Gordalasque-Merveilles traverse

Still suffering from the after-effects of a stomach bug, so had to downscale my plans for the day after sleeping in the car in St Martin (having arrived on a late flight to Nice). The aim was to do Maledie - the most obvious remaining gap in my list of Mercantour peaks - before following the GR52 over to the Merveilles hut. However, I felt tired even during the walk from Pont du Countet in the Gordolasque valley to the Nice hut, which I usually do in less than an hour: clearly still a bit weak and affected. However, it was early and the weather was wonderful, so I just tried to enjoy the day and do the 'Tour du Grand Capelet' instead. This was quite an appealing option, as I had climbed and traversed the peak in 2008. An icy knee-deep river crossing just above the hut woke me up, and I made a half-hearted attempt at Cime Nire before concluding I definitely wasn't up to it. Lac Nire made a delightful breakfast spot, though, and the valley gets tighter and more dramatic as it heads past more little lakes to gain a large snowfield leading up to the Baisse du Basto. I was able to try out my kahtoolas on this, to good effect, until more scree and snow led to the Baisse: a superb spot at 2693m. I went up a small nearby peak (unnamed) for a bite to eat. The weather had changed quite dramatically during the climb, and dark clouds covered Mont Bego, while towering thunderheads began to appear above Ponset and Neiglier to the west. They got even more menacing as I contoured the scree above Lac Basto, and the rain started as I began the much shorter ascent to the second major col of the day: Baisse du Valmasque. Its evocative name (Sorceror's Pass) particularly apt today, as a loud clap of thunder greeted my arrival. I scampered down into the Merveilles Valley, in increasingly heavy rain, and eventually decided to seek shelter. I found an ideal 'howff' below a huge boulder and lay there in complete comfort as the worst of the rain passed over. The Vallee des Merveilles was a delight, although it remained cold and wet, and I soon reached the prehistoric rock engravings for which it is famous. I'd intended ambling along, but the rain got heavier again and became torrential as I arrived at the Merveilles hut. Another violent storm followed, but I was ensconced in the hut with hot chocolate by then. An evening ramble to Lac Saorgine, and a fine meal, prefaced a good night's sleep - despite the fact that the hut was jammed to full capacity.