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Sunday, Sept 9th, 2007
After an enjoyable and lazy rest day in Briancon, we said goodbye to Mel, whose cheerful presence will be missed... although I must say that it will simplify the ordering of meals (Mel has been on a no-carb diet for the past several years, which presents its own special challenges when you are staying half-pension in a refuge!).
Christine and I also welcomed Russ and Sally back to the hike (after a total of 6 rest days in a row), and we set off around 8:40AM to cross the 2478m Col des Ayres into the high plateau of the Queyras.
Once again it was a beautiful day, and quite a bit warmer than has been the case for the last week. Just as we were unlucky earlier in the summer in the Northern Alps, we seem to be lucky now in the Southern Alps -- and, frankly, just when we really need to be, since if we get a snowfall between now and the 15th of September that blocks any of the next several passes we will be stuck without good options for completing the H2H by foot!
So please cross your fingers, or press your thumbs, or do whatever culture-specific gesture that would be appropriate to wish us weather luck for the next week.
Today's hike was shorter than estimated -- a mere 5.5 hours or so, and we arrived early enough to spend a couple of hours in the warm afternoon sunshine in the garden of our hotel. Even though it is at 1550m, the day was plenty warm enough for sunbathing. Books were read, drinks were drunk, and much relaxation was enjoyed!
And now for the daily injury report. Both the climb and the descent were fairly gradual, and the trails were well-cut and maintained, so it was not a particularly tough challenge for fragile legs. As a result, Sally and Christine came through fine without significant pain.
Russell, though, needed to take an Ibuprofen during the hike, and requested an icepack for his knee afterwards. I don't think that he is in major pain (either during the hike or afterwards), but he is trying to manage his knee as best he can to avoid it getting worse. I have told him that if he is in enough pain for the hiking to be unpleasant, he should not feel obligated to continue -- the weather is fine, there are other people on the trails, and it seems likely that Christine will be hiking to the end of the High Alps, so I feel quite safe. But for now he intends to soldier on.
And that's about it for today. The restaurant here looks excellent and dinner is calling....
