British Renal Society
Pyrenees Coast to Coast
Trek 2009
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British Renal Society |
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Paul's Journal
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Link to John Scoble's Audio Diary
| Last day. Begins with the same view as last night, reminding us of what we’ve done already. Today was a microcosm of the whole trip. Climb, descend, contour; climb, descend, contour. This time however after each climb we could see the Mediterranean, always closer than before, until finally we were there and swimming. A little anticlimactic until what we’ve done had sunk in. Charlie and I then hopped on the train to Perpignan (getting 10 euros of sponsorship from someone on the train who saw the T shirts). We’re currently sitting outside a bar listening to street rock and roll. Back in the land of many people! |
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Wednesday August 12th Day 44: Great night’s sleep last night. Great weather and relatively easy walking with a final climb up to the night stop rewarded by fantastic views of the Pyrenean range stretching west. Hard to believe we’ve gone over all of these but we have, and there’s a great send of achievement. Roll on tomorrow and Banyuls. |
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Tuesday August 11th Day 43: Arles to Las Illas. Got up at 5.30am to make breakfast for Andi before he leaves for his flight – bacon, egg, tomato, beans and fresh croissant. This turns out to the be high point of the day. Although the weather was good and we had occasional glimpses of the Mediterranean and some good views, the walking was attritional and very hard. Charlie and I hardly stopped and it still took us 10 hours. At time of writing this, John and his friend, Andrew, are over an hour behind us. Charlie thinks this has been our hardest day, and I agree – endless contouring around the mountains, nearly 20 miles, over 5000 feet of climbing and about 3000 feet of descent. My feet have disowned me. |
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Monday August 10th Day 42: Good day yesterday. The weather improved and we reached Arles sur Tech without incident. Andi was completely wiped out and suffering with his feet so he took a taxi for the final 10km and Charlie and I ran down the path to see if we could beat him, close run thing, but at least he’d got the beers in. Good morale boost for John with the arrival of Wendy. Excellent supper in a local restaurant and a reasonable kip. |
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Saturday & Sunday August 8th & 9th Days 40 and 41: We’ve been out of contact again since Mantet. Following the excellent night stop where Andi arrived, the day began well but as we approached the Refuge de Marialles, the weather closed in again and we were walking in rain, happily arriving just before the storm. The next day started badly - I left my head torch and breakfast was poor. To begin with the walking was good and expectations high, but as we began the climb to Chalet Cortalets things changed rapidly and our worst storm yet broke literally overhead as we came out in the open. Quite frightening, but nothing to do but carry on through torrential rain and hail. The paths rapidly became rivers and by the time we reached the refuge we were all soaked and very cold. Food was poor and a certain person was back on snoring form so little sleep to be had either. We’re hoping for better from day 42. |
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Friday August 7th |
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Thursday August 6th Day 38: Dreadful night, sleeping in a dormitory crammed full of people, one of whom snored literally all night apart from when he got up to go to the loo. Not much sleep for any of us. Skipped breakfast and set off for the next stop. Gentle walking, much needed. Charlie and I are stopping for lunch en route and John is detouring to do some shopping. Charlie got his wish today. His wish was to experience a Pyrenean mountain storm. We walked through thunder, lightning, hail and rain throughout the day, so no photos. The storm followed us and was directly overhead a lot of the time. When we finally got down, the river we had to cross was in torrent and the bridge had been washed away making crossing both dangerous and very wet. The lesson of course is to be careful what you wish for! |
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Wednesday August 5th Day 37: What a day! The Scoble maths were again way out, so we climbed 6500 feet, descended 3,200 feet and walked 17 miles. The climbing was through beautiful valleys and the longest walk alongside a beautiful lake. Trouble being that by then, the only thought was to get this over with a get a beer as soon as possible. |
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Tuesday August 4th Day 36: We've been out of all contact for 2 days whilst up in the mountains. 2 long days both completed almost entirely in cloud, and predictably on our camping day it rained for most of the day although fortunately it stopped before we pitched camp. Charlie and I managed to get a good fire going and things began to look up from there. Fearfully steep climb the next day to get up onto the ridge (over 2500 feet). We then climbed further during the day up to nearly 8000 feet before descending about 300 feet down to the mountain Refuge de Ruhle. No sun meant no hot water so cold showers all round. Today we saw some of the views we should have seen yesterday following a climb back up to around nearly 8000 feet. Then we had about 5000 feet descent to Merens. Charlie went steaming down and knocked at least an hour off the guide time. Weather today back to clear blue skies - brilliant. We're looking forward to seeing Donal and Andi on Friday night. We have been reviewing the routes and discovered that again where John has combined days, he’s failed to add the ascents and descents together so we still have some major days ahead of us. Fortunately for Donal and Andi the biggest is during Friday and they meet us Friday night – if we make it. |
