DAY 11. June 8th. ZURIZA TO GUARRINZA.

Spectacular! Real mountains, snow and sun. Lost after Refugio de Taxera up on big hill with GR11 down in big valley. Back on route and up through pass…all amazing. Patches of snow and icey wind. Bad knee coming down. Refuge of La Mina is not open so pitch tent among the cows by the river. Chilly but sleep well and lovely views in the morning.

DAY 12. June 9th. GUARRINZA TO SOMPORT

10 hour day. Up to valley of Aguas Tuertas. Lovely green, marshy valley. See sick, still isard and our first marmots. Climb again and encounter another diseased isard, this one mad and blind and torturing itself going round in circles. Sandy cries, HORRIBLE TO SEE. Climb to 1930m. Some snow, lots of rocks, hard work and hungry. Never-ending descent to lake where we had decided to eat. Make pasta and rain starts. Gradual descent through woods but miss turning to Candanchu and end up on the main road. Fortunate mistake as this leads us via the Camino to Somport where we have booked albergue “Ainsa”. €130 with room for 3, dinner, breakfast and beers. Hot water, bad mattress, bad food. Attractive setting, storms predicted for next day.