Day 13: Camping El Forcallo to Benasque

I must be an early riser, because when I went to leave the campsite at 6:45am the gate was locked. I had to climb over the fence to get out. At least the campsite is secure.

Today was a relatively short stage to Benasque for a rest day, although it still began with a steady 1,100m climb. I reached the pass while it was still in the shade, but the long descent became increasingly hot and hard work.

At the end of the stage I asked at the campsite about a cabin or private room to avoid the extra 3km walk into Benasque. The woman on reception seemed far more interested in chatting with her colleague than paying much attention to potential guests, so the extra walk into town it was, right in the midday heat.

Benasque is one of the largest towns on the GR11, sitting at the head of the Ésera Valley beneath some of the highest peaks in the Pyrenees. It's a popular base for walkers and climbers, with plenty of hotels, restaurants and outdoor shops.

My first stop was the tourist information office, where they gave me a list of hotels and pointed me in the right direction. I started at the top of the list, which I assumed meant the cheapest. The first hotel only had availability from tomorrow, the second was full, the third only had a room for one night, the fourth had nobody on reception, and by the fifth I'd had enough of walking around town in the heat, so I phoned instead. They were full as well. The next one finally had a room.

The room was advertised at €75 a night, but I negotiated it down to €70 without breakfast. On my departure day I'll probably be gone before breakfast is served anyway.

The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful. It was only 1pm, so I had to wait about half an hour for the room to be ready.

Once checked in, I headed out for a cheap lunch before doing the most expensive laundry of the trip. The self-service laundry charged €7 for a wash, but the machine held up to 10kg. I could probably have washed my whole rucksack as well. After weeks of sink washes, everything finally smells fresh again.

For dinner I only had to step outside the hotel. Their pavement terrace was practically on the doorstep.

Tomorrow is a full rest day. My legs have earned it.