Gavarnie (France) | A Humbling Day - Day 56

The Gavarnie Tourist Office might win the prettiest location awards if I was handing out awards.

I spend the morning doing laundry and working through my plan for the coming weeks. After reviewing my calendar, I have spent 22 days in southern France thus far. I have more exploring in France; however, I am also aware of my Schengen Visa requirements. No special visa is required when traveling as a Canadian or American citizen. I am afforded 90 days every 180 days to spend within the Schengen Visa area. The Schengen agreement essentially removes borders for travelers in Europe, which is a huge perk. Most people never have to worry about the 90-days as they are not here long enough. But I need to be mindful of it. 

Below is a map of Europe with colors representing the membership in the European Union (EU) and Schengen Visa. It is simple actually if a country is part of the EU, they use the Euro as their currency; if not, the country uses foreign money. Similarly, if they are not part of the Schengen Agreement, the country has its own visa requirements. Purple countries are members of both. Grey countries are members of neither; for example, the United Kingdom allows Canadians and Americans to travel for up to 6 months without a special visa. Blue countries are members of Schengen but not the EU; Iceland still uses the Icelandic Króna as currency. Finally, the Green countries are members of the EU but not Schengen; the Republic of Ireland uses the Euro but allows Canadian and Americans 60 days without a special visa.

I plan to walk the Camino de Santiago Del Norte Route, a journey that ought to take me around 35-40 days. However, to ensure I have enough time to travel to Irun, Spain, complete the trip, and then another major city for departure, I need to give myself a few extra days. What does this all means to me? I have two options with the Camino: start in about one week or wait till September. I opt for the latter for several reasons, the temperature will be cooler, there will be fewer people (July and August are the peak months), and I will have longer to rehab. 

So I need to pick a destination that is not Blue or Purple to visit for about 2-3 weeks, which will give me enough buffer to explore the southwest coast of France without cramping my Camino schedule. I have four destinations: Croatia, Albania, Scotland, and Wales, representing three countries. Scotland and Wales are part of the United Kingdom. 

In addition to this, I also need to plan my next destination in France. I am set to leave Lourdes in a few days. This time, the ideas are clear; I have been molding them in my head for a few days. It does, however, take much longer than expected to finalize the details. Something I will continue to work through mornings and evenings until I leave Lourdes.

After catching the LiO route 965 bus at 1250, I find myself in Gavarnie, France. The tiny town of Gavarnie is even higher than Cauterets and is located in an entirely different drainage to the east. The elevation in town is 1,356 m (4,452 ft). The entire village is located along a single street that eventually turns into the Chemin du Cirque de Gavarnie. Below are some of the first shops and restaurants I see after leaving the bus stop (i.e., the visitors center). It is a beautiful sunny day in the high 70s F (20s C) again today. Gavarnie is quite popular and very accessible.

Today's hike is between 2-3 mi (< 5 km) one way. Once I pass the final shop, the Chemin turns to rock and gravel. The road bends left, and I get my first view of the Cirque (below). 

I pass this old cottage next to a beautiful little waterfall along the way. I notice the clouds have moved in, making the hike much more enjoyable.  

A little over one mile in, I pass this red Holly tree. Holly's can be either red or orange in the Pyrénées. I enjoy how the red berries stand out against the backdrop of the Cirque.

As I stop to take this picture of the Gave de Gavarnie winding its way through the rocks, I feel a drop of rain. "J'ambrasse la pluie" (I embrace the rain) and continue. I laugh, this is turning into an actual hike. The raindrops are sparse and large. I notice a few others have decided that this is a sign that they should head back. I continue on; part of it is I am pot committed at this point. I am closer to reaching the end than the beginning. I also don't have the luxury of returning again. I am not worried about getting wet; all my clothes are quick-dry synthetic fabrics. I find them cooler, lighter weight, and they have superior wicking ability compared to cotton. Something I may need today should I get wet.

The views of Pyrénées are magnificent today. The mountains are different than yesterday, and so is the vegetation. The valley is a lush meadow. The peaks are all without trees. I reach the Hotel de Cirque et de la Cascade (Hotel of the Cirque and Waterfall) at about 345 pm. I notice a trail that leads to the waterfall to the right of the building. I ought to be able to reach it in about 20 min, which gives me enough time to make the 40 min walk back to the bus. Oh, and the Cirque (background) views are pretty spectacular here.

