Saturday 8 August 2015

A district of lakes

Despite threatened storms, the good weather persists, so I've continued to make good progress - 32 km yesterday, a similar distance the day before, and probably the same today.  After Larche, yesterday I slogged up a hill, passing probably 150 people (on a trail near a car park!), then after 4.00 pm I saw no-one.  Among the many lakes which are such a feature of this district, Lac Lauzanier was particularly beautiful.  Then after another pass, I walked off-trail in a very wild area of moraine, variously coloured rocks and grass, not unlike Scotland - except that it was hot!  Threatened thunder held off, so I again bivvied near a little lake amidst glacial slabs.  These bivouacs have been the highlight of my journey: choosing a perfect spot with grand scenery, watching the sun set and the afterglow illumine the mountain tops and then falling asleep under the stars.  Then, of course, an early start - this morning it was at 5.15 and still dark, but soon the sun rose into a perfect blue sky and once again it has become hot.  This morning I've passed ten lakes on an amazing path traversing the mountains of the Mercanton range.  If the weather holds, I shall bivvy again tonight.

Postscript.  Well, I did manage 35 km today, but the weather didn't hold!  This afternoon there was a massive thunderstorm: it became black as night, hail lashed down, lightning struck as close as 150m away from me, and the thunder was so loud I had to put my fingers in my ears.  Pretty scary.  I'm now down to the road and waiting for Pam and Martin to pick me up - the storm has cleared away but it's camping and drying out for me tonight, no bivvy!

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