Day 38 – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

I awoke with the sun peering into my tent, warming it up after a cold night so I could quickly pack up and hit the road.

There was another 12km of ridge and plateau walking before the climbs of the day. I stopped and had coffee and admired the world class valley below.

I had again decided to burn my guidebook and take another long, unmarked ridge walk, when it directed you to go way down off the ridge to a refuge for the night. As if!

This area, around Pic Canigou (2,780m), is the last high elevation section of the Pyrénées, before an easy walk through the foothills to the Mediterranean. I was gonna soak up every bit of high elevation I could get today.

So I started up the ridge walk, which was well marked up to a point.

There were many sections along rocky spines, where foot placement on every step was critical. I was planning to avoid Pic Canigou entirely, as I don’t like going to super touristed places. I always end up having to pass everyone because of how fast I hike, and it just feels awkward. Plus I have to say hello to someone like every 30 seconds as everyone is going to climb the mountain! I almost fell on my face once, during that brief lapse of concentration when you look up to acknowledge someone’s presence as they’re coming towards you. It just feels weird and forced and that’s why I like to avoid those places! That’s why I go to the most remote mountains, hah.

So this ridge walk was supposed to take me right past the mountain, but the trail petered out about halfways through! Oh well. I got to hike down to some nice glacial lakes and make a second lunch. The lines on the map are lies sometimes. Some arm chair hiker musta drawn that trail. Figures.

I took the trail that goes up to Pic Canigou, but I took an alternate ridge trail that cuts off the peak. I had the whole trail to myself, although it seemed that all I had to enjoy was the fog that had rolled in. Good thing I didn’t go for the peak.

Then, after hiking down the ridge a ways, I came below the fog, and what I saw out in front of me brought me the most excitement of this whole trip!

It was the Mediterranean sea! I could see it from my vantage point on the ridge trail. That’s what I’ve been hiking towards for 38 days, and now I finally see it for the first time! It was an exceptional moment.

After going down a ways, I picked up the Tour du Canigo trail, which makes a big circle around the Canigou region. It was the perfect way to end the day. Sweeping views of the Mediterranean, a nice level ridge trail, ahhh, I might cry.