This is the right side of the Cirque and the waterfall. By now, thunder is rumbling in clouds high above the Cirque.

The sprinkling has let up, and the air is nice a cool now. I press on. About 10 minutes later, I see a flash of bright light. Lightning! That is my breaking point. I took a backcountry lightning safety course in Lander, Wyoming. Lightning is the one element that I do not play around with. I remind myself that I am in the backcountry with no shelter, so I immediately turn around and head back towards the Hotel. Then the rain starts. Big drops at first. Then it comes fast and furious along with the wind. I pick up my pace and laugh loudly as I remember saying earlier, I embrace the rain! 

 

If I can make it to the lodge, perhaps I can find shelter there. I am moving as fast as possible; my trekking poles are giving added security as the trail is already slippery. As I approach, I can see one of the employees telling everyone to hurry and encouraging them into the building. I am wet and cold now and hope I can find refuge. I hasten to the Hotel and reach it as he closes the doors behind me. The employee is wearing jeans and a polo and is soaked worse than I am. I watch him turn away the next few people, who are wearing rain gear, as there is no more space. I stand with my back to the door and cannot advance further. I am grateful to be here as I watch it pour.

Boy, that was close. I am completely wet but not dripping. I am cold due to cold air, wind, and rain. I laugh at myself; I didn't bring a rain jacket today. The Hotel is warm and crowded. The tiny room is packed with visitors, and most of us are wet. Parents are taking their kids' clothes off and ringing them out to help them warm up. This family arrived after I did, and we found a way to make room for them. They are soaked and dripping wet.

We all spend the next 35 minutes packed into the bar, which is standing room only. When the rain finally lets up, we start filing back out of the Hotel. Below is the view from the Hotel of the Cirque after the downpour. There are now more than a dozen waterfalls where there was only one. It is little moments like this that make experiences and life great! I am here to experience this and I love watching the Cirque come to life. I am in awe and humbled once again.

The cascade of water only lasts a short while after the thunderstorm. By the time I reach the place where the Gave du Gavarnie winds through the rocks, only the primary waterfall remains. The Cirque is asleep again. Notice the volume of water that is now flowing in the canyon below.

I continue my trek back down to the village, frequently laughing at how unique this experience was and the fact that I am soaked. Finally, the sun returns about halfway back, and I start to dry off. My bus leaves at 548 pm, and I arrive with about 20 minutes to spare. The bus driver asks where I am headed, and I tell him, Lourdes. He shakes his head and says, wait here. I have no other options if the bus is full. He returns, flips down the shotgun seat in the staircase, and I climb in. Once I have my seatbelt on, the bus leaves. I am humbled and grateful for the last seat on this packed bus.

Without a doubt, this is the best seat on the bus. I love the view. These little rock walls define all the mountain roads in the Pyrénées. This location has a turnout to allow faster vehicles to pass or make room for oncoming traffic, like a bus. These mountain roads are seldom wide enough for two large vehicles. During Le Tour de France, these little roads are packed with spectators on both sides of the road. As we wind our way down, we pass several small groups of cyclists on their way up the mountain.

When I arrive back in Lourdes, I am still wet. The hour and 45-minute bus ride did little to dry me off. On my way back, I pass this USA Cycling car. Without a doubt, the Pyrénées are essential training grounds for cycling teams.

The Cirque de Gavarnie is one of my favorite sites that I have seen in the Pyrénées thus far. It has wet my appetite for future trips, cycling, or backpacking. It is undoubtedly one of the best places in France to visit if you enjoy the outdoors.

It is days like this one that are truly humbling. Many things could gone wrong. Instead, I found myself on the “lucky side” of things, multiple times today. I acknowledge that I live in a razor thin margin. I trust that situations will work out, because of things I can and cannot explain fully. Being open to experiencing these humbling gifts, is the first step. I have no space for worries these days, which I believe change my mindset and make it difficult to receive these gifts. It feels great to let go of things and focus on immersing myself fully in what is currently happening. I am humbled because I cannot explain how it works, it just does! And I am grateful for this.