Wild Camp to Refugio d'Anglos

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I covered about 11 miles to get to this lake and the cabana below, not bad when the average gradient is 50 degrees.  After a windy night, a quick breakfast, and a look at the map I was off up valleys that looked like Clint Eastwood would be at home in them.  Then as a pattern emerged in this new life I felt the comfort from understanding it.  The morning marmot's call; the bells on cows, sheep and goats; the night wind, the walking; meeting people; pitching camp; This was what I did now.  The beautiful views seemed to permeate your being and make you feel good.  I was looking forward to coming back and doing the whole East to West route, without the time pressure I was under now.
I thanked my instinct for checking me when I accidently started to go down the H.R.P (High Route Pyr.).  Then stopped by a lake and had a breather.  Next to me was a projecting rock about 30 metres high whose fancy  patterned rock face made it look like a city designed by Escher. (my battery was flat)

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This was the view down to the lake on which stood Refuge dera Restanca an earlier refuge which hugged the side of this reservoir with menace.  It looked not unlike a place of containment during a certain war and from which men escaped only temporarily.

In fact I had met a lovely German father and his son who gave it a bad review earlier, when I finally saw it I was aware of the irony.  

I wasn't tempted to take a bed here, even though I met up with quite a number of walkers that I recognised from the long days trekking.  An Englishman called Alex, who'd been at the garage with me and the 3 Poles, was there and I chatted to him for a while.  His eyes flickered about as though something was restless inside him (Oh had I been there!). I left him and the happy Spanish couples and crossed the dam to pick up the GR11.

A girl was making notes sitting on a wall overlooking the water and getting away from the throng getting ready to chow down at the refuge.  I'd managed to get a shower there and felt champion.  Some dip in the mountains awaited my tent.