I walked to the last village on the French side at 1000 meters, Gabas, then was due to go over the next day at Col du Midi on the way that leads to Somport, but over dinner that evening in Gabas I was talking to the high altitude walkers who had come down for the evening, they said the higher levels had lots of melt water, I was wearing lowish mids and they had proper walking boots, they advised against going up there, which actually was a relief, going up the Ossau valley in the later stages towards Gabas had been very demanding and was testing my comfort zone all the way. So the next day I got a taxi over to Sallent du Gallego and resumed the Camino from there. Two things I learnt in that incredibly scenic taxi drive 1) If I had walked that day I would have had a much easier day than the previous one, I had broke the back of the ascents and would have had only a little way to go to easier higher level pastures 2) The Portulate way is made for people like me who don't want an Indiana Jones type adventure in the Pyrenees, there is places to stop and eat at various points and places to stay as well.
+ I m sure from the South Africans account who walked it in winter 2015, the Camino doesn't wander too far from the road.
Buen Camino