tom_laura
Day 2 – 7/10/13 From: Gite d’Etope (1610m) to Cabane de Pailla (1800m) Distance: Approximately 9km Elevation: Low: 1365 (Gavarnie) High: 1800m (Cabane de Pailla) Accommodation: Cabane de Pailla with fireplace!
We decided to walk a shorter distance today as the previous day was quite long and steep. We spent the morning walking in to Gavarnie with great views of the Cirque de Gavarnie (not a cloud in the sky!), we had lunch by the river with a chicken for company and then instead of walking the loop of the cirque, went a more direct path up to the cabane. We had left the GR10 at this stage but were still walking on relatively well trod routes. A cabane is basically like a Boffy, an unmanned cabin that you can stay in. After 30th of September the summer season is considered over, all the manned refugios close, a lot of shops/hotels and bus routes close and really these cabanes are the only way to have a roof over your head. The plus side of walking in October is that over the 4 days we didn’t see anyone who wasn’t a day walker so we were isolated at night. Cabane de Pailla was basically a small room with a wooden platform for sleeping and a fireplace but it was in the most amazing location, next to a huge bank of mountains with small glaciers. We got in about 4pm which meant we had a good few hours to enjoy the sun, collect some wood for the fire, dry out our tent from the night before and spot a lone Isard (native deer).
Day 2 – 7/10/13 From: Gite d’Etope (1610m) to Cabane de Pailla (1800m) Distance: Approximately 9km Elevation: Low: 1365 (Gavarnie) High: 1800m (Cabane de Pailla) Accommodation: Cabane de Pailla with fireplace!
We decided to walk a shorter distance today as the previous day was quite long and steep. We spent the morning walking in to Gavarnie with great views of the Cirque de Gavarnie (not a cloud in the sky!), we had lunch by the river with a chicken for company and then instead of walking the loop of the cirque, went a more direct path up to the cabane. We had left the GR10 at this stage but were still walking on relatively well trod routes. A cabane is basically like a Boffy, an unmanned cabin that you can stay in. After 30th of September the summer season is considered over, all the manned refugios close, a lot of shops/hotels and bus routes close and really these cabanes are the only way to have a roof over your head. The plus side of walking in October is that over the 4 days we didn’t see anyone who wasn’t a day walker so we were isolated at night. Cabane de Pailla was basically a small room with a wooden platform for sleeping and a fireplace but it was in the most amazing location, next to a huge bank of mountains with small glaciers. We got in about 4pm which meant we had a good few hours to enjoy the sun, collect some wood for the fire, dry out our tent from the night before and spot a lone Isard (native deer).