I had originally planned to do the GR10 in 60 days, from May 20th to July 20th. The hike being in the Pyrenees, the natural border between Spain and France, I (foolishly) imagined the weather was going to be sunny and beautiful. As you will see below I could not of been more wrong.
This is the first of four post that will go over in details my whole journey of the GR10, all my stages, length, durations, thoughts, regrets and more. Check out this post for my prep and budget.
The Pyrenees are usually organized into four regions:
The Atlantic Pyrenees, going from Hendaye to Arrens-Marsous. Also known as the Occidental Pyrenees or the Pays Basque and Béarn Pyrenees.
The High Pyrenees, going from Arrens-Marsous to Bagnère de Luchon.
The Ariège Pyrenees, from Bagnère de Luchon to Mérens-Les-Vals
The Oriental Pyrenees, from Mérens to Banyuls
Let's get into it!
Stage 1: Hendaye to Col des Trois fontaine
28km, 9 hours
After staying with my cousins in Bayonne and then Hendaye, the day to start my first thru hike was finally here. I woke up around 8am to pouring rain. It turns out that the Pays Basque is a very wet and rainy region, very different from what I had imagined.
The official start of the GR10 was somewhere in Hendaye, I was too distraught to look for it and just went to the beach, put my fingers in the Atlantic, and set out to find some croissants to boost my moral. I left Hendaye around 9am.
I had no clue how to approach this type of hike. I hadn't even looked at a map the day before, and in my head I was going to see how I felt at Olhette, the official first stage.
The heavy rain continued well into the morning as I made my way up and down the small hills. Thankfully it stopped around noon and the sky cleared up for the rest of the day. The Pays Basque is stunning in it's vibrant greenery and it's picturesque villages. You can also see the Mandalles caves along the way. Too small to go into but still cool.
This parts of the Pyrenees is also filled with small villages so stopping for food was always easy. After a few stops and 7 hours of walking I reached Olhette. My right knee had started to hurt, and for some reason I decided that continuing would be a good idea. I'd seen a mountain hut a few kilometers away and wanted to save some money by staying there that night. The hut was at the top of the next mountain pass, it was sunny, so I decided to go for it.
My bag weighted a ton back then, I was afraid of running out of water and had set out with four litres of water on top of all my gear. I don't have a precise recollection of my backpack's weight when I started, but I remember weighting it back home at 15kg without food or water.
The closer I got to finishing this stage, the more my knee hurt, not the ideal start I had in mind.
I finally reached the hut after nine hours of hiking and 28km. There are many mountain huts in the Pyrenees where you can stay for free. They are usually small and only offer some sort of wooden platform for you to sleep on. Some of them are well kept, some of them are dirty and dilapidated, there's no sure way to find out their state apart from asking locals or seeing for yourself.
This one was extremely small, with just enough room for our bags and a place to sleep. It was very clean though and made for an enjoyable night.
There were two other guys there that were also doing the GR10, we had a nice chat, made dinner and went to bed around 9pm. I realized very quickly that my Nemo switchback was not at all comfortable for me and I managed to get some sleep but not much.
Stage 2: Col des Trois fontaine - Col des Trois Croix
25km, 6h30
I left the hut at 8am and made my way to Sare where I immediately found a bakery for coffee and breakfast. I had all the gear to make my own breakfast but I didn't know how to use it very well so preferred to take advantage of the many villages along the way.
The hike from Sare to Ainhoa was underwhelming and extremely wet. It wasn't raining but the ground was soaked and muddy from yesterday's downpour. Maybe I was also a bit upset at the fact that my knee hurt and that it was sunny as I had expected.
I arrived at Ainhoa easily, had a quick snack and set out to the Col des Trois Croix. I had seen another hut on the map and after the great experience I had the previous night decided it was a good idea.
There are tons of pastoral lands in the Pyrenees and the GR10 goes right through them. I walked through many herds of sheep, goats, horses and cows along the way. In fact, these mountains are famous for their delicious sheep cheese. Being alone isn't something I enjoy much so I was grateful for all those animals that gave a lively presence along the way.
