I woke up early, being that I was on the ridge, the sun hit me first thing about 8am.
It was necessary to make it down to the Ski village of Isola 2000 in a hurry today, as the supermarket (the only one for miles) was only open 10am-noon, and I needed to make one more resupply to make it to the Mediterranean.
Yepo, after today, it’s just two days through Mercantour National Park, the Valley of Marvels, and one final day to the Mediterranean Sea at Menton! The end of one journey, and the beginning of another. Well anyways, I have to make it there first before getting all sentimental.
So I hike the ridge towards Isola, having done all the uphill the night before to make for an easy day. I arrive at a col on a highway, and make a number of bushwhack shortcuts to cut off some of the long highway curves on the way down to town.
Finally, I make it to the market, and get alllll the good stuff. Apple juice. Peaches. Cookie dough ice cream (it was depleted before I left the building), along with a fresh baguette and sandwich supplies, and various hiker foods to make it through the next few days.
From Isola, there was a short climb to a col, and then a long, almost level descent to another col on a dirt road, about 5km long. When I arrived at the second col, I finally stepped onto the legendary GR-52 trail, the alternate to the GR-5 that leads through the Valley of Marvels in Mercantour National Park. Can’t pass that up. I reckon the title “VALLEY OF MARVELS” is not something that the French would throw around lightly, considering their love of mountains.
The GR52 leads down to the forest town of Boreon, a small village on an artificial lake. I booked a night with dinner and breakfast at a Gîte here, so I could get a shower and recharge my batteries.
It’s hard to believe it, but it has been a week since my last lodging in Briançon. I have really been moving! Inspired by my fight with sickness early on in this trail, no doubt. The thought of not being able to finish this trail because of a stomache bug just galvanized my resolve to hike that much faster and kick this trail’s ass! Booyah!
Okay, it’s dinner time. Salad, bread, lentils with sausage, yogurt pudding. Good night!
