Friday, July 1, 2022

HRP Day 5 - Roncesvalles to Egurgui

After my rest (or bad weather) day in La Posada, I'm glad to see it's dry but Roncesvalles is at nearly 1000 m and it's still in the clouds. The day starts with a walk uphill back to the col and then a gradual climb in the mist to the Col Lepoeder. 

Emerging slowly from the mist

For the next 30 minutes or so, I'm walking on the Camino as the sky clears. The pilgrims are headed in the other direction and there are lots of them - I seem to be exchanging "Bon Camino" every 2 minutes or so! Crossing the Pyrénées is a big day for the pilgrims and they'll soon be heading downhill to Roncesvalles and then out of the mountains. There are also little memorials to pilgrims that died as well as emergency communications and a shelter. It was fun while it lasted, but I was quite glad when the HRP left the Camino behind.

Potoks and the cromlech at the Col d'Organbidé

As the hike progresses, we're getting higher and the scenery is more open with fewer trees and bigger hills. The hiking followed the border fairly closely and I had lunch beside the cromlech at the Col d'Orgambidé. The hiking continued with wonderful views, including the appearance of the Pic d'Orhy that I'll be climbing in 2 days. There were lots of raptors and at one point I thought I'd get a photo of a vulture eating a dead sheep, but my presence spooked it. After a bunch more climbing and a gradual descent, I reached my destination for the night at Egurgui (there are many spellings…). In my day's hiking, the only buildings I passed were a grand total of 4 shepherd huts. 

Open scenery with the Pic d'Ohry hidden in clouds

There is an unmanned cabane where one used to be able to spend the night, but it's now closed. Apart from that, all there is at Egurgui is a stream and a track - so it's a bivvy for tonight! The stream flows well but there are sheep and cows around so I treat the water with a double dose of tablets. There's a good flat bivvy site down by the stream, so I get installed there and cook myself a curry (well, I add boiling water to a dehydrated curry meal).  Later on I settle down for the night and sleep well.

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