Day 38 - Out of The Ariege

After two weeks, I've completed the hardest section of the walk, the two weeks that takes me from Bagneres de Luchon to Merens-les-Vals. It is the hardest because of the paucity of accomodation and shops to buy food so you need to carry up to four days provisions at a time. I've now completed 75% of the walk - probably more as the remaining stages have much shorter projected times, typically 4 to 6 hours plus stops. The camping equipment is also going back home which will mean 5 or 6 kilos less to carry.
Until yesterday it was going really well. I'd been on the same schedule as a couple from Brittany (Danielle and Jean-Noël) so we aimed to stay at the same refuge, gite d'etape or cabane. From being a day behind after Fos, I had caught up and by turning what would be a 4 hour day from Goulier to Siguer into a 7 hour day to a cabane 5 hours on (the 4hr bit was done in 3:10) and the weather was cool and misty - ideal for walking although very challenging for navigation. However the cabane was only a little one and was filled by a Belgian couple so the tent had come out in the mist. By the morning there was a brilliant sunrise coming through the mist - one of 700 photos I've taken so far.
Yesterday should have been a nice 5 hour walk from the Refuge de Ruhle (about 7200ft above sea level) to Merens-les-Vals but I had my worst navigation problem of the five weeks so far. In some areas the way marking is very good, in others not. The worst case is when the GR way marks are there but you are no longer on the GR10. This is what happened yesterday. I followed the markers, failing to see any turn or any additional information. I became suspicious, looked at the maps, thought something was wrong, then turned round to see a very clear GR way mark. This was 30 minutes beyond where I should have turned I continued along the path to come to a quite new refuge. They spoke Spanish. I was in Spain. I had gone an hour too far. One problem with the maps in the France Randonnee book is they only cover the route so if you veer too far, you are off the map.
That and other lack of marking turned the day into an 11 hour walk with me not arriving in Merens but at L'Hospitalet near Andorra as I found out I was no longer on the GR10 but the variant the GR10C.
Hopefully no more nightmare days.
Today I'm having my first full rest day at Gary & Debbie Devine's brilliant Gite/Chambre d'Hote 4 miles north of Ax-Le Thermes which is few miles north of Merens where I shall restart tomorrow.
Last night we had runners here from Holmfirth Harriers, Lothian Harriers and Baildon Runners. By the way Gary is a member of Pudsy & Bramley and still wins races.
It's well worth a holiday down here with lots of acivities and is also close to Andorra the Med and Barcelona. It's called Pyrenees Haven