GR10 Day07

Breakfast was basic; some cereal, bread, butter, and marmalade, and orange juice and coffee.  We were out the door by 8am and walked along a country lane, making some uphill progress.  We then cut onto a very good track that gradually led us down into a valley.  As we neared the end, we could see other people on the ascent on the other side.  The total ascent was about 350m, with the first 200m being steep.  The path flattened out near the top, finally reaching a road.  We walked on the road for about 1km, reaching a junction where the GR10 headed uphill again.  We decided on the easier option of walking the road for about 6km, where the GR10 came back down and joined the road.  There were lots of sheep on the surrounding slopes and we had passed a large group of shepherds rounding up sheep for shearing.  We stopped for our picnic lunch and were shocked to see how many of the sheep were lame, unable to use one of their legs.  The path went uphill again, then dropped down to a lake, before another climb and our final descent to Iraty.  We checked in, and were given the key to our bedroom in a chalet with three bedrooms and a communal kitchen and dining room (800m along the road from the reception block).  We crossed over the carpark to the restaurant to be told that the restaurant kitchen was already shut for the evening, and that we could have ordered a takeaway.  The reception team never told us about ordering, so we made a return trip to the reception area shop to stock up on some food for our evening meal and breakfast.  Back at the chalet we walked over to the restaurant where we could at least have a drink.  It had been quite cool all day, and the mist was now blowing through the trees beside the chalet.  We ate our biscuits and pate, and then went to a small van for a galette.  The sun was now out, the valley was completely filled with mist, and the mountains in the distance were bathed in sunshine.  A spectacular sight to end the day.

We’ve now being walking for a week, and covered 131km and climbed 5444m.