My right knee felt ok at first but halfway through the hike started to bother me again, mainly on the downhill parts of the trek.
The Col des Trois Croix was nice, there is a small church, ancient Rune Crosses and three big statues of Jesus and two thiefs crucified. The view on the valley is beautiful and you can still see the Atlantic coast from there.
It was a short walk from there to my hut, which was much bigger than yesterday's but didn't have a dedicated sleeping area. I made food, read and slept on a table. I could of set up my tent but once again my inexperience pushed towards not doing it.
It was another crappy night, between being uncomfortable on my mat and a military helicopter doing practice manoeuvres in the mountains close by very late into the night. They were practicing rescuing people from the helicopter, and were close enough that I could see the people they were dropping off and picking up.
Stage 3: Hut to Bidarray
15.5km, 4h40
I woke up, ate breakfast, packed up and started to walk...only to realize I got a shooting pain in my right knee. It hurt every time I took a step.
That did not spark joy. I had planned to go to St-Etienne de Baïgorry which was another 25-30km stage. My knee pain stuck with me for the first hour and I knew I wasn't going to be able to do what I originally planned.
The plan B was to stop at Bidarray, which is what I set out to do. The sun was out, it was hot, I tried noticing all the positive things as I slowly limped along. I was freaked out about my knee, I was also upset at it, I consider myself in decent shape and the fact that my body started hurting so soon didn't sit well with me. Don't worry, I have since learned my lesson and will not start out a long through hike with an over packed bag and doing long stages right away.
There were cool dolmens at the Mehaste Pass, a whole set of them. It didn't look at all as what I expected, but I lingered at the site trying to figure out what they were. I met a group of three older gentlemen that were also doing the GR10.
After this pass came a beautiful and steep descent towards Bidarray. I got my first taste of how steep the GR10 can get and was thankful for the guide ropes. I checked out the small cave that's there and continued towards the Bassan river. I dipped my legs in an attempt to sooth my knee but it was a very short relief.
Bidarray emerged in the hills from the green hills, and I stopped on the first bench I could find.
It was around noon and all the shops were closed. Great. I bummed around and called a few gites to stay the night but around that time no one really works or picks up the phone so I stayed put on my bench.
Lo and behold, at 2pm, the torrential downpour picked up again. I moved myself to a sheltered area and opened my kindle to read.
I finally found a gite (the Urittaz lodge), which is like a guest house, which I promptly went to. We were 15 there, all looking for a dry place for the night and all doing the same hike. I made my first hiking buddies there!
The beds were comfortable and I had my first good night sleep.
Stage 4: Bidarray to St-Etienne de Baïgorry
18.4km, 7h20
Most of the people at the hut were already gone when I woke up. I had breakfast with the few remaining hikers and set out with Francois (we will meet him again later). It was nice to be with other people for a change and I enjoyed the conversation.
We took a detour that the host told us about. One thing to remember about locals giving you instruction is the fact that they know the mountains like the back of their hands. We had a little bit of trouble finding the short cut as it wasn't as well marked as the regular trails and the instructions we got were along the lines of "At the tree that looks funny turn left" or "if the the broken sign is still there take a right 20 paces after it". Thanks to Francois's navigation skills we were able to find the route easily but I would of gotten lost for sure if I were by myself.
This stage is incredibly beautiful, after a very steep climb you walk along the Iparala ridge for hours, with a 360 view of France and Spain. It was foggy that day so our view wasn't as great, but we still got a few gorgeous glimpses of our surroundings.
I stopped for a quick cheese and saucisson lunch, which became a staple along this multi day hike.
The trail borders the edge of the cliffs for a few hours and then meanders down the hill, towards St-Etienne. The clouds disappeared and the evening became promising.
The campsite was a few hundred meters off the GR10, beside a river in a cozy and beautiful patch of land. It was also closed.
