Had I done enough training? Did I have all the correct equipment? Were my loaded backpack and I going to be good friends, or hated enemies? All these questions were whirring through my head as Debs, Sally, and I boarded the plane to Toulouse for the start of our anticipated hiking adventure - Le Chemin de la Liberte. We would be retracing the steps of many a brave man, woman, and child who had clambered over the cols of the Pyrenees from France to Spain in search of freedom from the Nazis.
The adventure began in St. Girons when we crossed the bridge that marked the beginning of the historic trail: a trail that had offered so many the freedom that they never thought possible.
The day was perfect. Clear blue skies, sunshine, and warmth greeted us as we exited the pension and began the hike that we had been anticipating for so many months. The trail led through gently undulating terrain: green fields with mountains in the distance, all of which belied the challenges ahead of us all.
The sound of our boots against the pathway, and of our hiking poles clicking on the stones, competed with the natural sounds of the wind and the birds. The mountains in the distance stood like sentinels, watching over our group as we began the 16 mile hike to the Gite d'Aunac, our first night's accommodation. Little did we know how exhausted we would feel on arrival there, and how attractive a dormitory with 18 beds could look to our weary bodies!
After meeting our hosts, we were welcomed to the terrace
