By all accounts, this is one of the best and worst treks I've done so far. I would have never signed up for it if you told me what awaited, yet I'd do it all over again without so much as hesitating. Probably. My friend and I arrived at the starting point towards the evening. Proud of my setup[^1], I photographed it.  The site was enchanting as the sun was setting.  Little did I know the little piece of duct tape covering the eyelet right in the middle of my tarp had come undone. It rained heavily that night, and I woke up in a soaking wet sleeping bag. We were off to a great start. It was still raining the next morning, but the fog was beautiful.  The worst thing to do on a hike in the morning is sitting, pondering whether to start walking. So we started walking.  After talking options, it was clear we had but one. Reaching a refuge approximately 42km away from us. Sleeping in a wet sleeping bag under a leaky tarp in a wet hammock was a no go, and when was going back ever an option? After a couple kilometers only we had already crossed a bunch of swamps. There's wasn't a single dry spot in our shoes anymore. There comes a point, when everything goes south, where I tend to completely let go, stop thinking of what's going to happen ten minutes from now, and laugh. I have no control whatsoever anyway, so I might as well have fun[^2]. I love landscapes in the fog and under the rain and the pictures they give me.  After a long day in the swamps, being soaked down our bones, we reached the refuge. During the night we kind of managed to dry our stuff, but not quite. The next day was just as rainy and swampy. During breakfast we had spotted another refuge, some 44km away from us too. My friend and I looked at each other, laughing. Obviously, we were not going to sign up for the same thing twice... "On the other hand..." said one of us. Long story short, we hit repeat. And reach the refuge we did — soaking wet once again.  The owners of [Gîte Toureves](https://gite-toureves.fr/), the refuge, were a lovely hospitable couple. The place was remote, charming and wild. I can't recommend it enough[^3]. We were so ahead of schedule[^4] we decided to rest and spent a couple of nights there. Best to stay in nature than camp nearby the station waiting for the train back ! This gave us time to explore the surroundings without our packs.  Having rested and our clothes dry, we said our goodbyes and went on.  Being still ahead of schedule, we took a detour to see the Villefort lake. I mostly remember getting a mild sunstroke on the way there.  The next day, we arrived at Mont Lozère et Goulet.  It was time to go home. [^1]: I started using hammocks some 15 years ago on my [[From Paris to St Petersburg on a DIY Bike|bike trip from Paris to St Petersburg]]. They're versatile, light and small. Provided you can find somewhere to put it. This has led me to sleep at night in public parks on occasion. The tarp is an addition from my time in the army. [^2]: I think the same happens when [[Run When It's Raining|I run while it's raining]]. Some say that "when things get tough the tough get going". I just say that when things get crazy the crazy start laughing. [^3]: In fact, I'd host my ideal wedding party there with a small circle of close friends. Maybe I'll manage to persuade [[2026-01-29 - Proposing to My Partner|my fiancée]]. This might cost me a few pairs of shoes. [^4]: The total hike was something like 125km, so we had 3 days left to walk 35km.