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Regions - Trip reports, destination advice, recommended routes, etc. => International => Topic started by: gunwharfman on 14:18:55, 22/07/18

Title: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: gunwharfman on 14:18:55, 22/07/18
I've had an 'Ileotibial Band Syndrome' injury,  for some months and have only been able to walk for short stretches this year. I am now fully healed, so with no further difficuluties so I've booked myself a 14 day hike in August.

I'm flying to Biarritz, catching the train (or bus) to Hendaye and will camp there the night. The next day, leaving early, I will then stroll into Spain and start to walk on the GR11 for a few days. I will eventually get to Auritz. Once there I plan to turn left to Roncesvalles and then hike GR65 Route Napoleon track to St. John Pied du Port.

From there I then plan to hike, east to west, back to Hendaye via the GR10.

I've found out from personal experience that to book a fixed return date might be problematic for me? Trying to make a sensible estimate about how many days my walk will actually take me is not one of my skills, but I'm hoping I'm not far out.

I'm also going to take a chance that I can get my Exos 40L onto the plane as hand luggage? Easyjet state a 46cm length, my rucksack length is 47cm. The other dimensions are fine. I'm either going to succeed, or I will have to cough up extra money!
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: jimbob on 14:51:05, 22/07/18
If you take walking poles then make sure that they fit inside your bag or pretend you use them to help you walk about.
I got a lightweight cover bag ( Highlander make) zipped the whole backpack inside it and put it in the hold as it seemed just too much hassle getting things through security. I later used that bag when I got my rucksack transported ahead of me when my leg was giving me gip as I had a padlock for it.
Great route by the way.

There is a good you tube on a St Jean to Hendaye connector route.

After I did the Camino Frances last year I thought that was it for me. But I find that  I'm tempted to go again, but doing it slightly differently. Walking down from Biarritz  to Pamplona on the Voie Baztan. The infrastructure for hikers is so superior to anything on offer in the UK.
Have fun on the route Napoleon that is a long downhill.
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: gunwharfman on 16:54:03, 22/07/18
Thanks, I'm looking forward to it. I have just found a site with maps (https://travesiapirenaica.com) which to date, is the best I've come across.

I'm also keeping open the option with my wife, that if I feel good enough, mentally and physically, when I get to Auritz I just might make the decision to keep going on the GR11 to Andorra at least? I think its unlikely but I will think seriously about this option en route. I know I'll lose my Biarritz flight home money, but as she said "its only money, you're 73, you're semi-retired, what else are you going to spend it on?"
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: jimbob on 19:24:05, 22/07/18
In the long ago history of my youth I went up over the Pyrenees to Andorra via the Seo de Urgell. It was amazing  but very difficult in places , it involved a few scrambles where the path had either disappeared through either land movement  or human intervention to stop the smugglers.

I came home to watch us win the world cup.
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: gunwharfman on 20:47:39, 22/07/18
Cor, that was a while ago! I too was in Europe when we won the world cup. I remember in particular being in Geneva when England played France and we won 2-0. I think my memory is correct about this. My friend and I watched it on a TV behind a shop window, no sound and just in black and white. There were a group of other lads from different countries standing around us as well. When England scored its second goal we had to get away from there fast. A few of the lads got nasty and wanted to do us over! We escaped without injury.
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: barewirewalker on 10:45:28, 23/07/18
And I was on a train for Paris, returning from Chamonix. We were sitting in a cramped group in the corridor of the train by the toilet, listening to the match on a transistor radio. My previous night's actual sleep, I was tied to a piton on a narrow ledge high on the Aiguille de Peigne, over 9000ft. It had been a bit of a rush to make our train to catch the ferry.

Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: gunwharfman on 11:49:26, 23/07/18
I went through my equipment yeasterday. I've worked out that I need to buy a new Source Wideneck bladdder and a new hiking shirt and thats all. I am also going to wash my slleping bag, it needs to be done!

Interestingly, when the Brexit vote came in, it was soon after that my wife and I decided to not make any more 'want' purchases and just concentrate on our 'need' purchases. So I've stuck with my PC, phone, TV etc, we've made sure we wear our shoes and clothes out properly, we ignore 'fashion' (as always), never go to the cinema, watch on PC, never buy a newspaper, watch on PC, eat out less, (great way to lose a bit of weight) ignore the 'chains anyway, use our cars less, (easy to do, we thought it would be hard) to plan to get rid of one of our cars, (not achieved yet) no new furniture and fittings, etc, etc. Now its become a way of life and we are happy to do it and are pleasently surprised how much money I can now spend on my next trip, if I want to. Thanks Brexit voters, well for the moment anyway!

