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| REFUGE TUCA ROYA IN THE MORNING |
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| MONTE PERDIDO WITH IBON DE MARBORES BELOW |
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| SCARY ROCK WALL |
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| VALLE DE PINETA FROM THE BALCON |
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| THE LONG PATH DOWN |
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| DOWN IN THE VALLEY AT LAST |
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| REFUGIO PINETA |
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| BROKEN PATH |
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| BROKEN BRIDGE |
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| PRETTY BIELSA |
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| BIELSA SQUARE |
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| HOSTAL PANART |
I didn't sleep especially well at the Refugio Tuca Roya because it was cold, even with my sleeping bag and two blankets around me. Then the leg cramps started again. I might have expressed my pain vocally had it not been for my fellow walkers all sleeping around me. To cap it all, I wanted a wee, and wriggling off my mattress to go outside without causing a disturbance was a real test, especially since I had to do this more than once. I felt a bit better when some of the others did the same.
I did finally get to sleep, and was the last one up when I finally opened my eyes at past 9.00am. Most of the walkers had left, but one of those remaining kindly offered me some hot coffee.
The view from the platform with Ibon de Marmores below, and Monte Perdido filling the field of view directly opposite, was spectacular. I was considering climbing to the summit of Perdido from here en-route to Goriz Refuge, and visually searched for the way up. I could see that this would require climbing what appeared to be a near vertical rock wall, followed by walking on, or close to, a glacier until a scree slope was reached. After that it easy, but??
I chatted to the Spanish guy who had shared his pasta with me the previous evening. I think he said his name was Desiderio. We discussed the ascent of Perdido from the north and he confirmed that climbing the rock wall unroped and with a heavy backpack would be dangerous, but after then it would not be too difficult. However, his words regarding the rock wall were sufficiently foreboding for me to change my original plan. Imagine getting leg cramps whilst half way up a rock face? It doesn't bear thinking about. I had taken quite a big risk the previous evening and I felt it would be foolish to push my luck any further.
The sun was shining brightly when the last four of us left the refuge together, heading down the steep, but relatively easy, slope on the Spanish side. Within 10 minutes we reached Ibon de Marmores where I turned east while the rest turned west, waving farewell. My destination was the Balcon de Pineta, after which I would descend to the Valle de Pineta, formed by glacial action.
It was a Saturday, and there were quite a few people milling around on the Balcon de Pineta. At an altitude of roughly 2,500m, it offered an amazing view along the length of the Valle de Pineta. I could clearly see the Parador de Bielsa Hotel at the head of the valley, 1,200m below me and a horizontal distance of 3km away on the map. The descending path zig-zagged most of the way, and was steep and rocky. Those 3km took all of 6 hours to complete, and by then my legs were on fire. I was tired, hungry and thirsty, so I headed for the Parador Hotel for sustenance. At nearly 200 Euros per night, it was an expensive place to stay, so I continued a further 2km down the valley to the Refugio Pineta. I was planning to camp outside the Refuge as I didn't like the typical sardine-like sleeping arrangements very much. However, the surrounding ground was soggy, and the Guardian confirmed that there had been flooding there. He also informed me that the rooms had bunk beds, which were much more acceptable, so I agreed to stay. Indeed, I was kindly given a room of my own as they were not crowded.
The refuge provided me with a good breakfast the following morning. My legs were still aching from the abuse of the previous two days, so I was grateful that my 10km walk down the valley to Bielsa would be relatively flat. I thought the walk might be quite dull, but that proved not to be the case. I was trying to follow the PR-137 path, but navigating the route seemed strangely difficult. Indeed, at one point I found myself on the wrong side of the Rio Cinca. It then dawned on me that flooding had rerouted the river and destroyed sections of the path. At a point where I had expected to cross the river near Camping Pineta, the bridge had been completely brought down by the floods. I had to walk along the road for about 4km to reach another bridge at El Plan which was fortunately intact.
The final 3km of walking took me past the Embalse de Pineta dam and down into the small town of Bielsa. Bielsa had all the feeling of a quiet pretty village, with amazing surroundings and a few small bars and restaurants. I was ahead of schedule due to my earlier route change, and my legs were still suffering from the abuse I had subjected them to, so I resolved to stay in this lovely environment for two nights. Getting any sort of signal on my smartphone in the mountains was rare, but at last I could get data which enabled me to identify the Hostal Panart, just a few hundred metres away, as the place to stay.
I checked in after enjoying lunch in the village square and having an exploratory walk around. I was delighted to see that my room had a bath rather than just a shower, so I sat and soaked my aching leg muscles in the hot water until my toes went wrinkly, and washed some clothes while I was at it. You don't look at yourself in mirrors much when you are walking, so I was surprised to note a distinct bruise on my right temple. I concluded that I had probably done it at the Refugio Tuca Roya, hitting my head on the upper sleeping platform whilst trying to wriggle off the foam mattress in the dark. Anyway, after a salad supper, I was ready for sleep.
Next morning, I rose at 8.00am to enjoy the breakfast which was included with my Hostal Panart stay, The day was spent repairing a tear in my rucksack, thinking about the next section of my walk and checking where the start was, checking the weather, purchasing supplies, writing this blog, generally chilling out and having another long soak in the bath before supper.
I'll be continuing on my way in the morning.