It was closed for minor renovations before the touristic season. The busy summer season really kicks off around the 15th of June in France and picks up full swing in July for the sacred summer holidays. Starting the GR10 this early meant that not all of the establishments on the hike would be opened. This was later confirmed at a few other places.
Quick moral of the story: start the GR10 after June 15th if you plan on staying at Inns and increasing the chances that all campsite will be opened.
I met up with three people that were with my at the Urittaz lodge just outside of the campsite and after some reflections we decided to pitch our tents in a little park beside the river. We had dinner on picnic tables that were in the park and had a nice evening.
It was my first night sleeping in the tent so I was a little nervous. The Jamet Shelter is a tiny tunnel tent and after putting all my stuff in it, including my smelly socks and shoes, I was stuck in one position. Add to that the fact I was sleeping on a thin foam pad (nemo switchback), you could say my sleep wasn't the greatest that night.
Day 5: St-Etienne De Baïgorry to St-Jean Pied de Port
19.17km, 5h43
I woke up and instantly noticed to my dismay that the inside of the tent was soaked. Had it rained? Was my tent that bad that it let water in? No, no, it was later revealed to my that a huge disadvantage of single walled tents is the accumulation of condensation from your breath. Terrific.
The choice of opting for the cheapest tent was beginning to feel unwise.
My camping companions were early risers and as I didn't want to be left behind I woke up with them around 6am. No coffee, a wet tent, the day was off to a grumpy start.
Thankfully the sun was out and I was able to enjoy stunning views right out of the village, mood restored.
My knee kept talking to me in a bad way, especially going downhill. I was going to take a rest day at St-Jean, send some stuff home to lighten my bag, and buy a new sleeping pad.
I arrived in St-Jean in the early afternoon. This village is a classic starting point for the Camino de Santiago, a very famous pilgrimage. It came as no surprise then to see hoards of hikers all over town.
The village itself is cute, there are lots of shops including big grocery stores and a few hiking store. It seemed like the perfect place to rest and regroup.
Day 6: Rest day in St-Jean
By far the highlight of this day was meeting up with a friend and colleague from Vancouver who happened to start the Camino the following day. Talk about a coincidence.
I visited the old castle, bought myself an inflatable sleeping pad and knee brace, and found a spot in the sun to read. The inn I was staying out was clean and quiet.
The post office was easy to find and I shipped home a few items, and foolishly sent home my cooking pot and bunsen burner. The fear of it being too heavy clouded my judgement and I regretted this decision very quickly.
In hindsight, experience plays a huge role in in these types of choices. For the first 7 days of the GR10 I was always heading out with 4 litres of water in my backpack because I didn't want to go thirsty on the trail. This was a little silly, especially in a place as wet as the Basque Country where I crossed loads of streams every day. I had a water filter with me so it would of been so much better to keep all the cooking stuff and start filtering water. Oh well, live and learn.
I started heading out with only two litres of water very shortly after St-Jean.
Day 7: St-Jean to Kaskoleta inn
19.45km, 4:39
Made myself three big Nutella sandwiches for breakfast and headed out. This was my 6th day of walking and part of me felt a little empowered by the fact I made it this far. The knee brace came in handy and I hiked pain free the whole day.
This stage was mainly on the road, not a lot of trail. I was still in the beautiful and lush Basque Country but it wasn't the most exciting day.
I reached Eterencuby easily, rested by a river for lunch and continued on to Kaskoleta. The village is tiny and has charm, but once I saw the lodge I was happy to have pushed on.
The lodge is in the hills, in the middle of grassy fields, it was freshly renovated, and it was also closed...Arg!!!
The fog was starting the build up and part of me just knew it was going to rain soon, according to how all the other days had gone.
I walked around the place, desperate to find someone and suddenly I heard the salutary sound of heavy metal being played through a portable speaker. Humans! I walked towards the guitar and yelling sounds to find Serge, a middle aged pool attendant eating a tuna salad on the lodge's patio.
