40th Day (16.9.22)

We were woken up promptly at seven with the phrase 'Breakfast... NOW!' The other two went for breakfast while I helped myself to my provisions. Once we had everything packed, we set off to cross the pass to Refugio Ventosa. We said goodbye to Eva, the German girl we had played cards with, and started walking. The ascent was tough but a lot of fun. We first walked through a meadowland that gradually turned into the traces of an ancient glacier. We climbed over massive rocks and followed the yellow markers and stone piles that were placed along the Carros de Fog. After about two hours of ascending, we finally reached the pass where we took a long break.

On the pass, a bearded vulture and a golden eagle flew over our heads. Majestically, they sailed through the landscape in search of food. After resting, we started the descent. Ahead of us, we could see several lakes sitting navy blue in the landscape. Every few meters, we stopped to enjoy the scenery, and the sun broke free from its cloud prison to accompany us on the rest of the hike. After a short time, we reached the first mountain lake and descended the last stretch to the shore. Merle and I jumped in and I swam to the other shore.

Once cooled down, we continued on our way, passing fascinating rock formations, imposing peaks, and rushing streams. In the afternoon, we finally reached Ventosa. Eva was already waiting for us there, as she had reached the hut via a different pass. Together with a Scotsman, another German, and an Israeli couple, we played cards. We had a hearty hut dinner, consisting of 4 courses, which felt like stones in our stomachs at the end of the evening and we were only kept awake by the snoring concert.