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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 2942 |
9th April 2012 Hiking - Walking: Col de Cayolle Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny Max Speed: Distance Covered: Saturday 7 April – Travelling – sightseeing – little walking – Cloudy,rain.snow and even a little sun!!! Mag had 9 hours sleep!! Must be a record. I was disturbed by a piste basher going up and down the piste we are parked next to:( as it turned we should have stayed at the Col as the snow stopped but hind sight is a wonderful thing!!! We got ready for the day and went back up to the Col de Vars for our breakfast and watched a crazy man in a red coat set off with a mission up the peak on the opposite side of the road! He soon came down again after struggling for a while. Set off through the Col with great scenery again. All the buildings here had corrugated metal roofs which varied between brand new and rusty, just about to fall in! This included the hotel! When we reached the end of that one a signpost to the Col de Larche tempted us to go along to the Italian Border. On the way up we saw a Marmotte:) Our first this holiday. He gave us a brilliant show and we saw several more too:) We saw lots of cars parked with people returning from a very long hike up to various height peaks and a short ski down! They were very happy and gave us friendly waves. Further on the more serious gang had climbed to an extremely high peak and when we looked through the binocs there were 4 more on the peak itself just starting to ski down so we watched them while we had our lunch. The Cols are very bleak but beautiful. The weather is very mixed today, cloud, some sun and then a blizzard! In hind sight we think we should have stayed somewhere along that col – probably just over into Italy at a virtually deserted village called Argentera. However, we turned round (because there wasn’t another road leading anywhere for miles!) and drove down to Barcelonnette (past a strange fort built into the rocks) and went to the shop and got some diesel because we are not sure what the opening hours are for the next few days with it being Easter. We did buy a small Easter egg as a treat (and also an apple pie!). First year we haven’t bought eggs or bunnies for the boys:( So we have spent a fortune today – about £110 :( Still we haven’t put any diesel in for 3 weeks so we haven’t done too badly. We drove up the Gorges du Bachelard which were spectacular and led to another Col which unfortunately was closed so we turned round and parked in a really nice place by the river which says no camping or camping cars but we decided to take the risk. Doesn’t really lead to a settled night but don’t want to drive anywhere else. We are in a different National Park now – this is the Haute Alps Provence and there does seem to be a lot of no camping etc., signs. I went up the river with my camera – it rained again! - Mag read her book then walked up the road to meet me later. Sunday 8 April (Easter Sunday) 2012 – Relaxing with some walking ***** sunny again :) We spent the whole day in the same riverside parking place that we spent the night. We had a good sort out in the van, washed hair etc. And treated ourselves to pancakes for breakfast :) We had a bit of a walk down river then ate our lunch and spent most of the afternoon sitting in the sun right by the river:) We even had our 2 euro Easter Egg and coffee there :) We watched some gliders being towed up and spiralling up over the mountains into the crystal blue sky :) There were a few locals picnicking but not that many. At about 4 we walked up the road through the gorge and I scrambled along a path where there had been a huge landslip quite recently, a bit scary really that these huge pieces of rock had slid down the gorge!!! Came back and had good old carbonara for tea:) A nice relaxing day with perfect weather and a gorgeous setting. We are staying here again tonight (despite the interdit signs – there are also no fire signs but every French person picnicking made a fire!) http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.3129837677540.2137243.101266056 2&type=1 http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3245995981425.2139602.1012660562&t ype=3&l=1bf5305e7c Monday 9th April 2012 (Easter Monday) – Walking ***** sunny We had a leisurely start and got away with a second night at our car park in the gorge. We packed up and drove up the Gorge road knowing that the Col de Cayolle was closed but wanting to investigate anyway. The Gorges du Bachelard didn’t disappoint and got more amazing as we went up – the road was scary enough without the landslips and scraped crash barriers! We went through tiny little villages where the residents were having a game of boules – up-hill! We got to the village of Bayasse and the barrier was across the road confirming that the Col was indeed closed. We parked up, packed a quick picnic and set off walking to what we thought was the Col de Cayolle but actually ended up being the Col de la Moutiere! It was a brilliant hike – we were out 5 ½ hours, walked over six miles and climbed 1415 feet with 7300 feet being our highest point. We had lunch sitting by the river in the sunshine – and looking at the icicles and ice bubbles which had formed on the rocks within the river :) It is another glorious day but a bit chilly in the wind so we were forever putting on our jumpers then taking them off. We couldn’t decide when to turn back but are pleased we carried on up to the snow line because there was a magnificent waterfall (possibly the start of the river we have been beside for the last few days). We decided to leave the path when it got completely snowed up (no other footprints so we had gone further than the other walkers) We cut across the grassy/rocky ground to investigate the waterfall further. After a chocolate bar and a scramble up and down the rocks we set off back. We had by this time spotted a Marmotte, and 7 Ibex grazing with their enormous horns :) We had seen quite a lot of birds too including Crested Tits again. On our way back we saw the Ibex again and decided to get closer. We climbed upwards and spooked a herd of either female Ibex or Chamoix – we will have to look into what they were for sure. They took off up onto the rocks and ran straight past the Ibex up and up onto the rocky mountainside and round the corner. It was great to watch :) We carried on our long path down and were treated to more birds including a treecreeper as we came back to the village. We had a cuppa and I took my camera out to take photos of the most beautiful sunset – really vivid blues and pinks :) What a brilliant day – out walking for over five hours and didn’t see another soul!!! http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.3129837677540.2137243.101266056 2&type=1 http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3245995981425.2139602.1012660562&t ype=3&l=1bf5305e7c |
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