The last long "run" before slowly starting the taper before UTMB CCC.
Planned route, following the GR-51, and passing through the archaeological area of Mont Bégo’s rock engravings:
Guide de la Vallée des Merveilles, with where to find the gravures préhistoriques along the route:
The day before weather forecast still looks pretty good:
I have spotted the first chamois of the day after just 20 minutes from setting off:
on the way up to the Pas de l'Arpette:
Pas de l'Arpette:
Views to both sides:
Now it's down to the Refuge des Merveilles - it can already be seen on the right bank of the lake on the left, Lac Long Superieur:
The lake itself shadowed by the massif of sacred Mont Bego:
I will be going up there a bit later, just from the other side. For now my route now follows GR-51, on the side of Mont Bego:
This is where the engravings start:
Another pass to climb now, Baisse de Valmasque:
with a nice surprise guest at the top:
Time to go up Mont Bego (on the right):
Still long way to go:
This part is a little bit more demanding:
On the summit:
These views!
Down from Baisse de Valmasque, with views over Lac du Basto:
Now up the 3rd pass of the day, Baisse du Basto:
still with views to Lac du Basto:
and even more chamois:
And here we are, the last big climb of the day done:
Views from the top - where I came from, and where I'm going to (Refuge de Nice, somewhere down there):
Chamois everywhere:
Even spotted one marmot:
Have run out of water at this point, but fortunately there's plenty around:
Got to Refuge de Nice, and its campsite over Lac de la Fous, setting up for a night under the stars:
Lots of chamois hanging around the dam:
Final kilometers down are pretty rocky, but the finish line, the car, and the food are somewhere down there:
All done!