I'm in a really good frame of mind today and really enjoyed my morning 'medication', a cup of coffee and a custard tart, sitting in our cool conservatory. By this afternoon it will be like an oven! I'm an expert, I can assure you the Tesco custard tarts are the best and the best Porridge is Sainsbury's own brand. Good to be alive!
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: gunwharfman on 12:19:26, 04/08/18
I'm going to try something a bit different on this trip. I'm taking my poncho and going to leave my Marmot Precip (it leaks at the hood part anyway) and my rain skirt at home. I'll take my very lightweight running jacket as my wind jacket. I'm saving about 1oz in weight!

I find that Google steet map is so very useful. I know from experience that finding the start of a walk can sometimes be problematic when trying to get going whilst still in an urban area. I've just 'walked' on screen, from my first campsite in Hendaye, France, across a bridge into Irun in Spain and I then carried on 'walking' to where the GR11 route crosses the motorway. I can even see my first white/red flash paint marks to guide me.
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: jimbob on 13:02:03, 04/08/18
Have a great time. I am so jealous.
I am planning to walk a modified Baztan camino from Biarritz to Pamplona next year. 
So much work to do on ghe house thus year while I am supple enough to do it.
Again have a wonderful time and watch out for the chiens mechants :)
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: ninthace on 14:19:18, 04/08/18
You don't want to be mucking about down the end of the Pyrenees.  Head for the Haute Garonne, Ariege, Haute Pyrenees area.  Loads of linear and circular routes on and around the GRs. Walks to above 3000m are possible. Have a look at the area near Bagneres du Luchon as a base for example. There are train and bus links from Toulouse, Pau or Lourdes airports.
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: Mel on 22:38:07, 10/08/18
Gunwharfman - if you're roaming around the Pyrenees and southern France at the moment can you let us know you're okay?  (I know you like to "stay connected" with all your gadgets!) 


I'm reading some awful stories about fierce storms and flash flooding in southern France over the last couple of days.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45134715

 

 
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: ninthace on 07:43:13, 11/08/18
Gunwharfman - if you're roaming around the Pyrenees and southern France at the moment can you let us know you're okay?  (I know you like to "stay connected" with all your gadgets!) 


I'm reading some awful stories about fierce storms and flash flooding in southern France over the last couple of days.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45134715 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45134715)






Mel, You need to mug up on French geography. The SW Pyrenees are roughly the distance from London to Newcastle away from the floods.
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: Mel on 08:46:17, 11/08/18
Let's hope it's isolated to that area then.

Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: gunwharfman on 11:30:03, 22/08/18
14 days in the Pyrenees and I'm back in the UK this morning. I had a great hike, harder that I first thought, good days, low days, feet hurty days, very hot weather, very wet weather, you all know the routine of a hike. Apart from everything else I was never cold, not even in the night. Walked each day between 6-8 hours, gorged myself on beer, wine, coffee, cake and good food and am home 2.5kg lighter!

Most of the weight has gone from my waistline, I had to tighten my belt three notches by the end otherwise my trousers would have been around my ankles every day.

My route, started at Irun, Spain on GR11 and walked to the GR65 (Camino) at Ronecevalles, then turned left on the GR65 to St Jean Pied de Port in France. For about 28km I was the ONLY person going my way, coming at me however, were HUNDREDS of Camino hikers heading to Spain. Some obviously were poorly equipped, (in flip flops, etc) many thought it would be 'just a stroll' and were really suffering and the hot fierce sun didn't help either. Luckily I started the day with 3 litres of water. I must have given more that 1 liter to thirsty 'pilgrims' who had drunk their water much earlier.

Once in St Jean I headed back to Hendaye on the GR10, then to Biarritzt then home.
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: gunwharfman on 12:02:43, 22/08/18
I had walked the GR10 from Hendaye to St Jean Pied de Pour in 2015 but this time I was doing it the other way. On route I had two days of heavy rain and a couple of squalls, which made the hiking so much harder. The section from St Etienne du Bagory to Biddaray was especially demanding, seem to take for ever! The really steep rocky paths were really scary in the wet, I fell 3 times, each time on my back but my rucksack cushioned me from any injury. I tried to be incredibly careful to know where I was placed every step, otherwise I could have been down in some deep crevasse somewhere and would have just become vulture lunch! The effort of concentrating was exhausting, especially when coming down, one down path really caused my toes to ache, I have two black toes now on each foot.

My Pacerpoles really came into their own, fantastic piece of kit, thanks Percy once again, for introducing me to them. I bought a really cheap pair of walking trousers from Decathlon, only £8, they were truly fantastic, comfortable, quick drying and so easy to wash. Brilliant! I bought one of their hiking shirts as well, total rubbish, when I perspired the material just stayed wet for so long, horrible item! I also bought a cheap pair of 'waterproof' boots from them, comfortable, light and easy to walk in yes, but waterproof no! And before I forget, two pairs of £4 each boxer underwear, one red, one blue, from the same shop, best I've ever walked in by a mile!

I used my poncho, it worked well (especially when trying to stay cool around the waist and underwear areas) but when in St Jean I saw a different kind of poncho. If I did not already have my Vaude I would have bought it. It was a long mac, with a hood, with an area to cover the rucksack with flares to each side so that big strides can be taken over rocks and streams and what seemed best of all, it buttoned all the way from top to bottom.

