GR5 and GR5C
From the cold rain at the top, to a hot afternoon down in the valley
It’s not the first time i have these symptoms, the last 2 years has been the same, waking up with a massive headache after the first day in the mountains. the only thing to do is pop a couple headache pills and wait for some relief, but it’s the first time with nausea. i pack up the everything while the pills start to do their magic, it has been raining on and off thru the night, and it looks like it will start again soon, so i head to the refuge, and just as i enter the warmth it starts to poor down.
Nice place to have breakfast
Theres a’lot of people in the refuge, some on their way out, some staying behind and some still eating breakfast, i have to use the bathroom big time, so im in there a bit. it’s still raining outside, and i decide to have a cup of coffee while i wait for the rain to stop, the nausea is subsiding and i’m getting hungry.
i’m the first one out after the rain stops, just after the Col i find a nice spot to make breakfast while having a spectacular view out over the next valley, the weather looks to be getting better and theres even a few blue holes in the clouds now, it’s only 08:00.
Alpine meadow, could be used for campsite?
The trail i super nice, all the way down to the small hamlet
You can only just spot the tiny village, where the trail continues up to the right
The valley is stunningly beautiful, large fields with sparse pine trees on a blanket of grass, theres a steep rocky section in the middle, otherwise nice trail all the way down to Les Granges de la Vallée Étroite. i have a nice break at the back of one of the chalets just before town, drying my wet gear in the sun.
Drying all the damp gear
the trail goes to the right of the city, and straight up thru dense pinetrees, the trail is zig-zagging up and up, its super steep end very hard, i have to take breaks often.the trail levels out toward the small lake at the col, and becomes super nice. At the lake i spread out my tent to dry and make my self a nice peanutbutter-honny tortilla wrap, i’m beginning to hate peanutbutter! The whole area is heavily used by sheep and it’s hard to find a spot without sitting in or stepping onto sheep shit… nasty!
After a nice break in the sun, i pack the backpack with now dry tent, and start the long decent toward Névache, where i will try to find the GR5C.
The path goes thru pastures with high yellow grass, and ends up passing Chalet des Thures, this is where all the sheep comes from! on the up side you can get water from a faucet at the chalet, before reaching the junction to Névache the gentle slopes gives abruptly away to sheer cliff wall, and the scenery is breathtaking.. again!
Looking back towards Mont Thabor
Goat poop lake!
After a nice break in the sun, i pack the backpack with now dry tent, and start the long decent toward Névache, where i will try to find the GR5C.
The path goes thru pastures with high yellow grass, and ends up passing Chalet des Thures, this is where all the sheep comes from! on the up side you can get water from a faucet at the chalet, before reaching the junction to Névache the gentle slopes gives abruptly away to sheer cliff wall, and the scenery is breathtaking.. again!
I stop for a quick piss and start the steep descend down a white and dusty trail, limestone i guess? as i’m descending the temperature starts climbing, and at the foot of the decent i’m sweating like a pig, i take a short break at a pick nick table and adjust the tape on my feet, i can feel some hotspots, but nothing bad! … yet!
the last stretch down to the town is flatfish and very warm, i switch to my sleeveless icebreaker shirt, but the straps to the backpack isn’t nice against the bare skin, so i get the t-shirt back on, guess the sleeveless vas a bad idea to bring? i actually end up in Roubion, a small town 3km from Névache, so a bit of roadwalk. in Le Cros i decide to have a break and an ice-cream, i almost forget my trekking poles as i leave, it super warm in the valley, and walking on the road isn’t helping, i get a baguette i by the church in Névache, and hike a bit back to the trailhead at Le Cros, i don’t have a GPS of the GR5C so i have to rely on signs and my guide book.
Interesting rock formations on the trail down
There is a Camping site in Roubion, and i wasn’t sure if i would stay there or try to hike the extra 6-7km up to Lac Cristol, but it’s only 3 in the afternoon and super warm, so i decide to reach the lake, and hope there is a spot up there to pitch my tent.
oh did i mention it was 30+ degrees? the trail up was steep with roots and shale, and a lot of hairpins thrown in for fun, i was sweating, huffing and puffing all the way up to Moutons, here there is a small plateau overlooking the Névache, actually a sweet spot for at camp, and i have a hard time debating to stay here go go to the Lac 45min further up… the Lac is calling! with a name like Lac de Cristol, it has to be worth it!
Looking back down at the outskirts of Névache
the trail goes around the mountain, and it’s nice to just hike along without ascending for a while. i’m low on energy and the last 15min to the lake feels 5 hours, but the lake i beautiful and was worth the extra 7km, there are others hikers around and even 2 tents, i spot a area at the far end of the lake, witch should be out of the worst wind. The ground it almost flat, and i take my time to decide where i want to pitch my tent for the night, there are a lot of small streams coming from further up and ending in the lake, i pitch my tent 50m form another hiker and eat some dinner, it’s around 6 in the evening and I’m tired, it has been a long day.
I filter my 2 bottles of water in a stream, as i’m comping back my neighbour and i start to talk a bit, John is a frenchman from Paris, we are both going to Briancon tomorrow, so maybe i’ll see him on the way there..