Day 9: St Engrace to Arrette la Pierre St Martin

We crept out of the barn early to not overstay our welcome, but unfortunately our early morning blur caused us to lose the trail.  After some frustrating map study we realized we could continue on our route via another road and eventually, an hour or so late, made our way into the sweet little town of St Engrace.  We stopped in at the auberge for a hard earned coffee before we continued our climb. Out of St Engrace we entered into a very wet forest that reminded us of the Pacific northwest with lush ferns and thick moss.  An hour or so later we emerged into high mountain grasslands with near zero visibility.  The fog was so thick that we were unable to follow the trail markers so we turned on the GPS which Nelson pre-loaded with waypoints in case we ever got lost (smart planning Nelie).  Unfortunately, the nearest GPS waypoint was about a mile away and straight up the mountain.  So, we climbed straight to the top up steep cliffs and soaking wet grass- continuing the rest of the day seeking waypoints until we hit the trail again.  By the time we finally reached a refuge that night we were soaked and exhausted.  We ordered a demi-litre of red wine, took warm showers and crawled into bed for a nap before dinner.  The refuge at Arrette la Pierre St Martin was a real treat with very kind owners and delicious food.  Our night was even better improved when Steve, Lucy and Frederick also wandered in out of the thick fog.  After a long, hard day we welcomed a warm night indoors with good company.