He explained to me that the lodge was closed but that he had been here since yesterday and had come to an agreement with the owners that he could stay today. After a few calls of my own, I was able to reach the owner and come to a similar agreement: leave the place tidy, leave the money under the pillow and I had a dry place to stay over night.
If you are ever in that area, I highly recommend staying at that lodge, it's very clean, the kitchen has everything you can dream of and the bathrooms are very well equiped as well.
Serge and I shared what we had for food and I started to see in the hiking camaraderie in full effect.
Day 8: Kaskoleta to Iraty huts
21.15km, 5h21
Holy fog. When I left Kaskoleta I couldn't see more than 20m ahead. The weather persisted like this until the Pedro hut, roughly 15km into the hike.
The GR10 is more fun on this stage, with very little road walking, and lot's of small and narrow trail sections through the hills. I assume it would of been even nicer had I been able to see anything, but even with no visibility I enjoyed myself.
No knee pain, no blister pain, a lighter pack (only 2L of water today), I was beginning to enjoy myself and gain confidence.
You can notice the trees and plants changing during this stage, especially when entering the Iraty forest which is made up of European Beach Plant (hêtres).
The Iraty huts is a beautiful place. Dozens of huts built in the hills, within the forest, enough distance between them for total peace and quiet but close enough to feel part of a community.
One of the huts is the hiking lodge, with dorms (4-6 beds) and a nice kitchen. I checked in at the reception, bought food at the small grocery store there and made my way to the lodge.
I met a few people there, all doing some part of the GR10. We exchanged stories, notes, and over all had a great time relaxing. We all had a dorm room to ourselves which was very convenient.
This is where I unfortunately committed my second huge mistake of the hike. My shoes were soaked from the day. Even though it hadn't rained much, after walking in mist for hours your are as drenched as a donkey trying paddle boarding.
The lodge was extremely damp as well. So, wanting my shoes to be dry for the next morning, I put them upside down on top of a heater. By by gortex membrane.
Oblivious to my irreparable damage I was causing my shoes, I slept in a comfortable bed like a cherub.
Day 9: Iraty to Anhaou ridge
33.13km, 8h48
I didn't even realize the damage on my shoes in the morning. It was sunny, it was warm, it was going to be a great day.
After a short hour of hiking I was rewarded with my first sea of cloud views. Oh how amazing to know that I was above the cloud and their dampness! I could also start seeing the first patches of snow on the mountain tops that were getting higher and higher as the days progressed.
The trail descended towards the Logibar lodge and in the grassy fields I came to the realization that I had a new enemy on this trek: the dew.
I was wearing shorts due to the sun beaming, but the grass was soaked from the morning dew and clouds rolling over it. The trail was cute but narrow, lined with tall, wet grass on either side. With every step my shins brushed against it and caused a mini water fall of dew directly on my lower legs.
Gaiters, not water proof, were covering my ankles but very soon the water rolled directly into my shoes. Having your body warmed by the sun while simultaneously walking in shoes that squirt out water with every step is interesting. Add to this all the mud from the previous day and my enthusiasm at the good weather waned a little.
Hiking to Logibar was an easy stage, all downhill. The inn itself seemed ok, the guy tending it was a character, but like all characters, had a kind heart and was very nice.
The sun was beaming down in the courtyard where I put my shoes and socks out to dry. This is where I discovered two little holes on each side of the toe box of both shoes seared by the heater. It was there and then that I came to the gloomy realization that my shoes were no longer water proof, I had another 30-35 days left and locals kept telling me how unusually wet this year was. Fantastic.
At this point I could only smile at my inexperience, take the lessons as they came and keep walking. To be honest, this mistake was easily avoidable but unfortunately I had to learn it the tough way.
I had only walked for four and a half hours and as my knee was better (I didn't wear the brace once after Kaskoleta), I decided to move on. The next stage (St-Engrace) was too far to reach that day but I saw on the map a free hut I could stay at the midway point.
