In a change to our advertised programme — mainly the Mare a Mare Nord — I decide to walk up to the Lac de Nino, as recommended by the lady running the hotel I’m staying in.
The walk starts in a pine forest a ten-minute taxi ride up hill. The path begins fairly gently but soon consists of large rocks. As I ascend the rocks get smaller and loser. Walking gives way to scrambling and a little climbing. I realise that I’m lucky to be heading upwards as the opposite direction looks to be almost impossible for people as dextrous as me.
On the way, the coloured way-marks are accompanied by piles of small stones, some in neat pyramids, others artistically balanced on or inside dead trees. These were often easier to find than the official marks, but it made you feel very guilty when you very nearly accidentally knocked them over when resting!
I pass a farm and then the level where there are trees shading me from the mid-day sun. After a couple of false “I’ll definitely be at the top after this next bit” declarations I really did reach the summit. Looking down the other side I have my first view of Lac de Nino.
As the guidebook says, it does have a somewhat eerie quality to it, although I’m not sure about looking Tibetan.
After pausing here for a bite to eat I press on. Shortly after the lake I meet with the GR20, a long distance path for hard-core walkers, and continue for a couple of hours.
At least that was the plan. I see no way-marks and no obvious signs of a path. With clouds descending on the peaks and the number of daylight hours dwindling I decide that getting lost up here would not be a good option and reluctantly start to retrace my steps.
Despite looking particularly nasty on the way up, my descent is probably my quickest and easiest so far. This could be tested further as the next couple of days are going to be heading west, largely downhill and towards the coast.
