After a bit of a unpleasant night because of several rain showers which convert my tent into a sound machine I waited out the last rain and also used the wind to dry my tent before I left.

The day started out good with – now – good weather and also a good trail.

But what happened then I still get furious. Then the trail became so bad again. First I managed to get on the route which was going over the Pass instead of the Tuk de Marimanya. Also on the way down it was a horrible (no) trail through scree, boulders and even worse partly overgrown boulders.

They are the worst because you end up postholing in between the boulders when you step on vegetation which you think is firm but is not. Super dangerous! Almost broke my foot/leg twice. Even trying to follow the GPS didn’t make any difference since wherever there was supposed to be a trail there just was none. A few irritating cairns but it all ended up in a nasty tumbling and bushwhacking session all the way to the Refugio Arioto. I hated it badly. The worst morning so far on the trail. In was cursing and yelling nonstop and I would definitely not walk this section again. I would rather walk 30km on the road. And you know how much I dislike road walks…

Refugio Arioto for me had a Japanese Touch the entire time I heard and read about it. A-hai! For me the sound was somehow very Japanese. But when I got there it reminded me much more on one of the New Zealand huts – classical A-frame and the famous color orange.

A few nice views and a better trail from here on. But I was still complaining loudly about the morning to myself…

The next descend to Alos d’Isil topped it for the day. After the dirt road stopped just another 2h of bushwhacking and non-existing trails.

When I finally arrived in Alos at 2pm I really just wanted to lay down and sleep – as apparently everybody else did at that time of day.

Luckily the day turned out a lot better in the afternoon! Trails were viable again, the comfortable up and down of steep slopes and better views.

My mood really picked up again. I arrived at the Refugio Enric Pujol at 8pm but continued down to the lake to pitch my tent instead.

For one a good decision because just when I left the hut a group of 15 teenagers came up the trail to spend the night in the hut. On the other hand it is just starting to storm out here. Lightning in the distance, strong wind and rain. Could be another interesting night… 🙈

Had a bath again in the lake. The first one since…? 🤷‍♂️

PS: nice polished granite on the way down. Amazing work of the glaciers: