HRP Day 18

Saturday 25 July  Refuge Wallon - Refuge des Oulettes de Gaube

A good day, today. Started around 8am after usual refuge breakfast (cereal & coffee with milk made up from milk powder, choice of stale bread or thin toastie things, with jam & butter.  Sometimes a small bun or cake) on the long climb to the Col d'Arratilie (2528m). Then an interesting though occasionally delicate walk along the mountainside, to the next col, the Col des Mulets (2591m).
Then a 600m descent, steep at first and with patches of snow (best bypassed, unless they are flattish) to the refuge des Oulettes de Gaube. The special feature of this refuge is its magnificent situation, overlooking the north face of Vignemale and its attendant glacier. Unfortunately it has been cloudy for most of the day. The two cols were above the cloud, so I had good views then, and just as I arrived here the cloud lifted for a few minutes so giving us a nice view of the glacier before it disappeared again. Sadly I forgot to take a photo! But fortunately there was plenty of opportunity later.
I am now camped on the plain in front of the refuge, and booked in for dinner. Tomorrow is a long day but will end at Gavarnie, and civilization after a long chain of showerless refuges and no mobile signal!

Kaatje and Irena walking up towards the col des Mulets. 

me at the col des Mulets

my tent beside the Oulettes refuge

the view from the refuge, one of the special sights of the pyrenees. Much closer than it seems in the photo, it looms over you. Vignemale is the highest point, the North Face glacier is visible in front of it. Much shrunken in recent years. Taken near dusk, note the moon is visible too 

this one taken the following morning, sun just appearing over the mountaintops 

sorry this is out of sequence. Coming up to the col des Mulets. If you look carefully, or can expand the photo, there are six Izard walking along the skyline, my first of this trip. They are heavily protected so their numbers are increasing but they are very shy. Izard are a kind of goat - antelope, Wikipedia will tell you more