On the animal track - hike at the Pont d'Espagne, with Caminando

The Spanish bridge, at the end of April - here we are with Julien, our mountain accompanying guide, for a hike to meet traces of wild animals.

The exit is organized by Caminando: go to the Cauterets mountain office, from where we take the direction of the Puntas parking lot. The weather is magnificent, the generous waterfalls: it promises to be beautiful!

As soon as the door is passed, we start our journey outside the marked path. All around us the nature awakens, a tender green which contrasts with the brown of the carpet of maple leaves and the dark green of the pines.

Julien gives us the small names of the multiple flowers which dot the undergrowth: white and mauve hepatic, anemones of woods, scilles lis-jacinths, soldines, daphnesis, and populations of marshes in wetlands.

And everywhere blueberries and rhododendrons announcing new colors next month!

By progressing in the moraines, between strains and rocks, we meet in passing of anthill active active and the recent whimsicals of wild boars.

Other, discreet traces are not long in coming - of course it is Julien who, the first, benchmarks: swarming buds on the branches of the low branches, the base of a cleaned trunk of his lichen ... these are Traces of Abrouse, an Isard went well here!

A little further, we find more direct signs: droppings, small rosary balls - not easy to spot in the middle of herbs and leaves! - and much more visible, large bark areas torn off on certain trunks , with the brands left by the horns.

Higher up, over short ascents punctuated by breaks of fauna and flora observations, we arrive at Lac des Huats, in a postcard decor with the snowy vignemale massif in the background.

It is a small tray where the Gave de Gaube becomes particularly calm and spreads out in width, branting into small streams in the middle of sphangles and hides, which begin to point their noses out of the water.
A peat bog where life is lush, an ideal spray for aquatic animals: in shallow areas, we distinguish the benches of trout and the laying of frogs.
In the foams, we meet Mr. and Madame Grenouille Rousse , very busy in their love dialogue ...

On the banks, all the animals have left their fingerprints: fox, marten-or perhaps badger? - Isards and wild boars.

Thanks to a small, very practical fingerprint fan, Julien explains how to distinguish them ... which ultimately becomes quite easy if we have the chance to find very clear traces.

A little gem of tranquility, Lake Huats offers a magnificent view of the Vignemale massif . Julien plants his long view, and begins to scrutinize the grassy slopes with the twin in front of us ... and Bingo, our first Isard is in sight! He grazed quietly in the middle of an avalanche corridor. We can thus observe it for long minutes, magic!

We finish our hike by descending quietly by the GR10 ... We realize when we have well set up, without even realizing it so much we were absorbed in our observations. An outing full of wealth and discovery of natural wonders. To do absolutely, thank you Julien & Caminando!