Sabíamos que el desnivel de la etapa era importante así que salimos pronto. Los primeros km son por pista y carretera (está muy mal marcado) hasta llegar a la Guingueta d’Àneu, donde desayunamos los bocadillos que nos habíamos preparado.
Una vez salimos de la Guingueta d’Àneu empezó la tortura de subir hasta Dorve y luego hasta el Coll de lo Calbo (2220 m). Afortunadamente el camino va por el bosque porque el sol quemaba.
Al final llegamos a Estaón donde la pareja que lleva el refugio nos atendieron genial. Hacen sus propios ungüentos (antiinflamatorios, antihistamínicos, relajantes…) y los dejan en el lavabo para que los usen los huéspedes. Tienen puesto un sofá en la calle con unas mesas y unas sillas donde se reunieron los 4 vecinos del pueblo con los 4 excursionistas que íbamos a pasar la noche ahí y estuvimos todos hablando un rato largo.
Esta fue una etapa completamente evitable tanto por lo aburrido como por el gran esfuerzo físico para, en el fondo, no ver nada interesante.
RESUMEN DE LA ETAPA
Fecha: 25 de julio de 2018
Hora y altitud de partida: 07:15 a 1320 m
Hora y altitud de llegada: 15:15 a 1530 m
Distancia: 21 km
Desnivel acumulado: +1300 / -1400
Tipo de vía: Carretera y sendero
Meteorología: Soleado al principio y nublado al final
Alojamiento: Refugio Estaón por 16 €/persona
Enrique & Marina
PYRENEES TRAIL GR11 STAGE 19: ESPOT - ESTAÓN
We were very aware that the elevation gain and loss and the temperature was going to challenge us so we left as early as we managed. The first kilometres to La Guingueta d’Àneu follow the road. There’re a few sections of path to skip the road but the turns are poorly marked and we kept missing them. In La Guingueta We had coffee and a couple of nice sandwiches we had prepared.
After breakfast the torture started first climbing to Dorve and then to Saddle of Lo Calbo (2220 m). The trail is exposed, dry and ungly but, luckily, enters a life-saving forest. The day was very hot even for Spanish standards, with not a single breeze; the sun would have burnt us despite the tons of sunscreen we wear.
Finally we arrived in Estaón where the couple who takes care of the hostel took good care of us with great local and homemade meals. They also prepare homemade ointments for scratches, sores, allergies and other common mountain aches. They have them in the guest’s toilet to kindly share. Also, they turned the hostel’s bar in the only bar in town so both locals and visitors have now a place to hang out.
For us, this was an absolutely unnecessary stage because we found it terribly boring while exhausting at the same time. In our opinion the views weren’t worth the effort whatsoever, the highlight was to meet these people in Estaón that we could have met anyway skipping Dorve, Lo Calbo and the heat.
STAGE OVERVIEW:
Date: 25th of July 2018
Start time and altitude: 7:15 at 1320 m
Finish time and altitude: 15:15 at 1530 m
Distance: 21 km
Cumulative elevation gain/loss: +1300 / -1400
Type of track: trail and road
Weather on the day: sunny and very and light thunder in the afternoon
Accommodation: Estaón Hostel, 16 €/persona in a shared room
Enrique & Marina
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