{"id":2031,"date":"2014-09-09T18:21:19","date_gmt":"2014-09-09T18:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/?p=2031"},"modified":"2019-05-14T10:39:09","modified_gmt":"2019-05-14T00:39:09","slug":"col-daubisque","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/?p=2031","title":{"rendered":"Col d’Aubisque, France. 2014 \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Travelled : 103 miles to Col d’Aubisque in the Central Pyrenees <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visited : Valley d’Ossau, Le Petit Train Artouste<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay : Col d’Aubisque, car park, no services, N 42.972.02 W 000.32.469<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expenses : 29 Days @ \u20ac76 per day<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This morning we did actually get up early, do the house keeping and hit the road. \u00a0Oloron-Ste-Marie is at the edge of the Valley d’Aspe a favoured passageway into Spain from central France as there is a tunnel through a section of the Pyrenees saving a lot of driving time. \u00a0Anyway that’s according to our Belgium neighbour last night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We need to cross into the next valley to the east, Valley d’Ossau for our next adventure. \u00a0So it’s another mountain climb for the Hymer. \u00a0The road across is the D918, its narrow, steep and never straight for more than 150 metres as we drive along it. \u00a0It also passes through wonderful forests sections and we see little isolated farm cottages as we wind our way along. \u00a0We also see several peloton of cyclists which give both them and us a scar more than once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once into the Valley d’Ossau we head south high into the valley until we arrive at Fabrages. \u00a0It a small modern ski resort sitting on the edge of a dam used as part of the hydro electric system. \u00a0We buy tickets for the Petit Train which include the initial trip up the mountain by gondola from 1200 to 2000 metres. \u00a0Whilst everything in the resort level is very modern including the gondola, the Petit Train is the 1920 version. \u00a0The line was built as part of the engineering works to construct the upper dam, now called Lake d’Artouste which sits at 1969 metres. \u00a0The train doesn’t particularly climb or descent much during the 50 minute journey but meanders along the mountain sides hanging an somehow. The drop off the line into the valley below is breathtaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Pam<\/a>
Pam making lunch whilst parked up at Fabreges.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Lake<\/a>
Hydro Electric Dam, Fabreges.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Lake<\/a>
Lake d’Artouste  In the foreground, Pic du Midi d’Ossau in the Background at 2481 metres.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Petit<\/a>
Petit Train doing it’s thing, Fabreges.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Another<\/a>
Another view of Pic du Midi d’Ossau.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Once there we walk up to the lake and wander about taking photos and having lunch until the next train departs for the gondola. \u00a0The lake’s waters are used as part of the hydro electric system . I don’t remember ever seeing water as crystal clear. \u00a0On our way back the trains driver slows several times as we passed what the brochure called Le vautour fauve but looked more like a buzzard to us and marmots which they obviously prey upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Not<\/a>
Not good sleeping here !<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Back in our camper car we decide to keep moving and find somewhere to stay the night. \u00a0Our batteries are fully charged and water tank full, so we hope to free camp. \u00a0We drive north back to Larens onto the D918 which crosses over to the next valley east the Arrens. \u00a0The road is narrow, winding and very steep in parts. \u00a0It’s getting late as we arrive in Gourette a large ski village. \u00a0There is a free Aire and we drive in thinking this will do. \u00a0Within a few minutes a farmer starts herding his cattle into a holding pen at the end of the yard. \u00a0The cattle aren’t happy, they all have bell around there necks. \u00a0We decide to keep moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Five kilometres up the road we turn the crest of the range at Col d’Aubisque, they is a small car park on top of the mountain. \u00a0Col d’Aubisque is a regular staging point for the tour and we can see why. Hopefully the pictures show you the view better than I can describe. \u00a0We sit in our camper car, enjoying leftover pasta, beer and rose. Through our windows the scenery changes every few minutes as the fading sun changes the colour of the Pyrenees. \u00a0The occasional cloud runs up the valley covers us then clears just as quickly. \u00a0This could be our evening to remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Our<\/a>
Our Hymer deserves a rest after that climb.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Michael and Pam<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Travelled : 103 miles to Col d’Aubisque in the Central Pyrenees  Visited : Valley d’Ossau, Le Petit Train Artouste Stay : Col d’Aubisque, car park, no services, N 42.972.02 W 000.32.469 Expenses : 29 Days @ \u20ac76 per day This morning we did actually get up early, do the house keeping and hit the road. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":2053,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[63],"class_list":{"0":"post-2031","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-france","8":"tag-mountain-stops","9":"czr-hentry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2031"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17604,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031\/revisions\/17604"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}