Haute Route Pyrenees, Atlantic to Mediterranean, Summer 2010

Hello.
Im going to the pyrenees on th 13th oh july and i cant decide if i should do the gr11 or the hrp.

I want to do the HRP, but im afraid that i will be thinking all the time "am i on the trail? maybe i got lost" because there is no signs. I really want to hear how did you felt. Did you had to look at the map every couple of minute?

thank you!

Barak wrote
"I want to do the HRP, but im afraid that i will be thinking all the time "am i on the trail? maybe i got lost" because there is no signs. I really want to hear how did you felt. Did you had to look at the map every couple of minute?"

Barak – This is very difficult to answer. There were only a couple times on our trip where navigation was a challenge, and those were white-out fog conditions or steep snow and steep rock route picking situation. However, we have 80+ years of off trail hiking experience between the two of us, so for us navigation is not a worry.
Most of the hrp follows flagged routes. In places where it doesn't you will need basic navigation skills. If you don't feel comfortable navigating off trail, then you might be happier on a GR route.
Amy

Great answer, thank you!
i did the pct in 2010, so i do know more or less how to navigate, but i just found that when im dilling with navigation, im not enjoing the peace of the wilderness.
if less experience people will answer me as well it will be great.
i have some more questions, please.

1. can i buy only the maps? (hike without book)

2. i know there is no set hf maps for the HRP. but what maps should i buy? (i dont have gps or iphone)

3.im landing in barcelona. should i get to the starting point from irun?

4. i wont buy food from refuges. is there a list of all the places that have groceries?

1. can i buy only the maps? (hike without book)
You will need the book. The HRP route is not shown on maps, although it sometimes uses trails that are on the map. We used the Jootsen (Cicerone) guide. If you speak french then you have the option of using the original guide which has not been translated.

2. i know there is no set hf maps for the HRP. but what maps should i buy? (i dont have gps or iphone)
The list of maps is in described in the Cicerone guide.

3.im landing in barcelona. should i get to the starting point from irun?
I don't know

4. i wont buy food from refuges. is there a list of all the places that have groceries?
This info is in the Cicerone guide. Also in my original post in the section called Re-supply.

Good luck, AmyL

2. i know there is no set hf maps for the HRP. but what maps should i buy? (i dont have gps or iphone)

The HRP is marked on the French IGN 1:50,000 Randonee maps in the places where it links between other more substantial paths. There is an index to all these maps here http://www.omnimap.com/cgi/graphic.pl?images/ind-for/64-5663i.jpg
They overlap considerably so you won't need to get them all.
Bizarrely the 1:25,000 maps show less information about paths.

Amy:

Totally awesome. What a great trip report. I appreciate the gear list. (What, no tarp and blankie, me neither!) You have provided so much insight. Just might have to get me some binoculars! One thing that really stuck out reading through this was the WARM nights even up higher. It must really have been bloody hot in a packed refuge! I completely agree to totally miss out on refuge life on such a walk would be such a shame.

Your smugmug slideshow is spectacular. What camera and any accessories did you carry? I checked the "details" for a few photos but didn't see this listed. Did you find the standard euro powerpoint in the refugios?

Thank you for the .gpx material. And the various mapping insights!

Also, did you find or notice discounts to members of the various Alpine clubs. In my case, the BMC reciprocal hut card.

I am going to try to eek this one in end Aug/September. It will be my first real outing since a significant back injury this past December and I am so excited to be regaining health. Any 2011 trip reports yet. Maybe the snow gods were too busy in the Sierras!

Cheers!

Hartley,
I’m glad you’re inspired to hike in the Pyrenees, they are a beautiful range of mountains.
You asked a few questions, which I’ll try to address:
Camera = Lumix DMC-FH20, no accessories except spare batteries.
Binoculars: EagleOptics.com is a great source if you’re looking to buy.
Refuges: we ate in refuges, but never slept in one. We didn’t carry anything that needed a power outlet, so I never looked for powerpoints, however most are off the grid, supplied by solar panels, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t provide any power to visitors. I don’t know about discounts for BMC card holders.
2011 trip reports: Six weeks in Turkey, two trip reports: Kackar Mountains and Lycian Way and Saint Paul Trail.

There have been several BPL threads about people prepping for 2011 hikes along the HRP. You might read those threads to glean more info. Here’s one
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=44532&disable_pagination=1

Reposted to your Lycian Way thread.

Amy, I am completely floored as to the amount of effort that goes into your planning and reports and the finished product! You could sell these as Kindle singles for a few bucks each!

As for cutting off needless detours to avoid refugios/ski resorts/etc that you don't plan to patronize — IMO, that should be cnsidered "legal" — it's not like using vehicular transport! In his intro, Joosten even says HRP is more an "idea" than a route (I think Wainwright said the same of C2C). Cicerone (and others perhaps) seem to have a habit of directing traffic to local business at the expense of adding a few kms here or there — I always figured this was to help support the local economies.

hi there.

in case anyone sees this thread and has hiked the HRP, could you give me some information on travel to and from the start/end points of the route? i'd be flying in from the USA. looking to do this hike in late summer 2012.

thanks!

