’s and used by hikers and skiers pre World War 2. It’s now mostly used by day trippers, but not GR10 walkers, as it’s kinda midway between Arette Pierre St Martin and Lescun and less than 10k from each. Time for a cup of tea as the sign indicates we’ve still another 5.6k to go.
The walk along the GR10 to Lescun is fairly easy, and down hill but after 18.5k today, mostly in 30°C heat, we’re glad to arrive at our Hotel Pic d’Anie at 4pm and immediately order 2 cold beers. An afternoon of washing, emailing, blogging and soon it’s 7pm and time for a drink before dinner.
Dinner is again great. Leek pie followed by stuffed tomatoes and rice with meringue cake floating in caramel sauce. Our table of 6 were all English speaking and the two other couples were both from England - Phil and son Hugh from London and Iona and Roy. They are here as day trippers. It’s still light at 9pm when we go to bed, but a pea soup fog has rolled in. It might be cooler tomorrow.