Sunshine! Starting early, I climb the remaining 150 meters elevation to the Col de Burdincurucheta and after a short downhill another 400 meters to the Col d’Iraty.
The downhill from here is steep and fast. Before ling I arrive at Larrau where I make an early lunch.
The Port de Larreau beckons, another 1000 m ascent over 12 km. Now the sun is burning down hot and I’m glad of every forest section.
After the downhill I traverse eastwards to Isaba and ride up the aptly named Belagua river, finally making camp at Isaba campground. At 5 pm, it’s still early but the dark clouds ahead do not bode well.
The place is huge and largely empty and just as I’ve set up my tent the first raindrops start falling. Soon a heavy thunderstorm starts but passes through in less than an hour.
65 km, 2600 m elevation