Day 19: Refugi Baiau to Just above Encamp

A short day turned long… again

I was away by 6.45am for the climb to the Portella de Baiau (2,757m). The ascent was over very loose scree, but I reached the col in about 45 minutes. From there came a 1350m descent towards the ski village of Arinsal. On the way down I met a couple climbing up. The husband passed first, then when I reached his wife she asked if this was the way to Pic de Comapedrosa. She didn't seem entirely convinced by her husband's navigation.

In Arinsal I stopped at the supermarket for breakfast: cheese and a rehydration drink. I also bought lunch after realising it was going to be a longer day than expected and that I would reach another town by the evening.

The rest of the day followed a familiar pattern of constant ups and downs. Most of the walking was through forest, so after each climb the reward was generally... more trees.

While sitting outside the supermarket I turned off aeroplane mode and discovered that Andorra wasn't included in my roaming package. In the next village I switched Wi-Fi on and wandered down the street until I found an open network, then messaged my wife to let her know not to expect to hear from me while I was in Andorra.

I reached my first planned camping spot at 11.30am and the second at 12.30pm, both far earlier than expected, so I decided to carry on.

My destination became a campsite about an hour beyond Encamp. In town I filled all my water bottles from the public tap in the plaza, visited the supermarket and then the bakery. By then I was feeling tired. After paying for my bread I walked straight out without it. Three minutes later a woman came running across the car park to hand me the loaf I'd left on the counter.

I ate my evening meal on a park bench in the plaza, making use of the town's free Wi-Fi before climbing to my camp for the night. There was no water near the campsite, which explained filling every bottle in town, but I found a discreet grassy spot about 250m above the valley on a forested hillside. It was a peaceful evening, well away from the noise of the England v Argentina World Cup match.