We woke up early but did not get up straight away. We both got out running on the Vert Voie by 8.30am. We ran in the direction of Lourdes. Helen did half an hour and I did an hour. It really is an excellent place to run – a good surface, not crowded and beautiful surroundings.
We went to the boulangerie in the town square for breakfast, then set out for Pierrefitte, three miles or so up the road. Here we started on the fantastic walking route that is the 9.6km through the mountains to Cauterets. It climbs about 400 metres along the way so it is reasonably challenging. It was a glorious day and there were few other people – walkers or cyclists – on the route.
When we eventually found the end of the path and the centre of Cauterets we went into a café and had a well earned beer and some sandwiches. Coming back to start the return journey, we noticed that the cable car, which was not working when we first went past it, was now operating (French lunch breaks!). Helen persuaded me we should try it. It took us up about 1000 metres to a station at Lys, where Helen took me on my first ever trip on a ski lift. This took us up to Grand Barbat at 2290 metres. The views from here were spectacular in every direction. There were others who had taken the same journey with their mountain bikes, which they then used to descend the ski runs. Others merely walked back down. Since we had still to walk the 9.6km back to Pierrefitte, we contented ourselves with having a look around before taking the journey back down in the same way we came up.
When we got to the bottom, we commenced our walk back. We stopped after a couple of kilometres for an ice lolly and to replenish our water supplies, then completed the journey in good time. Fortunately, it was a lot easier going downhill!
When we got back to the hotel we had a shower, got changed and had aperitifs in the hotel garden. We walked into the town centre and had omelettes and frites follwed by ice cream plus a very nice rosé to drink. We found a bar at which to have a final beer before going off to bed for the night at the end of a very satisfying and enjoyable day.
We went to the boulangerie in the town square for breakfast, then set out for Pierrefitte, three miles or so up the road. Here we started on the fantastic walking route that is the 9.6km through the mountains to Cauterets. It climbs about 400 metres along the way so it is reasonably challenging. It was a glorious day and there were few other people – walkers or cyclists – on the route.
When we eventually found the end of the path and the centre of Cauterets we went into a café and had a well earned beer and some sandwiches. Coming back to start the return journey, we noticed that the cable car, which was not working when we first went past it, was now operating (French lunch breaks!). Helen persuaded me we should try it. It took us up about 1000 metres to a station at Lys, where Helen took me on my first ever trip on a ski lift. This took us up to Grand Barbat at 2290 metres. The views from here were spectacular in every direction. There were others who had taken the same journey with their mountain bikes, which they then used to descend the ski runs. Others merely walked back down. Since we had still to walk the 9.6km back to Pierrefitte, we contented ourselves with having a look around before taking the journey back down in the same way we came up.
When we got to the bottom, we commenced our walk back. We stopped after a couple of kilometres for an ice lolly and to replenish our water supplies, then completed the journey in good time. Fortunately, it was a lot easier going downhill!
When we got back to the hotel we had a shower, got changed and had aperitifs in the hotel garden. We walked into the town centre and had omelettes and frites follwed by ice cream plus a very nice rosé to drink. We found a bar at which to have a final beer before going off to bed for the night at the end of a very satisfying and enjoyable day.
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