>>1919919>hiking in Massif Central, in France, halloween week-end, 2019>Cynthia storm>we're both experienced hikers, in our 30's, we know we may have to re-route is it gets bad, but decide to go anyway>It's a 4 day hike>2 first day 90% rain, fog so forget any landscapes> we still have great fun, we know our gear so even in thrain, setting up camp is abreeze and comfy chilling in the evening>friend is a morning shitter, thinks he can go without one day, we pack up, gear up all softshell/hardshell/raincover layers, under buckets of rain, real dense, hard hitting heavy drops. can't hold it, has to undo everyhting and shit under the rain like a drowned dog, laughingmyassoff.jpg>last day is the highest part of the hike Puy de Sancy, we're watching forecast, have fallback route planned
>we're supposed to hike 10k on the high plateaus before strating the climb>and then it starts>rain is litteraly fucking horizontal, we're looking at our feet to not get soaked>track turns into 20m long, 80 cm deep puddles>I'm 90kgs/200lbs with a 15kg/30lbs pack and the wind is shaking me around>my friend is barely more than half my size, he's walking at 45° angle, Michael Jackson style, to stand against the wind>like this from6 am to 11:30 am out in the open, no trees no cover, just rain and wind, we can't hear one another unless we're screaming in each other ear>signal "fuck it, fall back"> branch off downwards, after an hour or two find a sherperd hut>never felt so good unpacking, getting a fire going, eating and getting drywe stayed there for the night, and headed down the next day. I've never felt so exhausted just by the sheer force of the elements. It was never dangerous, we were not to high, and the track was not over a drop orr anything, but just the stength of the wind and rain broke us down, the closest I can describe is getting wased out when surfing, it was like that, except on land, I never thought wind and rain alone could knock you around this bad
