Day 23: Setcases to Coll de Bassegoda

I thought it was hot before…

A calm morning with great views, much like the night before. As expected, the trail headed straight up to a col, but the descent was poorly signed. Fallen trees across the path forced a detour, then I had to use my phone several times to relocate the trail as there simply seemed to be no waymarks.
Heading down into the village of Molló it got hotter, and it would continue to do so as I descended to around 600m above sea level, the lowest point since the start of the trip. The lower I went, the hotter it became, helped along by a severe weather warning for the area.
Descending into Beget I really started to notice the heat, almost like walking into a blast furnace. The village itself was lovely. Cars are banned and, like many of the villages I've passed through, it was very picturesque. I ate my lunch on a bench in the shade of the plaza before filling all my bottles for the two-hour climb ahead.
I plodded uphill as slowly as I could. The heat was intense and progress was painfully slow. At the hamlet at the top of the climb I had been expecting a small village, but all I found was a single building and a fountain with a sign saying there was no water.
I'd been expecting to refill there and had nothing left, so the descent was a thirsty one. At Refugi de Sant Aniol d'Aguja, which opened last year, I had two ice-cold Fantas while chatting with the staff and plotting my next move. It was already 6pm and there was still another three-hour climb to Coll de Bassegoda, with no water on the way or at the col, so I filled every bottle again before setting off.
It cooled slightly towards the end of the climb. I pitched my tent on arrival and had a wipe down with my flannel, my first proper clean in 48 hours.
Shortly after pitching the tent, a fox came to investigate, so everything will be staying inside the tent tonight.
I'm told it gets even hotter as I get closer to the coast.