Walt and Pic du Midi d’Ossau

First day of the real hike with all my gear. Also a long day and a proper pass plus this splendid view at the top. Superlatives are failing me on the flora, like hiking through an endless rock garden with drifts of gentians, orchids, houseleeks…another postcard extra. I met my first other GR11 hiker a guy from Barcelona so we had a chat - he’s going the opposite way to me. Lower down I met a huge group of Spanish scouts and guides - impressively they’d camped up at the lakes. I was glad to arrive and even more pleased to find my room has a bath - last luxury for a while.