Last but not least at Bidderay because it was raining hard I had to pitch tent the wrong way around. Instead of inner first then waterproof outer second, I pitched waterproof outer first, then crawled under with my inner tent. Erecting it worked, but it the effort and the contortions I had to make made me perspire like crazy! It worked though and better than sleeping in a wet tent.
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: jimbob on 16:08:49, 22/08/18
So you didn't take your bivvi?
That "poncho" you saw was probably the Altus,  which  I had a fancy for but your praise of the Vaude swung me.
Sounds like you enjoyed yourself in the main. Downhills on treacherous undrfoot is no joke. But you survived.

Thanks for your report.


Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: gunwharfman on 18:41:19, 22/08/18
I choose to take my tent because I knew I'd be away for 14 days, I plan to use my bivi next month on a shorter trip.

The 'downside' of the route I took was that for the first 4 days their were no camp sites so had to wild camp. For anyone contemplating the GR11, Bera is first town. I found a good spot, as you follow the GR11 red flashes up the main street, a few 3 seater benches to your left, the route suddenly takes a 90 degree turn (bar on your right) so you just walk up the hill on the narrow tarmaced road. In a short distance, this road intersects with another narrow road with a large modern house to your right. On the opposit side of the road you will see a footpath, wall on the left, fencing on the right of it. Walk along the footpath about 50 yards and you have your wild camp spot. It obviously was planned as a picnic spot by the town but it was never finished. Plenty of grass, a couple of small tarmac areas and two three seat benches PLUS piped drinking water, the press button type tap is there and it works well. I shared the small area with a young German couple.

When I got to Elizondo, I stayed in a Spanish Pension, a dormitory bed for 15 euros, next door a bar and food. Not bad but very hot that night.

The next night I met the German couple again at the Urkiaga Pass, nothing there except a hut, only a few months old I think. It was open with a two bunk bedroom (which the youngsters used) and I sleft on the 'lounge', just a larger room with a table and two benches, all for free! This worked out very well.

When I walked to Uritz, the first real camp site is down a straight road for 2km. I stayed there and it was very good. The downside was that to get on my route again I had to walk 2km back in the morning. On the French side campsites were all in the right places. I particulary recommend the one in St Etienne de Bagorrie. Well looked after, good toilet/shower block, next door is a small supermarket but best of all the charge was 4 euros a night!

The next best one is at Biddaray, you come down from the GR10 at at the village the walk goes left. I turned right, through the village, past a restaurant where I ate and drank later (very good) then turn a bend to the left and directly in front of you is a one story building with a large lwan in front. You can pay 20 euros to sleep indoor, with breakfast the next day, or like me I slept in my tent for 4 euroes on the lawn. There are also camp sites at Ainoaha and at Sare.

I got caught out once in France, ran out of cash at Bidderay and then found that the next cash machine is at Sare. My wife is never happy if I use my debit card abroad.
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: gunwharfman on 10:25:43, 23/08/18
As a last thought for anyone considering hiking the Spanish GR11 in the future. If you are not a purist about where you start from and knowing what I know now, if it was me starting again, I would begin at Hendaye and walk the French GR10 route to St Jean Pied de Port and then walk to Roncevalles (about 28km) into Spain via the GR65 (Camino route) and then join the GR11 route to the Mediterranean there.

I believe that the GR10 from Hendaye to St Jean Pied de Port is better as regards camp sites, villages and acclimatising successfully to the demands of the Pyrenees in the shortest possible time.

I flew to and from Gatwick to Biarritz by Easyjet. I then caught a train to Hendaye, only 6 euros.
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: richardh1905 on 18:27:26, 23/08/18

Sounds as if you had a good time, gunwharfman. I've only been to the Pyrenees twice; would love to go again sometime.


Any photos?
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: gunwharfman on 20:14:37, 23/08/18
Only on my phone, I've never bothered much with photos. Most of what I've done is in my head. If I can I'll try to download a couple but have never really gained the knack of doing it. I'll have a go tomorrow.
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: pdstsp on 12:22:43, 24/08/18
Sounds a great trip GWM - cheers.
Title: Re: My next Pyrenees hike.
Post by: gunwharfman on 15:07:00, 25/08/18
Had a message to jot down where I camped and stayed.

First night on a Hendaye, France camp site. Once in Spain I wild camped at Bera, in a Pension dormitory at Elizondo, wild camped at the Urkiaga Pass, then stayed on my first 'proper' camp site at Uritz, one night in the Refuge d' Orisson, then stayed on all 'proper' camp sites in France, St Jean Pied de Port, St Etienne de Baigorry (2 nights), Bidarray, Ainhoa, Sare, Hendaye again and the last night at Biarritz.

It was about 140 miles in length I belive, I've no idea of the up and down elevation, certainly made my legs ache and toes hurt!