Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Pyrenees GR11 2003- Day 8: August 16th
Saturday 16th August
I didn’t get away until 9.15am. I followed pistas up to and along the ridge, through
woodland with occasional meadows and felled areas. It was humid and I wasn’t sure
whether the cloud lifting out of the valleys would clear up or build up into thunderstorms.
It was getting cloudy and breezy during my first break and thunder could be heard by
the time Karen and Martin passed me during my second break. They had spent the night
in Ochagavia. The storm duly hit before I had finished drinking my tea. The steep
descent through the woods to Isaba was slippery in the heavy rain and hail. The route
was complex, but well waymarked, until near the end when I lost the trail and had to
wade a river and found a road to take me to Isaba. Here I met Martin and Karen who
were on an unsuccessful search for accommodation, not surprising in the height of the
holiday season. I managed to buy a compass to replace my lost one, filled up with 6 litres
of juice, beer and water and headed up a pista to find somewhere to camp as the weather
started clearing. Eventually I found a small patch of grass at the roadhead at the Rio de
Beruela, with just enough room for one small tent.
Towering above me were the limestone crags and pinnacles of Penas de Ezkaurre.
Griffin vultures were soaring around the crags. I had carried water from town, which was
just as well because the small streams was running brown with silt, as a result of the big
thunderstorms. As I was starting dinner Martin and Karen passed through, unable to
find accommodation they were still looking for somewhere to camp. They could have a
late night, as there was a steep 300m climb ahead of us.
Another big storm hit at 9pm.
I didn’t get away until 9.15am. I followed pistas up to and along the ridge, through
woodland with occasional meadows and felled areas. It was humid and I wasn’t sure
whether the cloud lifting out of the valleys would clear up or build up into thunderstorms.
It was getting cloudy and breezy during my first break and thunder could be heard by
the time Karen and Martin passed me during my second break. They had spent the night
in Ochagavia. The storm duly hit before I had finished drinking my tea. The steep
descent through the woods to Isaba was slippery in the heavy rain and hail. The route
was complex, but well waymarked, until near the end when I lost the trail and had to
wade a river and found a road to take me to Isaba. Here I met Martin and Karen who
were on an unsuccessful search for accommodation, not surprising in the height of the
holiday season. I managed to buy a compass to replace my lost one, filled up with 6 litres
of juice, beer and water and headed up a pista to find somewhere to camp as the weather
started clearing. Eventually I found a small patch of grass at the roadhead at the Rio de
Beruela, with just enough room for one small tent.
Towering above me were the limestone crags and pinnacles of Penas de Ezkaurre.
Griffin vultures were soaring around the crags. I had carried water from town, which was
just as well because the small streams was running brown with silt, as a result of the big
thunderstorms. As I was starting dinner Martin and Karen passed through, unable to
find accommodation they were still looking for somewhere to camp. They could have a
late night, as there was a steep 300m climb ahead of us.
Another big storm hit at 9pm.
Martin and Karen
on Zotrapea
on Zotrapea
Alto de Belaisaisa
 |  |
| |