8/27 Briancon to Le Chalp

Big days of walking ahead! Today 15miles. We awoke a little late but refreshed. Chilly @ 4C but cloudless skies promised warmth. So we set out winding our way out of the old city. Just beyond the gates a herdsman was tending his goats. And we spoke a few minutes with an interesting gentleman on the town council who inquired about us and our stay in the city. Outside the gates, the GR takes you almost immediately on a wooded trail down to the river and the follows it into town. We passed a huge abandoned building with windows broke out that gave a strange feel to the area. We bought some bread for our sandwiches and bread pudding for an energy snack. We then left town and in the vicinity of the train station we stayed on the road. The GR makes a strange left turn up hill goes a ways then returns to the road we'd stayed on- one of the pearls gleaned from the girls 1986 guidebook. The route goes through small residential areas and eventually climbs above the valley on gravel road with good views back of the forts. These then are lost as the climb continues onto trail then eventually back onto road a long ways eventually parallel to a stream. The walk was easy through the woods with a stream always a pleasure and cooling. We eventually reached a hamlet Chalets des Ayes where we say by a stream and soaked our feet around having lunch. Many of the structured were of old weathered wood and appeared to be summer cabins.
After lunch my legs felt like lead and it made the going now on trail hard until the energy picked up. Steep climbing now to make elevation, finally launched us above the tree line. The grassy basin had some reddish areas suggestive of fall color, but probably just dryness. There were a few yellow larches lower down which again werre likely from the dry. The col is reached up a straight sweeping path without switchbacks. At 8100 ft it wasn't the highest pass we'd crossed, but the 4675 ft we'd gained to get there wasn't trivial. We left a note for our. Dutch friends then hheaded down the other side into a large basin of brown grass. Very scenic. The route descend steeply at times on areas of rough gravel to to reach a road looking into a large basin with a artificial lake and a long wood building. We pushed down the road eventually into trees and followed it past an extensive camping area and we marveled at the rest area with showers and laundry basins. We loaded up on water. Finally out of the trees we entered the town of Brunisard, but contined 30 minutes further to the town of Le Chalp where I'd booked a nice lodging. There was an inter-sport across the street. We relaxed amidst the antiques furnishing the hotel and eventually enjoyed a nice dinner.