Preparing to cross the Pyrenees

In a few days I’ll take the train from Paris to Hendaye on the Atlantic coast and start walking the GR10, hopefully making it to the Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean around mid-August. The GR10 is one of three walks that traverses the length of Pyrenees Mountain Range between France and Spain: the GR10 on the French side, the GR11 on the Spanish side, and the Haute Randonée Pyrénéenne (HRP) or High Pyrenees Route that follows the highest walkable route in the middle.

I picked the GR10 because I speak French and I don’t speak Spanish and because it’s my first solo hike and unlike the GR10 and 11 which are well marked with lovely red and white painted stripes, the HRP is largely unmarked. The GR10 is also sufficiently popular that someone should come along and find me if I need help (hopefully it won’t come to that!).

The GR10 is about 900 km in length which includes close to 50000 m elevation gain and loss. I made a rough itinerary using the topoguides published by the French hiking association and the very informative French GR10 website gr10.fr. My rough estimate is 44 days which seems reasonable on paper but it really depends how things go once I’m out there. The longest hike I’ve previously done was 10 days on the Kungsleden in the north of Sweden and I’ve never done more than a day hike by myself.

I’ve lightened my gear a lot compared to previous hikes I’ve been on but am still wishing my pack was lighter. My sincere dread of being one of “those people” who have to be rescued because they didn’t take appropriate rain gear and got hypothermia in a Pyrénées thunderstorm (for example) is preventing me from ditching anything else.

My main concerns are tick bites (Lyme disease) and getting caught in crazy thunderstorms. I’m also worried about my knees turning against me. In the past they haven’t been a problem but I’ve had a few running related injuries this year. Most of all, I’m going to miss my husband Trevor. He is staying in Paris to stress out about my well being because (a) hiking for 10 days is about his limit and (b) he’s not in a position to take 6 weeks off.

Things I can’t wait for are the amazing mountain scenery, having better things to take photos of than gear and guide books, meeting lovely hiking people, seeing marmots (love marmots!), and just putting one foot in front of the other.

I clearly just need to leave now since my gear and food are about as ready as they’re going to be but I still feel the need to try to tweak them somehow. I’ve got to the point of asking google the really deep questions such as “how long does a 50ml tube of toothpaste last?” to see if I really need to take it all. It is definitely time to go!