Wed PM Aug 20: Petra Piana to Refuge L'Onda

The second etape of the day 5. We start from Petra Piana at 14:00.

We have two choices: the low route, the regular GR20 trail, or the more challenging high route - through the ridges. We choose the high option... through the ridges - because it's supposed to be shorter. There is a possibility that there will be more rock scrambling and more adrenaline rising passages, but we take the risk. And it pays off! It's not as difficult as we were expecting, although one Frenchman suggested we should turn back when we met him mid route and we said we might have mild vertigo! We get to the Refuge l'Onda in a reasonable time of 4 hours. The low route would have taken much longer.

See the beautiful views below.

The fertilizer production line.

Arrived at 18:00.

At the destination it turns out that the refuge l'Onda is less attractive than the 50 meters lower laid Bergerie de l'Onda with its shower, epicerie and a camp site.
The tent option wins again.

The bergerie owners cater for the hikers as well as doing their 'mountain' business involving a lot of animals (dogs, donkeys, horses, pigs) and mysterious white bags full of gravel.

The John Cash joke ;-)

We go for a rich soup at the bergerie - rich enough to satisfy our apettites.

Marcus uses stones to protect the sides of the tent. It proves to be a brilliant idea as the night is windy and for most of the time it feels like we're about to take off and fly away.

The last sun set in the mountains...

A small overview of the facilities that are present in one for or another at the each accommodation stop en route: the washing lines

The stand in toilet (with optional light or door lock)

A shower - hot water not an option