Refuge de Presset to Refuge de l'Econdu (11.4km, +346, -959)
Sunset and sunrise above Pierra Menta
My destination for this morning is Col du Coin, and to get there I need retrace my steps down the mountain. This time I take a lower trail, bypassing the Rock of Death. Am I the only one who is scared shitless by these things? I am reluctant to return the entire way, and the maps show at least three higher trails , the first one leaving straight from the Col Bresson. But when I reach the col there no trace of a trail. This is the same for the next two trails - no trail blazes and no trails. So about 2/3 of the way down I take the first turn I find, and head towards Lac a'Amour. It's a small lake, and I make the bold decision to take my first Alpine dip. In my shorts and sports bra I immerse myself in the cold water. It's not as cold as other lakes I've sampled, and the day is hot, so once I step out, I am dry in no time. As I sit at the banks of the lake a duo of trail-markers arrive, one with red paint, the other with yellow, efficiently renewing the trail blazes. From now on, those will glisten in the sun.
From the lake it's a short, gravel trail onto Col du Coin. The last few meters are a bitch - a combination of bad trail maintenance, wet soil and a difficult angle makes the ascent very very hard, particularly with the heavy load on my back. As I head up, a large group is heading down, and one of the boys says to me in French "good luck on the way down". Was he mocking me? is it even worse on the other side? Be still my heart. The top is tiny and full of people, so I don't linger. The way down is actually not too bad.
Looking back from Col du Coin
Signage here is a bit confusing, but I see that the trail ahead will quickly lead me to a road, so I take a right towards Croix du Berger. It's a mix of meadows and rocks and tiny (almost dry) lakes. This stretch is close to the road, and is very popular with families, but it's still beautiful. I would recommend taking this trail even if you sleep at Refuge de La Coire.
I hit a busy junction with a car park, take a right and quickly find myself on a trail criss-crossing the road. The trail goes along a creek, shaded and wet.
Refuge de L'econdu is small, and I arrive early, just as the last lunch guests are finishing their meals. It it ran by a very efficient French lady, who finds time to cook, take drink orders, show people around and take care of the chickens, who she lets out on the lawn. The hut has two dormitory rooms and one small dinning room. Dinner is hardcore - a local sausage, a kind that even the French speakers in the small dining room (all but myself and a Dutch man, who speaks French with a heavy accent) don't recognise. It's made of pork, cabbage and some kind of local herb. It's much better than it smells, served with boiled potatoes.
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