After yesterday's lazy evening we were up bright and early to do our
round trip which according to our guide book should take about 8 hours
of walking. Hopefully their estimates are favoured towards to slow
side.
The first hour and a half was a gentle climb around the valley, past a
mountain dairy farm and up to a rocky basin where hopefully we would
be able to find some of these rock carvings. While wandering amongst
the rocks our attention was taken off the task at hand for a while as
we seemed to have entered the heart of Marmot country!!
We had seen a couple of these furry creatures that look a bit like a
beaver in Austria and Italy - but here it seemed like every other rock
had one sitting out taking in the sun. It was pretty cool watching
two of them have a bit of a fight over a rock. They were both up on
their hind legs pushing each other round like a couple of kids.
Finally we found some of the Bronze Age rock carvings - they were a
bit difficult to make sense of, and all the information was in French.
But they seemed to be carvings of people, animals and other aspects
of day to day life.
With that hour side trip out of the way, and our sunny morning
disappearing thanks to some big black clouds coming over the peaks
above us - Marea decided to take it easy for the rest of the day so
headed back down, while I continued further up into the mountains to
Baisse de Fontanabla (Fontanabla Pass) at 2,568 metres. On the way I
came across a herd of Chamois grazing away up in the mountains. It
was neat just sitting back watching the young ones clamour about
amongst the rocks, while the big male Chamois didn't seem at all
bothered about my presence as he just continued to graze away only 20
metres away from me. I guess I should have been the one bothered as
his two horns were at least half a metre long, and he would have
weighed about 200kg. I think if he had taken dislike to me I would
have been the one coming off second best!!
Then it was over the pass, down a very steep rocky trail (I'm glad we
didn't decide to go the other way around) to the first of the three
lakes sitting in between the peaks.
More Chamois later, the three lakes passed, and a couple of English
walkers for company the trail began its descent down to the van. At
this point I had decided that the rain clouds were going to do nothing
more than threaten rain. But of course, 5 minutes later the rain came
down just to complete a very good day walking - oh and the 8 hours
that the guide said, was almost right - maybe 6 and a half when you
take off all the photo and lunch stops.
Back to the van where Marea was nice and cozy out of rain - we headed
down the valley giving our English friends a lift part way, then
onwards through the last of the Alps that were quickly making an
amazing transformation from alpine pastures and green forests - to fig
and olive trees, dry rocky arid slopes and a real Mediterranean feel
amongst the villages that we passed through.
More German hitchhikers later and we had found our camping spot
looking over the village of Sospel - maybe tomorrow we will make it
down to the French coastline??
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