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Saturday August 1st Day 33. Very hard day today. Last night 2 walkers came in late – about 23.30 hours. One smacked me on the head with his rucksack - not the best awakening. Tried going down into the kitchen area to sleep on a chair but not with success. Made scrambled egg for breakfast – the first time we’ve had a remotely English breakfast. We had 2 major climbs and 2 major descents today and all of us were pleased to finish. Tomorrow will be the worst day of the whole trip and I think we all just want to get it over with and move on to the next day. |
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Friday 31st July Day 32. Much anticipation about today as we return to an area Charlie and I have walked before. When the weather is good, it’s one of the most picturesque in the region. Last time we were here you couldn’t see much further than 5 metres, but today the weather was magnificent and the Etang Bassies were resplendent. For nostalgic reasons we had an omelette for lunch at the Refuge Bassies (Steve Milne, Ian John, Neil Vaughan, Donal O’Donoghue, Andi Orlowski and Ed Lamb will all know why). As the weather was good Charlie and I had to swim in the lakes – pretty cold as they are fed by a glacier, but very refreshing. The walk down to the refuge Mounicou was very tedious and we were expecting the worst as it has a poor write up. No food, but the lady in charge sold us sausage, pasta, tomatoes, onions, garlic, eggs, cheese, fruit and wine. We ate like Kings! |
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Thursday 30th July Day 31: Long day today with 2 climbs and 2 descents and a lot of mileage. John snored all night and one of our fellow walkers had the light on well into the night plus we got up and left at first light, not a great way to start the day! Charlie has now fully recovered and bounced up both climbs despite his 40 pound rucksack. John had a nasty fall on the first climb but happily did not sustain any major damage. Weather was poor today, and we ate lunch on the decking of a ski station in cloud and bitterly cold. 2 major plusses today were: an almost complete absence of flies and an abundance of wild blueberries. Tonight’s meal was again excellent (food becomes extremely important and we’re consuming vast amounts). So, ear plugs in for a good night’s sleep! |
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Wednesday 29th July Day 30: Good day today. Communication with Patti re-established through Charlie’s phone and we made good time to Rouze, stopping on the way to brew up on the portable stove bought in Luchon. The last bit of the walk is an unpleasant 1000 feet ascent through a fly-redden muddy gully which we were very pleased to see the back of. There was a great view of Mont Valier & time for a snooze in the sun. |
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Tuesday 28th July Day 29: Disaster struck 3 days ago because I washed my phone, and needless to remark it no longer works! At least it has provided a continuous source of amusement for 2 people walking with me. The last few days have been hard. John miscalculated some of the uphill so we’ve had a couple of days of circa 7000 feet climbs combined with similar descents and a lot of distance. The day we should have been camping the heavens opened and there was no way we’d have made the night stop before nightfall. Fortunately, we found a new refuge literally just opened (we were the first to stay there) and managed to dry out. Yesterday was therefore longer but we managed to make up the time. |
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Saturday
25th July Day 26: Very long day today but successfully completed by all with no mishaps. Charlie is back on form again and he and I had finished the 2nd beer by the time John had appeared. Everyday throws up its little surprise and today's was an unpleasant descent down a stone track towards the end. No familiar faces in the refuge tonight but that is just as well because we need sleep! |
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Wednesday 22nd & Thursday 23rd July Days 23&24. We had no signal for much of yesterday so a double report. Weather on both days has been brilliant, but very windy. Germ to Lac d' Oo was again full of great views but the wind was so strong it literally blew some poor Frenchman over. Charlie was better today but has been knocked back by this illness. Hopefully he'll pick up again. Lac d' Oo is simply stunning with a huge waterfall feeding it. The only people there were those in the refuge. A fantastic night stop made all the better by the gift of an Armagnac from the refuge. Today's stage was from Lac d' Oo to Bagneres de Luchon with again superb views, starting with the Lac and its waterfalls and then the surrounding mountains once the col was reached, including pic d'Aneto and its glacier. Today was Charlie's birthday and he could not have had better scenery. Tonight we celebrate with 2 Belgians we've been walking with and tomorrow is our 2nd (and last) rest day. |
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Tuesday 21st July Day 22: Relatively short day today, but with a sting in the tail which is a very steep climb up to Germ to finish the day. The day did not begin well as Charlie was very ill during the night and my day began with a brisk walk to St. Iary to buy immodium and diralyte. This evening he seems better and hopefully will have regained strength by tomorrow. |
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Monday 20th July Day 21: Shorter day today starting with the usual steep climb away from the refuge. The talk at breakfast centred on the prices at this refuge – comfortably greater than any other. Another great day both from the weather and another series of fantastic views - all into the sun so not good for photos unfortunately. We walked some of the way with 2 Belgians who are going as far as Bagneres de Luchon. Tonight’s stop is a small hotel with a very welcome facility – a swimming pool! |
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Sunday 19th July Day 20: One of the most beautiful stages today. The weather was beautiful and everything was set fair – except that Charlie had been up half the night vomiting. Not a great start. He did very well though, and it was a truly magnificent day with fabulous views and another climb to over 8000 feet finishing up in a refuge miles away from anywhere. Great day. |
