A pipe too far...
We had slept in till 8am (I slept badly due to noise), today we leave town for the leafy woodlands and sloping ridge lines that make up most of Navarra, toward Puerto Urkiaga. After much re-packing and organising of kit, I decided to donate my wet weather salopettes (Gore-tex), my climbing shoes (rubber) and first-aid kit (mostly liquids) to a local hobo we met raking about the bins off the main square. I had to do something about the pack weight – finally it feels acceptable at around 17kg. A joyful day ensued through open grasslands and sunny (35deg again) open spaces filled with lush sunken tree cover and broken schist crags. After a shade stop beneath a wiry birch and some water a pack of wild horses appeared and Tom petted the youngest horse on the head (this was a special moment as they had always been spooked in previous encounters – these were truly friendly beasts). Passing through the col and parking area at Urkiaga, some 25km in, I heard Operatic voices coming from ahead. Some Spanish hikers enjoying a mid-week amble and exercising more than legs and arms! A broken pipe at the pre-des camp spot meant a 2km hike to the next possible location - a locked hunter’s cabin, and a pleasant camp site under a tree perched 2000m up against the shoulder of a rising corrie. A temperamental spout ensured dinner and next days drinking water was now sorted (water supplies had been diminishing since we left Irun, spending at least an hour each day re-hydrating and on the hunt for a quality source). Jose Gonzales beneath the tree, pasta + veg from a packet and another stunning panorama of Spanish rural quality ensued – I love this place!
We had slept in till 8am (I slept badly due to noise), today we leave town for the leafy woodlands and sloping ridge lines that make up most of Navarra, toward Puerto Urkiaga. After much re-packing and organising of kit, I decided to donate my wet weather salopettes (Gore-tex), my climbing shoes (rubber) and first-aid kit (mostly liquids) to a local hobo we met raking about the bins off the main square. I had to do something about the pack weight – finally it feels acceptable at around 17kg. A joyful day ensued through open grasslands and sunny (35deg again) open spaces filled with lush sunken tree cover and broken schist crags. After a shade stop beneath a wiry birch and some water a pack of wild horses appeared and Tom petted the youngest horse on the head (this was a special moment as they had always been spooked in previous encounters – these were truly friendly beasts). Passing through the col and parking area at Urkiaga, some 25km in, I heard Operatic voices coming from ahead. Some Spanish hikers enjoying a mid-week amble and exercising more than legs and arms! A broken pipe at the pre-des camp spot meant a 2km hike to the next possible location - a locked hunter’s cabin, and a pleasant camp site under a tree perched 2000m up against the shoulder of a rising corrie. A temperamental spout ensured dinner and next days drinking water was now sorted (water supplies had been diminishing since we left Irun, spending at least an hour each day re-hydrating and on the hunt for a quality source). Jose Gonzales beneath the tree, pasta + veg from a packet and another stunning panorama of Spanish rural quality ensued – I love this place!
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