Shots of lightning over Valier

Pujada

Every year on the Port de Salau there is a meeting of people from either side of the col - from Catalonia and Ariège for an exchange of gifts, culture and a general celebration. This year we decided to go with Alun and Breezy. 

We were late, setting off at 11.00 and it was blistering hot all the way up which took a little over 2 hours. On the port it was much cooler with strong wind blowing, something of a relief. Plenty of independent Catalonia flags and over 200 people.

Some more little experiments with my new camera last night.

Gite guest with a drone

Plenty of Cep

Etang Garbet, Etang Bleu and beyond

 

Bear??

Guests staying at our neighbours gite, reported that their dog went crazy during the night barking and barking but when they opened the door it wouldn't go outside, but they heard something large running away through the undergrowth. Next morning they found some very large bear tracks outside the gite, which they photographed and showed to John and Sandrine. Rain the next day washed the tracks away so we haven't been able to see them and the guests have left with their photos. We're being extra vigilant with our sheep.

What lies beneath

Once the hearth and fireplace were finished it was time to lift the floorboards. The boards are supported on concrete sleeper walls with battens cast into the top of each wall. The battens had rotted away and were often soaking wet, because between the walls close to the back wall of the house the clay and rock was almost level with the battens/underside of the boards. Also the groove which each batten lay in, was like a drainage channel for any water seeping out of the rear wall. No ventilation under the floor either.

I dug out all the clay and rock between the sleeper walls, stopped the them before the rear wall to avoid them acting as drainage channels and replaced the battens, before replacing the boards. It should give the floor another 2-3 years of life before we need to tackle the job of replacing everything and casting a properly damp proofed and insulated concrete floor under the timber one.

And with the first coat of limewash...

Fireplace again

Rendering the walls...

 First coat (thrown)

Second coat and tiling

Fireplace stage 2

I last worked on the fireplace in 2008, when I discovered the volcanic cill that rears up like a wave out of the floor. The micro granite is incredibly hard and last time after " days of hammering, chiselling and disc cutting I conceded partial defeat and enclosed the remaining rock in a 15cm high timber surround and filled the rest with concrete.

The floor in the living room (the original part of the house which I didn't build) has no concrete slab beneath, just clay and rock - so slowly it is rotting at the edges. Re building the floor needs to start with the fireplace where damp and water seep in, prevented from downward progress by the cill.

I can't afford to hire a compressor and pneumatic drill, so the hammering and chiselling re-commenced. No room to properly swing the sledge hammer so 3 more days of seemingly fruitless effort were required. I can appreciate why convicts were sent to break stones with sledge hammers - nothing is more soul destroying. Despite hours of bashing the same piece of rock with all your might, there are sparks, some splinters of rock and the constant rebound of the sledge.

Eventually of course it succumbed, little by little and the height of the hearth after concreting and eventually tiling will be just 4cm.  The hearth is now straight rather than bowed giving us more space in the living room...once I've filled the gap now devoid of floorboards!

Etang bellonguère, Pic de Montgarie, Etang d'Eychelle

With 32 degrees forecast for the day, Alun, Breezy, Susie and I took a relatively early start from Col de le Core. We made our way across to the Col Aurèdole before descending a little to join the path to the Etang d'Ayes and cirque de Campuls. It was quite busy here so we continued on the GR10 before branching left just before the col to reach the Etnag de Bellonguère. We'd hoped for a little swim here but the water was too shallow and full of frogs.

After a quick bite to eat we climbed eastwards to pick up a path which became increasing vague heading SSW towards Pic de Montgarie, which I last visited on skis (read here). We scrambled up rocks to the summit for great view.

Vultures were cruising around us, then a real treat when a bearded vulture decided to come in close (3m or so away).

After much photo taking it eventually climbed higher and higher then left.

Looking back to Montgarie

We climbed up to the ridge to the East crossing at a grassy col between points 2258m and 2331m before descending to the Cabane d'Eychelle and then the Etang d'Eychelle for a swim.

Temperature and humidity rose as we descended back to the Col de la Core but more wild flowers distracted us including my favourite Starry Saxifrage.

About 1200m of ascent on a very hot day so beers in Seix were well deserved!