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Friday 17th July Day 18: So we have now walked 195 miles and climbed over 55,000 feet. Sadly we’ve also had to lose over 50,000 feet as well. Today was a day of very little visibility, not much rain, but a lot of cloud. Today was also another bad day for John’s all singing all dancing rucksack. A crucial part broke this time. Luckily tonight’s stop is in Luz St. Sauveur with suitable shops. A new beast has been purchased and the old one is to be dispatched before we leave tomorrow. |
Thursday 16th July Day 17: Probably the hardest and longest day to date, starting with a 6 hour climb which we all were pleased to see the back of. Unfortunately, this was followed by an unpleasant fly ridden steep descent into Cauterets, even worse for much of the descent we were under the ski lifts and could see people travelling down in comfort. Today finished with the first storm we’ve experienced to date and I’m glad we were in the refuge – thunder, lightning, very heavy rain and then massive hailstones – not something to experience in the open. |
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Wednesday 15th July Day 16. Quieter day today and a later start made slightly later by Charlie forgetting his trousers and having to go back for them after the first 15 minutes. Not a day for views today, but pleasant nonetheless. Arriving in Arrens early afternoon allowing time for clothes washing and after a bit of exploration a beard trim! |
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Tuesday 14th July Day 15: A long day today. The weather has closed in and last night’s washing is far from dry. It’s gently drizzling so John is in his waterproof and over trousers. He suggests we might be under dressed, but after 20 minutes of climbing stops to shed surplus clothing. We have another cliff walk today. This time with a cable to hang onto as there is a sheer drop to the left. Still in cloud here but we emerge at around 5000 feet and again views are superb. The climb continues to 8100 feet. Very hard work and crossing a snow field. Again views are great, but as usual we have to descend again by 3500 feet so completing a very long day. |
| Monday 13th July Day 14: My birthday today. My present was a 5 hour climb starting with the Chemin de mature, a climb cut into the cliff. The next 4 hours were hard and unrelenting but eventually we were rewarded with the views of pic midi D'Ossau. Fantastic. Today's peak height was 5150 feet but we then had to lose about 3000 feet for the night stop. |
| Sunday 12th July Day 13: Another beautiful day today although the views were not as good. Although less of a climb today it came all in one relentless (and steep) section. We then had to descend over 3000 feet to todays stop. Yesterday evening we had supper with 2 french couples (Jean-Claude & Josette and Jean-Pierre & Janine). Josette had injured her ankle so we strapped it up for her. They've been walking together for the last 10 years and gave us several useful tips about the route to come. Jean-Pierre has a good knowledge of wine so we had an excellent Bordeaux. Tomorrow's forecast is also good and the views should also be excellent again. |
| Tuesday 7th July Day 8: Today was good for 2 main reasons. Firstly for the first time for a few days the clouds lifted and we had some stupendous views. Secondly we all managed the climbing without any real difficulties, in good time and with feet intact. We all feel a lot more confident about some of the really long days to come later on. |
| Monday 6th July Day 7 began with a view, the first time for days, but its now chucking it down. Fortunately today was a short day before over 6000 feet of climbing tomorrow and we're already ensconced in some very basic, but dry, accommodation. Steve should have reached Paris by now on his journey home. We await the arrival of the Tsar in August |
| Saturday 4th July Day 5 like every day it seems starts with a long climb up to just over 3000 feet. The views on this section are stunning - apparently - we were in cloud again and visibility was down to 20-30 feet mostly throughout the high part of the walk. Spent the evening in a pilgrim's refuge with people going to Santiago. Rest day tomorrow then Steve leaves up to return home. |
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Friday 3rd July So day 4 was as advertised - hard. A long steep relentless climb of over 3000 feet mostly in cloud. Then an undulating fly infested ridge walk stopping only for a rudimentary lunch eaten as quickly as possible to get away from the flies. Horrible descent to the night stop. This was the gem a 16th century chateau and excellent supper. |
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Thursday 2nd July Excellent nights sleep last night despite sharing a room with John. Food also excellent which probably helped. Todays walk began with a steep climb and then a ridge walk stopping only for a typical Basque lunch in a farm on the way. Quite overcast so not good for views but easier for walking. Tomorrow is advertised as the hardest day to date so we'll have to see |
| Sunday morning 28th June. I've just been into work to finish off the last outstanding bits of work. Well those I've actually completed, there's one or two fairly major things waiting for when I get back but they'll have to do just that - wait. I've switched the Blackberry off and already have a bit of a tremor but hopefully that will soon pass. The itinerary for to-morrow is to rendezvous at 6.00 am with Steve Milne (chief technician from the Canterbury unit) who is going to walk with us for the first week. Then hopefully meet up with John Scoble on the eurostar to Paris. We then have a train from Paris Montparnasse through to Hendaye and should arrive at around 17.30 pm. The plan is then to swim in the Atlantic, we start walking on Tuesday morning. A gentle day to begin with, 13 miles and 3,300 feet of climbing ending up in Olhette." |
Charlie & Paul in Garden before leaving
