Monday, August 22, 2022

Today's route:

La Barge (1875 m) - Pont du Châtelet (1641 m) - Les Vistes (1950 m) - Fouillouse (1872 m) - Col du Vallonnet (2524 m) - Le Vallonnet (2390 m) - Col du Mallemort (2558 m)

Today's day will be a bit long again, including two pass crossings and a constant up and down. In the evening, we are happy to have found a flat area to camp just below the second pass (see photo).

On the climb from the campsite to the main road, we come across the two Swiss people again, who stayed in Maljasset. The two of us stop at the Saint-Antoine chapel and have a late breakfast (cheese and bread); we only see the Swiss people briefly in Fouillouse.

In Fouillouse, we stop and enjoy ourselves; the first warm meal after two days. The host is a funny character. We take our time and let the tent dry in the hot sun as well.

Regarding food: Normally, we eat cold food from the backpack, so bread, cheese, sausage, some vegetables and fruits. In between, dried fruits and nuts. Every two days or so, we can eat something warm in a restaurant. (We don't have a stove, dishes, etc. with us.) This is all enough, even if monotonous, actually very good; sometimes a bit more carbohydrates wouldn't hurt.

The further ascent to the first and then the second pass is steady, but not fast. The military fortifications of Viraysse, probably from the First World War, give the otherwise beautiful landscape a rather unreal touch. The second pass is probably not called 'Col de Mallemort' without reason.

Just below the pass at about 2450 meters in altitude, we find a good campsite with a view.