Tuesday, August 20, 2024
End: Ruins of Villaret Farm
Ascent: 1200 m
Descent: 1700 m
Distance: 26 km
Total: 146 km
I had to get up in the middle of the night, and when I ventured outside the tent, I was greeted by a beautifully bright full moon shining down, without a cloud in the night sky.
In the morning, we packed up and got going. We had eaten a little food, so our packs weren’t quite as heavy as the day before. We had a bug day ahead of us, and our first mission was to descend from the mountain we slept on.
I had seen a warning from another hiker concerning this steep descent. Our guidebook also noted that it was a steep descent but that it had a cable to hold on to.
I was surprised by how quickly we arrived at the steep switchbacks going down the mountain. It was a good thing we had camped where we had, it might have been the last good spot before the descent.
We took our time going down the mountain, and I kept Daniel with me to ensure he was safe. It wasn’t so bad after all, and we made it down to the bottom in thirty minutes or so.
Down at the creek, we stopped to wash our pots and clean some clothing. The children played in the water. We moved on soon in order to take on our next challenge: the Col de la Pare.
It was a long walk to this high pass, but thankfully we had a gravel road to walk on, and it was a gradual climb. We didn’t take many breaks, as we were focused on topping the last high pass of the trail. It would be mostly downhill once we got there.
Daniel was lacking in speed and motivation from the start of the walk, and it was frustrating. When I displayed my frustration, I think it brought the mood down. I just couldn’t take much more whining after a full week of this.
I pushed ahead and then stopped to filter water while the others continued. We had planned to have lunch at the Little Parpaillon Cabin, but it was occupied. The cabins have been a disappointment. There are many noted online, but what is not noted is that they are all private cabins.
The hike to the pass was gradual until the very end, when it got steep. As I got close to the pass, I saw many planes flying overhead. They were remote-controlled planes, though quite large. They flew in circles in the sun, and it made for a great atmosphere as we summitted the pass.
We continued on without much celebration, and started to climb down. We had climbed a long way up and we were going to climb a long way down. It was relatively slow going on the rocky trail for our sore feet. Alex has had it worst of all, as her shoes have deteriorated.
Eventually we made to The Pare Refuge, where I had considered staying. I was glad we had reserved a room, as we had a better plan to continue on and catch the bus to Gap the next day, and stay in a hotel.
We stopped to cook lots of food for everyone. We hadn’t eaten much at all, as we had been moving constantly.
I sent the others ahead after they had eaten and I ate the last meal, cleaned up, and tried to catch up.
I was impressed by how difficult it was to catch up. They must have been really moving, because I did some tough uphill climbs, and still couldn’t find them. I was beginning to wonder if tmwe were on the same trail when I finally found them.
Together we continued on until sunset, where we made it to our goal of the old Villaret farm. Alex was completely exhausted and fed up with hiking, and I don’t blame her.
We had covered a large distance, and it had been a really long day. But we were in position to finish the GR56 the following morning!
