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It all started long before our first child arrived, with the simple idea to walk the Pyrenees from coast to coast, a distance of about 900 kilometers (560 miles). Previous experiences in the same mountains were pleasant, and after 3,000 km (1,860 mi) in the Indian and Nepalese Himalaya, walking was almost equal to being. The only real challenge seemed to be making the existential experience of walking in nature as pleasant and healthy for our daughter Flora as it already is for me and my wife, Fany.

By the time we set off on the Atlantic coast, reaching the other coast seemed a dream from the past, just a little too ambitious, but this big dream gave us the motivation needed to carefully prepare ourselves. Besides, at least we got started on some trek. We both get the shivers at the thought of succumbing to social pressures to finally act like we're "supposed" to: buy a car and go for all-inclusive Club Med holidays. So we decided to at least give it a try and see where we would get. As soon as we could no longer guarantee our daughter's safety, which happened 250 km (155 mi) later, we called it quits. Before that point, all three of us enjoyed a trekking and camping experience that I would recommend to any newly expanded family who feels the need to get some fresh air after the first hectic months with a newborn. I would also recommend it to any baby who wants to get to know the parents and the world he or she just entered.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

  • Let's Get Some Fresh Air
  • Getting Started
  • Learning from Experience
  • Better Than Going To A Movie
  • On the Trail
  • At Breaking Point
  • The Tricky Parts
  • There's a Time for Everything

# WORDS: 4820
# PHOTOS: 17

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