Spain - Day 15: Refugio de Goriz to Refugio de Pineta

Today and this is worth a mention is only 13km long but will take 6 hours and 10 minutes walking. We will ascend 1000m and, unfortunately, descend 2000m. Its an up down, up very down day. And we will pass the 300km mark. But be too scared to notice.

We have breakfast, they healthily in the Refugio, while I eat chocolate and take the tents down. I'm a muesli man and breakfast refugio style doesn't suit me. We set off along the flat, a pleasant surprise. The way is not clear to us. But we know our two Spanish friends are going the same way - so we followed.

Our guides out in front

The scenery is as they say, phenomenal. Just amazing - another perfect day in the Pyrenees. Ok, we're technically lost, don't know which way to go, but are going the right way. So we're not worried.  We are getting stiff necks just from looking around. 

People don't believe what we are doing. With two young children. But when the children recount what we have done so far, the faces change from disbelief to disbelief. Its fun to watch. We keep meeting the same people and they are always surprised to see us. Pleasantly, I hope, but surprised non-the-less. 

They really don't think that we can do what we do.

A look around

at the strange landscape

near the path.

We get to the first down - I don't particularly like depths. I mean I am happy to look up at heights but to look down at depths - not so keen. This depth was deep and steep and rocky - fun, fun, fun. Obviously, the other three are fine with this situation. But wait patiently at the bottom of each climb and laugh at my 'style' or lack thereof.

The first down

We have come the easy way. The alternative, a bit of the Haute Route Pyrenean ('HRP') was much upper and much downer. But, consequently more spectacular we were told. But I was, am too scared. I'm too scared here - so worse would be worse.

The turning point has its rewards. A nice swimming hole. Crystal clear and bloody freezing. But we 'swam' and soaked and cooled and cleaned a little. In an environmentally friendly way.

As cold...

... as it looks

The second up started and the cool refreshedness of the swim quickly disappeared. We follow the stream except where there are waterfalls. But up and up. 

Another not the top

The necks were getting even worse - where to look for the best views. We did our best but really could have stayed for a few days.  The sky was so blue not a cloud in sight - which is just as well. The down was coming. but not quite yet.

Finally, the black speck of a person on the ridge is the top, Collata Anisclo (2435)

Approaching the top

At the top

Along the top

Being at the top was nice - but the down side was that we could see the down. A 1,500m descent in not very far at all. The campers weren't happy. The down was in turns vertical and more than vertical. It was lose rock at the top. So it was three steps down and one step down. But the lasts one was scary.

The climbing had been OK but this scared them. So I whistled a happy tune and lead the way. From behind I probably looked confident as I strolled down the precipice. The view from the front would probably have told a different story.

The plus, and a big one was the Edelweiss (if it's not Edelweiss, please don't tell us). Let us be ignorantly happy.

Being at the top was nice - but the down side was that we could see the down. A 1,500m descent in not very far at all. The campers weren't happy. The climbing had been OK but this scared them. So I whistled a happy tune and lead the way. From behind I probably looked confident as I strolled down the precipice. The view from the front would probably have told a different story.

The plus, and a big one, was the Edelweiss (if it's not Edelweiss, please don't tell us). Let us be ignorantly happy. We'd collectively never seen it before.

Edelweiss

The down. This is what everyone talked about. This was Pineta. We were equally awed. And quite literally terrified. For hours. Our target was just below us - a good spit away. But...

Pineta

We got to the refugio to a "The Nicholsons we presume".

This would have been scary but we had booked.