Day 17: Espot to Camping Serra (near Tavascan)

The hydroelectric power station was running all night, so when my alarm went off this morning I couldn't hear it. I didn't wake until 6.30am but was still packed and away by 7am.

The trail started gently, dropping through the picturesque village of Espot before the inevitable climb began. It wasn't too bad as I passed through La Guingueta d'Àneu, then, on the way down to the valley floor, I spotted an elderly man out walking a goat, so I had to stop for a chat.

The route then climbed 800m straight up to the Collada de la Serra before dropping 1,000m down the other side to the quaint village of Estaon, where the narrow streets are too tight for vehicles. I found the refuge and bought a cold Fanta to go with my salami sandwich.

Today was meant to be a short, easy day, so I took well over an hour for lunch. My planned wild campsite was only another two hours away on a col, and as usual I wasn't supposed to pitch the tent until 8pm, so there was no rush. I met another walker at lunch who was also planning to camp there, and we joked that we'd have to walk as slowly as possible.

An hour further up the valley I reached the last reliable water source before the col, so I filled every bottle. With my rucksack noticeably heavier, I walked as slowly as I could to avoid drinking too much of my precious supply on the climb.

I reached the col at 5pm, just after the other hiker. She commented on how windy it was and said she was heading down to a commercial campsite in the valley. Somehow I'd completely missed it when planning. The choice was simple: sit on a windy col for three hours waiting until I could pitch my tent, or descend 840m for a hot shower and a flat campsite. It wasn't a difficult decision.

It meant a short detour from the official GR11, but I could rejoin the trail tomorrow, missing only 4km of the official route while actually adding around 3km overall.

I spoke to two locals today, and both said it was unusually warm for the time of year. It was certainly warm enough that my washing was completely dry before I went to bed, even though I'd only washed it at 7.30pm.

There is also currently a Severe High Temperature Warning for the area...