Pyrenees: heat and geology…
1. After a quiet night at 8,600 feet above sea level, the good weather is in the game.
2. We take the trail again for the descent.
3. We head West through the southern foothills of the Pyrenees, sometimes on small roads, sometimes on trails, discovering pretty villages…
4. It is the hottest day with 110°F in the shade. We camp under the trees, near a river and take advantage of the new VLV shower installed before departure to refresh ourselves. A flock of sheep comes to drink right next to us.
5. The next day, we leave early to avoid the high temperatures. Panorama from Coll de Boixols.
6. And still these beautiful villages…
7. We arrive near the Congost de Mont Rebei, a deep canyon of the Noguera Ribagorçana river in which a vertiginous path has been dug. Parking is prohibited to vehicles over 6 feet high and we have to park along of the access road, 1.5 miles from the trailhead. View to the south from the “Mirador de les Lludrigues”.
8. Despite of the 104°F, we leave for the 4 miles leading to the beginning of the path dug in the cliff. Emile crossing a pedestrian suspension bridge.
9. Gradually, the trail rises as you enter the gorge.
10. In the heart of the canyon, the path is aerial !
11. Congost de Mont-Rebei in its upper part. The path is 400 feet above the river!
A gust appropriates Emile’s cap; we therefore improvise a headgear for the way back with a small cloth and a lace because the sun always beats down hard!
12. Back to VivaLaVida after 4 hours of hiking under 105°F, we take the road again, then a trail to get to the Muralla de Finestras. We get there in late afternoon as the sun starts to go down…
13. The level of the artificial lake which sometimes bathes the foot of this wall is very low this year…
14. From the ghost village at the end of the trail, we hike to the small hermitage of San Marcos which offers a nice viewpoint.
15. A last look at this geological curiosity before going back and finding a nice spot to sleep in the middle of nature and enjoying a shower…
To be followed in a few days…
D5 Creation
Lumière de canicule, c’est bien dommage mais vous avez dû vous en mettre plein les yeux malgré tout. C’est tellement beau l’Aragon! Quel dommage aussi que le niveau d’eau soit aussi catastrophiquement bas dans le Congost. C’est encore le cas maintenant, ça fait un peu peur!
Amicalement
Fred
Oui, un peu dommage pour la photo mais j’avoue que ça donne une ambiance particulière à ces contrées plutôt arides…
Quant au déficit en eau, c’est pareil dans beaucoup de coins d’Europe, à commencer par chez moi, sur la chaîne du Jura… Il faut dire qu’avec les moyennes de température de cette année, ce n’est guère étonnant : en Suisse, le seul mois de septembre a été 3.9°C plus chaud que la moyenne de ce mois depuis le début des relevés..! Effrayant…
My truck engine..the classic power stroke 7.2 liter diesel, now with 134,500 miles.., re-painted red-whit- green . The original buyer living in Texas & they’re choices for interior options such as a glass top stove,& such were impractical for full time travel- living.All important was converting to propane force 10 stove, roof top 400 watt solar single panel fitted between 2 roof top skylight fan vents..swing aways spare tire & a cabinet for tools at rear. A wood- charcoal burner for cozy heat by a. Michigan group named Fatsco, built the stove..its be its thru the roof thru a stove pipe.
Isn’t the Powerstroke a 7.3 liter?
VivaLaVida also have a diesel glass top stove. Propane stove are nice but everytime you change of country, you’ve to look for adaptors as connection norms are different in each country. A real pain.
That was a choice when I built her: only one energy source, diesel.
Looking forward to see some pictures.
Claude..hi! The photo #6 intrigues me..is it possible you would share the name..I would like to see more of that settlement..Of course I will keep the name protected.. Thank you 🎈How is Visa holding up..how many miles on the ticker now and you know I own and live full- time with a Econline 350 Sportsmobile from 2001 ..yet I gutted the basis plasticky interior & built more of a charming boat- like interior..I will share photos if you’d care to see..your address via Gmail ?
Hi Canyon,
Photo #6 is the small village of Bóixols, in Spain.
Otherwise, VivaLaVida still runs strong. She has almost 190’000 miles on the clock. Anyway, I make some maintenance every year when I take her out of winter storage: engine and trany oil change, brakes, etc. This year, I’m still gonna change all ball joints of front axle and steering arms.
Yes, I remember that you live full time in a van. I would be pleased to see pictures; caferriere (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks!
..families who adventure together stay together🎐
Thanks Canyon!