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Visit
a mountain hut
The climb out of Bourg d’Arud is steep
and hot, but the pine trees provide mottled shade
and, before the children can complain too much,
the path levels off, leading us on through tree
tunnels in birch woods and enticing us with the
sound of running water. Another climb and we find
an excellent picnic spot by a large pool. Finally
we tear ourselves away in the early afternoon and
walk ever upwards through carpets of dwarf azaleas
to a small bridge. The final sting in the tail is
tough but we can look down so far now – to
Les 2 Alpes and across to the surrounding mountains.
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We reach a brow, and suddenly
below is the Lac de la Muzelle, glaciers reflected in its
clear waters. We walk down to the big wooden hut. A kitten
is playing with the guardian's four year old twins. Under
a balcony an old Pyrenean mountain dog is sleeping. A girl
brings up a horse and two donkeys laden with provisions.
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We
find our dormitory and after the inevitable debate about who’s
in which bunk, Caroline, Annika, Nigel & I leave them
playing cards and sneak off for a bottle of Côte de
Rhone by the lake. Supper is early and copious. All 11 brothers,
sisters, and cousins at one long wooden table tuck into vegetable
soup, tartiflette and even a cheese course, followed by apple
purée and biscuits for desert. A few climbers in a
corner, Italians, French, Dutch, and children of all ages
make the atmosphere lively.
The wine speaks, the languages
blur, and soon we are blundering about looking for our beds
with our head torches and then pulling double blankets snug
over our shoulders. Our plan for the next day is to climb
over the Col du Vallon and return to the Gîte by way
of Lac Lauvitel, where the braver ones are determined to have
a swim!
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