~ Stage 8 ~
Col d'Irau to Col Bagargiak
Horses grazing on the summet of Occabe (1466m)
The days stage
One of those things I love about walking is that you never know what the day will bring!
~ The diary says ~ Good day rose with the sun ~ with big white clouds below ~ hanging in the valleys. A good ascent of Occabe (1466m) my highest yet. I rested in the sun with vast views to the pic du Midi ~ and about 3 days back from where I had come. Then it was down into the dense beech forests of Irati. I arived at a lake and snack bar for a sandwich ~ and then it was up and down over some smaller hills ~ the shade was welcome as the sun was vicious.
I finally arived at the holiday chalets at Iraty feeling wacked ~ but it was a good supply point with a small supermarket and a cafe-restarant ~ where coffee whent down fine.
Then the clouds appeared all of a sudden and all was dense mist. I had decided to take the route variente ~ down to the small town of Larrau. However in the mist I missed the path ~ soon realised ~ but decided I must be on a gentle ridge that would take me down.
However I had started to feel strange ~ a different strange to how I usually feel ~ I finally found a piece of grass level enough to erect my tent ~ and lay down to rest feeling very hot. In an hour I was really HOT ~ strange in damp cool clouds ~ I drifted into hot sweaty hallucinations ~ but had a rational side that said ~ rest ~ sleep ~ take an asprin ~ and see what the morning brings ~ I also had explosive shits!!! ~ and no appatite.
A strange night of ~ mist ~ cows ~ flashes of light ~ and feeling very hot and sweaty.
Site Navigator: Go To
Previous Stage
| 
| Next Stage
|
GR10 index
Page created: 25th July 1988.
Last modified: 26th July 1998.
John Scholefield
coldfish@itl.net