We flew to Madrid (because we use frequent flier miles and there were free tickets available to Madrid). From there we took a six hour bus to San Sebastian, and then a commuter train to Hendaye.

On the return, we finished early so we walked south for a week along the Spanish Coast. From whatever town we finished walking, we caught a train to Barcelona. I can't remember if took a train or bus from Barcelona to Madrid on our way home.

Have a great trip. Amy

Both start/end points are in well populated areas with good public transport and big cities nearby. Flying from the US, you're probably bound to fly into some main hub such as Madrid or Barcelona in Spain; or Paris, maybe Lyon in France. On the spanish side, either would do though traveling between Barcelona and the western end may require some commuting. It'd probably be logistically easier to fly into/out of Madrid but this would require two long approaches (400+ and 600+ km) instead of just one. There are across-the-border, direct trains between Madrid and Hendaye, a 6 h trip. Traveling between Banyuls and Barcelona should be easy by train and between Madrid and Barcelona there are many options.

I'm not so familiar with the french side but from Paris you could go virtually anywhere, there must be a direct train connection Paris-Hendaye and Paris-Perpignan (Perpignan-Banyuls is a short ride). Paris is further from both ends though.

Amy, thanks for your response and your ridiculously informative thread. You should be writing these as articles for BPL!

Inaki, thanks much for the info. I've been from Paris to Biarritz, Madrid, and Barcelona before, so it should be straightforward I suppose. Just some train work.

Hello again Amy. I met you and Jim in Andorra and walked part of a day together. Great trip report; it brings back strong and vivid memories of my HRP walk.

@ Dave, another option is to start in Bibao, if you have the time. Biarritz is a closer jumping-off point, but IMO Bilbao is worth the little bit of extra effort. I spent a day and a half there and would love to go back. It's a cool little city. If you are into art, you can visit the Guggenheim, where I spent one full day before headin off to the mtns. I caught a bus from Bilbao to Irun, where a Basque festival was taking place, so no more public transport possible that day. San Sebastian is en route and is another place worth visiting. Ended up walkin and hitchin from Irun to Hendaye.

Beyond the fantastic people I met there and the beautiful mountains, one of the highlights of the trip was staying in the cabanas (free of charge) I came across on or near the HRP. Cabanas are very basic and sometimes very old shelters, but most are dry and situated in prime real estate. They are on the maps, and Joosten, who, I got the impression, doesn't seem to use or like them, describes them as "primitive" or "basic." If possible, I would not rush the HRP, as the Pyrenees are mountains to savour. Other things that come to mind? Lescun has a good camp site, so does Gavarnie. You can post a drop box to the Tourist Info/Post Office in Gavarnie. I'd recommend the Spanish Mountaineering Club's hostel in Salardu. They'll take a drop box too. I liked the hut/hostel in Salardu (and the meals) so much, I ended up staying 2 nights. Very friendly and helpful caretakers. Oh yeah, keep an eye on snow reports. There was a good bit of snow left over after a heavy winter–even in mid July. If you like, I will dig up notes for the name of a good hotel in Banyuls-sur-Mer. Enjoy and safe journey! –Mike

Yeah, I would watch out for snow. We got to Merens in the middle of the Pyrenees one year to find the main range totally covered in snow. We had no snow gear like crampons, axe of snow stakes for the tent, so we went another way.

Transport: Europe is *covered* in transport. Paris-Hendaye is direct via TGV. Banyuls has good transport too. Try the sleepers – allow for the fact that you are saving a hotel night when looking at the cost.

Hotel in Banyul – we stayed in a garret room very cheaply in Hotel Canal. The hotel cook was excellent.

Cheers

for search and booking
http://www.tgv-europe.com/
Ask if you want timetables for local transport
For example gavarnie and surrounding areas
http://www.transports-maligne.fr/docs/Carte_DEF.pdf

Hey Roger, That's the same hotel I stayed in! Nothing fancy but fine and inexpensive. I would also say to anyone doing the HRP that you can buy breakfast (bread, butter, jam, tea or coffee) for about 5 euros at the huts. As Amy said, you can buy meals even if you are not sleeping in the hut. I didn't use the huts and resupplied about once per week, but I walked with a French hiker for the last segment who liked to get breakfast at the huts, so when in France…. It was great to have the fresh bread in the morning and bowls of coffee. Also, avoid resupply at the little grocery in L'Hospital, which is a rip-off. Instead, get to bigger town or wait a day or two when you hit the next town (name?) walking east which has a very good grocery.

What a great resource you have provided–thank you!

I plan to start the HRP from Hendaye mid-July of this year. Perhaps someone can help me with the following:

1. What kind of backpacking insurance is suggested? I am not a member of any club except the PCTA, ATC, and ALDHA here in the USA, and they don't provide insurance. Is this necessary or worth buying?

