Also, Wednesday is market day in Argelès Gazost so lots more traffic around. The town centre is closed however the one way system that starts at the zoo and winds towards the centre and then up into the valley is open.. My advice though... Arrive on a non market day. It's less hassle.
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We went up the Col Du Tourmalet from the east, but the road down from the Col into Luz St Saveur was blocked at Bageres where there was tremendous amount of damage and debris still around. Huge lorries were trucking what appeared to be whole forests of fallen trees, and yet more lorries were moving metal and concrete debris. Other roads in the area between Luz St Saveur and Argeles Gazost were also closed for periods of the day.
Other routes into/out of Lourdes and Cauterets are affected on a day to day basis as the contractors move debris from that particular area.
I think we were very lucky when we were at Pyrenees Natura as we left on the 17th June just the day before they had the awful weather which has obviously caused such tremendous damage.
Friends who were still on the site said that the sound of boulders rolling down the river outside the site kept them awake that night. Luckily they managed to get out before the road was too damaged. We had noticed in the week we were there that the melt water was increasing every day and the river was getting faster each day.
ValA - the Col Du Tourmalet was closed all the time we were there from Bagneres as it was still blocked by snow even in mid June.
Three photos attached with one showing the meltwater below Lac d'Estaing and one of a route barree sign just above Lac d'Estaing and one where we stopped on our way down from Bagneres of an avalanche of snow.
There was still an awful lot of snow in the High Pyrenees - more than normal for this time of year, apparently, and the streams are all still very full but the blocked roads are those affected by the numbers of lorries bringing debris down from the villages damaged by flooding. They close the roads whilst the convoys remove the material and then keep them closed until they return empty. I can't imagine where they are putting it all - I mean we must have seen forty huge lorries full of tree trunks and half that many full of concrete and metal - including lots of flattened mobile homes!
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Quote: Originally posted by jandjstott on 16/9/2013
I think we were very lucky when we were at Pyrenees Natura as we left on the 17th June just the day before they had the awful weather which has obviously caused such tremendous damage.
Friends who were still on the site said that the sound of boulders rolling down the river outside the site kept them awake that night. Luckily they managed to get out before the road was too damaged. We had noticed in the week we were there that the melt water was increasing every day and the river was getting faster each day.
ValA - the Col Du Tourmalet was closed all the time we were there from Bagneres as it was still blocked by snow even in mid June.
Three photos attached with one showing the meltwater below Lac d'Estaing and one of a route barree sign just above Lac d'Estaing and one where we stopped on our way down from Bagneres of an avalanche of snow.
John
It was quite disconcerting to hear the noise of massive boulders being thrashed down the river. The force of what is a small river with melt I was unbelievable. Wildlife was also caught up in it. A baby brown bear was washed down stream. The mad thing us though that when the rain really got bad, the site began to fill up with evacuees from further down the valley. There is a wall that protects the site from the main road and river but at the bottom of the site, there is a pond.... Who knows where the fish went but it was consumed by floodwater at one point. There was also a lovely bench just downstream of the site which I use to sit on after a long cycle from Argelès.... It's gone now too!
Forgot to say, your second photo of the route Baree... The sign was there when I arrived in may and still there in July. Nobody heeded it and drove past it. It takes you to a small area to park your car. I wouldn't take anything but a 4x4 but in saying that the farmers were using little Renault kangoos and they coped with the track quite well.
The walk into the valley and up to the next lake is spectacular. Be on guard for the odd snake as there is a rocky climb at one point and snakes do love to hide amongst the warm rocks. I saw 2 during my stay...
Quote: Originally posted by robert821 on 17/9/2013
Forgot to say, your second photo of the route Baree... The sign was there when I arrived in may and still there in July. Nobody heeded it and drove past it. It takes you to a small area to park your car. I wouldn't take anything but a 4x4 but in saying that the farmers were using little Renault kangoos and they coped with the track quite well.
The walk into the valley and up to the next lake is spectacular. Be on guard for the odd snake as there is a rocky climb at one point and snakes do love to hide amongst the warm rocks. I saw 2 during my stay...
We noticed that people were ignoring the Route Baree sign and watched as a small French car with 3 obviously elderly people go blithely sailing past the sign and disappear towards the parking area you mentioned.
Do remember when we left it was quite hot but you could tell there was a build up of cloud starting and Meteo France had issued a 72 hour warning of very severe weather from the Pyrenees to past the Vendee and stretching 100 km inland from the west coast. We travelled up to Sarlat on the 17th and it was hot but started to rain in the evening. We then went up to Chinon with some very heavy rain on the way and next day we travelled up to Normandy and it was the worst driving conditions I think we have ever encountered. Had it been in the UK I would not have gone anywhere near a motorway but as it was France and the motorways quiet we kept going. What it must have been like in the Pyrenees I dread to think.
John
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Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Camping Pyrenees Natura
