Cauterets (France) | Le Pont d'Espange (Spanish Bridge) - Day 55

Last night, I took this photo of the cross, now lit in blue, on top of Pic du Jer from my hotel room window. A few days ago, I stood at the base of the cross after climbing Pic du Jer. Last tonight was a clear night, the first since I arrived in Lourdes.

To escape the heat today, I decide to take the LiO bus route 965 up into the Haute Pyrénées. It takes about 1 hr 45 min and costs me 2 euros to get to Cauterets, France. Cauterets is a tiny ski resort town located along the France-Spain border adjacent to Le Parc National de Pyrénées (Pyrénées National Park). The population is slightly less than 900 people, and the elevation is 1,000 m (3,281 ft), which is about 609 m (2,000 ft) higher than Lourdes. Therefore, it feels significantly cooler here; the high for the day is expected to be around 78 F (25 C). Below is the view from Cauterets bus station, looking north. The town is surrounded by peaks well above 3,658 (12,000 ft). In the photo, you'll notice a ski tram that takes visitors up to Lys Ski Resort.

However, my destination today lies to the south. I am, unfortunately, constrained by the LiO bus schedule today. I reach Cauterets around 1 pm, and by the time I finish lunch, it is half past the hour. The last LiO bus leaves Cautterets at 5:58 pm today. Four hours sounds like a lot of time, except the walk up to Le Pont d'Espagne from Cauterets is a little over 2 hours. There's another site I want to visit, which is even further, so I decide to take the local bus up to the Pont d'Espagne visitors center. This one costs me 8.50 euros and the last bus for the return is at 5:00 pm. This should work out great! 

As I leave the visitor's center, I notice that the vast majority of visitors all have trekking poles. I take out my phone and do a quick check, revealing that there is still significant elevation to be gained to reach my two destinations, even though I took the bus. Oops! I left my poles at the hotel today. After climbing up the trail, I arrive at the Pont d'Espagne. An old stone bridge that spans the Gave du Marcadau (Marcadau Creek). The old Spanish Bridge was used historically to connect France and Spain through the Pyrénées. The site is a bit busy today, so I take a quick photo and move on. 

Below is another view of the beautiful bridge and another waterfall that lies just upstream.

I continue my trek up to Lac de Gaube (Gaube Lake). Along the way, I pass this beautiful orange Holly tree. It is pretty magnificent and vibrant!

Mountains also make me happy, and it feels fantastic to be in the backcountry today! The concrete jungle wears me out if I spend too much time there. The views of the Pyrénées, however, are stunning today! 

A short way up from the Pont d'Espagne, I reach a ski lift. I look at the map, check the time, and decide to pay for the ride instead of doing the steep climb up to Lac de Gaube. As much as I would like to, I am pressed on time, and the 12.50 euros for the roundtrip is money well spent today. One perk is the views from the ski lift are fantastic! The 35 min lift takes me up the mountain, where I traverse the ridge to get to Gaube Lake. The walk across is an easy trek that takes me about 15-20 min each way. 

As I pass this field of foxglove, I stop to admire the contrast between the magenta flowers and the surrounding landscape. This photo looks north towards the town of Cauterets below the blue V in the sky.

At an elevation of 1,725 m (5,659 ft), I reach Lac de Gaube, the headwaters for Gave du Marcadau. The first thing I notice is the magnificent color of the water; it has a beautiful emerald green hue. The lake is egg-shaped, 40 m (131 ft) deep, and 19 ha (46 ac) in size. I contemplate walking around the entire lake; however, I realize I am short on time. So instead, I decide to relax along the shoreline in the shade while I soak my feet. Never miss an opportunity to cool down warm feet! The water is refreshing and cold, exactly what I expected from a backcountry lake.

After the trek back across the mountain, I take the ski lift back to the mountain's base. From there, I hike out and reach the visitors center about 15 minutes before the bus arrives. We arrive in Cauterets around 530 pm, so I explore the tiny town while walking down to the bus station. Cauterets is full of great little shops. I find a ski and backpacking store with a great gear selection of products and vendors and spend a few minutes exploring it. Then I pass a book store. In the shop window is The Adventures of TinTin. Another great comic from my childhood. TinTin is a heroic Belgium reporter and adventurer who becomes involved in dangerous adventures across the world. Each book features TinTin in a new destination.

TinTin was translated into French in the 1950s and was another staple in my young reading collection. The illustrations are lovely, like those in Asterix. There are 24 books in the series, and each book takes TinTin somewhere in the world where he must solve a unique mystery. I stop and ponder a few questions. Did TinTin inspire my subconscious when I was a child to travel? What was the key to finally unlocking this inspiration? 

I had completely forgotten about these excellent comics, and it makes me happy to reencounter them here in France. Similar to Asterix, each comic comes in a hardbound book. I love that I have recalled these fond memories of me reading them. One of the forgotten treasures of when I lived in St. Julie, Québéc, Canada.

When I arrive back in Lourdes, it is 730 pm and still hot. My phone tells me it is 88 F (31 C). I made the right call today by choosing to head high up into the mountains to escape the heat. Tonight, I have a simple dinner, a burger, and fries. I look forward to spending time on the next two legs of my trip. So many pieces must come together for the next two weeks to work out that I need quite a few hours to lay it all out. The good news is that I finally received my email travel voucher for the delayed train, a 25 euro credit. Fortunately, my travels in France are not done, and I am still in the country. lol!