2. Is general delivery mail reliable/accepted? I plan to send my MicroSpikes about halfway across so that I can use them in the higher/snowier sections. I was going to use FedEx but wasn't sure where to send them (a hostel or post office, perhaps?). I don't plan to bring an axe but I use trekking poles.

3. I plan to bring Joosten's guide (cut in half, with one half sent in my single maildrop) but I'm not sure if I want to invest/have to bother with paper maps when it might be possible to carry a small GPS device with maps and routes pre-loaded. Has anyone out there in backpacking land used this method for the HRP? I imagine that the GPS waypoints provided on this thread will be very helpful, but I am new to GPS.

Any suggestions or responses are greatly appreciated–thanks!

1. When backpacking abroad in a place where I don’t have at least medical insurance, I’ve always used some generic travel insurance with cover for hiking activities. I’ve used This one
in the past, they have some adventure travel product that used to cover hiking.

2. Yes. In France, just write “Poste Restante” in a new line below your name (it’s like the “General Delivery” thing). If in Spain, write “Lista de Correo” instead. I sent my snow tools to the post office in Gavarnie, the HRP goes by the front door and the most tricky passes are east of there. In Spain, they’re supposed to hold things for 15 days but I guess they will for longer if needed if you call them and ask for it. I think it’s the same in France. You can usually send stuff to hotels/hostels if needed if you book with them and ask nicely, I did that at the hostel in Salardu (which is in Joosten’s path and where the PO is several kms. down the road in another village)

Given the terrain, and in my opinion, it’s not a good idea to have crampons and no axe. Poles are no substitute for an axe. Consider some of those passes are really steep, it’s beyond hiking and into (easy grade) mountaineering. If the snow is hard, which can happen, crampons alone may add to the danger.

3. I’m sure it can be done but I’m also sure I wouldn’t be the only one advising you against counting on a GPS as your only navigational tool, particularly in a route like the HRP where sooner or later you’ll need to navigate. I haven’t even tried the GPS thing though.

Good luck with preps and have a great HRP.

1. +1 what Inaki said. I'd highly recommend insurance. If something happens, it will be big bucks for mountain rescue. Plus insurance gives you peace of mind. I usually get BMC insurance, but only members of the BMC and affiliated clubs are eligible to apply.
2. General delivery worked well for me. You can mail a box to the post office in Gavarnie. The tourist info and post office are in the same building, and I was able to collect my box on a Sunday because the kind staff in the tourist info office got my package for me. You can also send a package to the hostel in Salardu (Xalet Soler I Santalo, which is an excellent place with great food and very friendly and helpful caretakers. I stayed there 2 nights). You can buy an ice ax in Gavarnie. I bought a lightweight one there and sold it after the trip. I'd agree with Inaki on the point of using and ax with the MicroSpikes. How would you be able to execute a self-arrest with a trekking pole? Not sure of your experience level, but one must also know how to use the ax properly and practise self arrest.
3. GPS is very handy, but I'd bring maps and compass too. The HRP is not a waymarked route, so good navigational and route-finding skills are essential. Like Joosten says, the HRP "is not a trail as such, but rather an idea." It's a patchwork of existing trails. The first stage thru Basque Country is tricky, as are other sections. Route finding is easier during the 2nd half. IMO there is no substitute for map and compass.

You are in for a real treat. By the way, a friend said that last year on the trail he saw a wolf. Happy trails!

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the site and very excited to have found it. I live in Grenoble, France and am planning a trek this summer going from Hendaye (dep. July 10th) and walking all the way to Banyules mostly on the GR10, but I would like to take short cuts on the HRP if possible. The only problem is that I am trekking with my boxer, 43 kilos. Which parts of the HRP are impossible to cross for a big dog. Thanks for your response.

Patrick asked which parts of the HPR are passable to a large dog. I'm not a dog person and really don't know what sorts of things cause trouble for dogs. There are passes in the higher mountains with steep snowfields. There are some boulder fields. There are a few light class three scrambles that I can't imagine doing with a dog. I don't recall seeing any hikers with dogs, but maybe it's just because I wasn't paying attention to that. I suspect the eastern-most week and the western-most week of the HRP shouldn't be a problem, but it's beyond my ability to provide much more advice about this.

Apart from the technical aspects, I wonder if the shepherds would be pleased to see a large dog.

I suggest you ask the French opinion here: http://www.randonner-leger.org

There are a couple of National Parks along the way which may prohibit dogs.
No, the shepherds will not appreciate a large dog either.
Check with the FFRP.

Cheers

Thank you all for your comments on K9 accompaniment. I am planning an itinerary which bypasses all national park areas. But outside of the parks dogs are allowed, my bower never chases anything, he's always by my side.

Thank you Amy for the info on possible problems on the HRP with a dog. I looked at the Georges Véron et Jérôme Bonneaux book and I can do the first 7 days on the HRP, but then it goes into the NP after the 9th so I'll head back towards the GR 10.

How does one find out where the shepherds and their dogs will be. I've come across a few patous already and I would much rather avoid them. The mountain doesn't belong to the sheperds!