35   Col de Latrape - Pastoral de Carol  16 km

Col de Latrape

Pastoral de Caro                            16 km

It is summer and we had another hot day. We took the road down to Aulus-le-Bains where we stopped for resupply. Evenso it was a national holiday in France was the supermarket open. At least in the morning. GR10 leaves town on road D8F. Soon we had to decide whether to stay on the longer road all the way up to the pass Coumebière or to follow the trail. It seemed to us to be easier to stay on the road which we did. In some years the Tour de France follows this road too. Up at the pass we stopped for lunch. Afterwards we had to take the trail with long switch backs. Eventuelly we arrived at the pass Port de Saleix. We had planned to stop here for the night. However all acceptable spots where taken. It turned out that a mountain race was passing by and the organizers had set up a control post. These people had set up their tents.

Here at the pass we had planned to go down to Refuge Pastoral de Carol instead of staying on GR10 up to Lake Étang d'Alate. We could see a fellow hiker going up in endless short switch backs. The people manning the post spoke hardly any english but we understood that the first part downhill was very bad. They where correct. Soon it became better. When arriving at the refuge which was very dirty inside we set up our tents nearby. After dinner cows came by and took a while to make them move on. Once it got dark we could see the headlights of the first runners coming down from the pass. All night long they continued to pass us by. When being in groups they noisily talked.

Running creek by the trail

Ascent to Port de Saleix

At pass Port de Saleix

Tent at Refuge Pastoral de Carol with light shining from some headlamps from runners of a mountain race

Our tents at Refuge Pastoral de Carol where visited by cattle