A photographer's dream
Raining. It was like this that dawn broke on the day we had decided to go up the Ordesa Valley on a photographic walk which would last 5 hours. I read that going up the valley and coming down was a question of 5 hours. It took me more than twice the time. I took photos of everything that seemed interesting and worth seeing.
It is a really fascinating place. Along the way I crossed paths with a fellow photographer who was surprised to see a GPS attached to a camera, and it was clear that he wasn’t bothered.
After about 3 hours, I had arrived eventually in the tourist part of the valley, "Cola de Caballo". However, the best photos were still to come. After an hour and a half ascent, I met the same group as before who were now descending. “Is it far to the refuge?” “At least an hour”. They were now returning but I knew that I was so tired, that I would have to spend a night – a wasteful night - in the refuge in the high mountain. The photos, overwhelming. Just getting there I found a beautiful plain with some ascents, they were frozen and I occasionally put my foot in the ice, but it was really beautiful.
Reaching the refuge, the first thing that you have to do is take off your boots, and this is really a relief. I drank a lot of water, and I went to bed. That night I slept at 6 in the evening. I got up at 6 in the morning, ate a cereal bar, and began the descent. Going down is more tiring than going up, I promise you. When I got to the car I was totally destroyed, and the return to Madrid I did without shoes. When I stopped half way at a petrol station to eat, I felt so stiff that I couldn’t move my legs, only my ankles.
My 5 day trip finished in 3, and I was destroyed for a week. Was it worth it? Yes, I’m mad about photography!
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