This was a big day. The trek would take us 13 miles over terrain that wasn’t much like the horrible, terrible descent from day two. It was more undulating and wide open. At the end, our accommodations for the night were at a refuge with no wi-fi and barely any cell service.

That’s a lot to pack in. Vic talked to me at breakfast about the route and then looked over my pack. I assured her I was up for it, sore toes be damned!

One big change was I didn’t fill up my water bladder in my pack, since there were water stations all along the route. That made a big difference. Since it was going to be relatively warm day, I carried only what I thought I would need.  No puffer coat!

Quick follow-up from day two: I tossed the top with the newly-cut short sleeves and left the too-heavy hiking pants in my hotel room.

We went into town and loaded up again on sustenance since we would not be stopping at a refuge for lunch. Sandwiches, snacks, croissants, fruit – the works. Funny: I don’t touch pastries when I’m home. But I always seem to find one for breakfast and a snack when I travel to Europe.

As we started, we went by a community that seemed to be preparing for an event that celebrated donkeys. I’m not kidding. And then a gentleman passed who was walking his mighty steed, obviously to the event. Next came a sheepherder, his sheep and the dogs keeping them in line.  

The terrain at this point wasn’t so bad. We came upon a gorge and a stone bridge.

 

Then things changed. Vic made sure we all stuck together because the trail kind of turned into just a pile of rocks. I will forever be grateful to fellow hikers Mark and Peggy for helping me navigate the madness. There were some parts that were just sideways rocks. No chains this time. I just followed Peggy’s lead.

And while it was a sunny day, it was also a windy day. And that wind got colder the higher we climbed. We were going up 1,500 meters and the wind at some points was so strong, I feared losing my balance.

We stopped to eat twice. The views were fantastic. It was just a great morning and afternoon. We would pass three Cols on our way to our destination, the refuge or Auberge de la Nova. A col is the lowest point on a ridge between two mountain peaks. And we were pretty high up so you can imagine how high the col is.

Then we came upon the descent, which wasn’t as steep as it was long and winding. That’s when my enthusiasm started to wane. There was no pavement this time where I could walk sideways. It was just a zig zag path that went down. Other hikers passed me and then I’d see them way up ahead. I just couldn’t catch up.

You can imagine my distress when I finally got to the point where I could see where everyone sitting on a bridge, waiting for me.  I tried to go faster. But my toes were having none of it. I would take maybe 10 steps forward and I’d have to stop. It was that bad.

By the time I got to the bridge, I was in a really bad mood. I didn’t say anything because I knew the group had been waiting for me and we had to get to the refuge. We still had another 20 minutes on a route that was a bit circuitous through some brush and I fell behind. My fellow hiker Bettina backtracked to find me and show me how to get there. Thank you Bettina!

When we got to the refuge, it was a bit chaotic. It was also kind of a surreal setting. There was a military building next to us, some RVs parked nearby, some shops and maybe a restaurant. Vic was bringing our luggage to the rooms and some luggage wasn’t there yet. It was just a scene. And all I wanted to do was hide. Everything ached. It was not my best moment.

I took a very welcoming hot shower, washed some socks and tried to rest. Aside from my lameness, it had been a nice day and now we were having a delicious dinner. We had roasted potatoes and a stew beef, cooked to perfection. You didn’t need a knife. Dessert was a panna cotta (think mousse).

I went back to the room and tried to rest. Vic came in to check on me and gave me a pep talk. I was visibly upset. “This group is pulling for you,” she said. “You need to take care of you. I need to make sure everyone is doing OK.” Then we talked about the next day’s trek. “You just have to get over the hill. Then the rest of the day is down.” 

Just over the hill. She didn’t sugarcoat it. It’s a big, tough climb. Just keep your head down and go at your pace. It’s the last big test.

One change I was going to make was wearing my gym shoes instead of my hiking shoes. That would turn out to be my best decision of the week.

THANK YOU TO MARGO AND MATT FOR SHARING THEIR PHOTOS.

Next: Day 4 – rainy, cold, windy and we make it to Italy!