With the sun shinning and the dew all dried up, the rest of the day was an absolute pleasure, the Holzarte bridge being the highlight.
I met my first hiking companion, a young Irish guy (Daragh), with whom talk about rugby, fitness, and life choices became the center of conversation.
Climbing up from the Logibar valley we reached the Anhaou ridge where I looked around for the hut. I talked to a herder at the ridge and he told me my hut didn't have running water but I could go to the better looking one which had an outdoor hose I could drink from and wash myself with. Lovely.
My hut turned out to be dilapidated inside with a strong odour of smoke. The two old mattresses put my off sleeping in it. It was warm and the weather announced a clear night and sunny morning so I decided to camp beside the hut.
I had access to fresh water, had a good cheese and saucisson dinner, fell asleep gazing at the stars, this was my first amazing camp night.
Day 10: Anhaou to Pierre St-Martin
23.8km, 6h19
Slept like a happy racoon and woke up well rested. Today's trek was a gentle 10km downhill towards St-Engrace and then a not so gentle uphill towards la Pierre St-Martin.
I arrived at St-Engrace easily, this part of the hike was one of those lacklustre ones, not ugly, but nothing spectacular. You're walking in a valley until the village which is at it's head.
St-Engrace is cute, as with all the small villages there's a small church with a few inns. I arrived there at 11am which is when the innkeeper usually clean up, I looked around for someone that could operate the coffee machine, found one, and rested on a patio for a bit.
Starting out towards la Pierre, you enter a beautiful little canyon. The mountain range here is famous for caving and you can see lots of entry points.
Things get serious for a little bit, this was maybe the first really steep part of the GR10, only for an hour, until I reached the St-Martin ridge. The ridge is the Spanish border and it was cool to walk between both countries for a bit.
This was also the first time that the landscape became truly mountainous, with higher peaks and snow much more frequent. The Pic d'Annie was the tallest visible peak in the scenery.
From the ridge it was an easy stroll to the Jeandel hut. La Pierre St Martin is a ski station, there isn't anything to explore in the town and so I just sipped on my bear and planned the next few days.
I took my first demi pension there: a bed, dinner and breakfast. Dinner was a very social time, which felt great after a few days of being alone. Daragh showed up a little bit after me, there were others that I recognized from the trail, and this sociability boosted my moral before hitting the sac
Day 11: La Pierre St-Martin to Borce
32.6km, 8h52
Another write off day, heavy fog most of the day, no views.
Left at 7:30am, only to hike in an absolute soup of fog, I couldn't see very far ahead of me which was a shame knowing the Pic d'Annie was right there beside me.
I reached Lescun drenched, feet swimming on my shoes, and found Daragh already at the only restaurant. How he passed me without me seeing him will be a mystery I'll never solve.
We were soon joined by a third gentleman that was also coming from la Pierre: Roy. After eating together we all decided to push on to the next stage. Lescun is usually very scenic, offering a huge panoramic view of the surrounding cirque, but we couldn't see any of it and all felt like this stage had been a bit short.
Off we went then towards Borce and Etsaut.
The veil of clouds became more patchy as the day went on, offering some pretty glimpses of the surroundings.
It wasn't until we passed the mountain separating the two villages that the sky became completely cleared. We descended towards Etsaut with full views of the mountains ahead.
Etsaut and Borce are two small villages on either side of the river at the bottom of the valley. So small that we struggled to find a place to sleep. Finally, a pilgrim's inn had a couple beds we could use.
After such a long hike, I spent most of the evening seated or horizontal. The other people there showed me how to dry my shoes faster by stuffing newspaper in them and taking the soles out.
Over all, this could of been a fantastic stage had the visibility been better, and I was glad with our decision to double up.
I realized that as I was doing this by myself, my goal was more to finish the GR10 quickly to be reunited with my family quicker. I also had a limited resource of funds, so the sooner I'd finish, the less money I would spend.
Day 12: Etsaut to Gabas
25.45 km, 6h45
Roy and I woke up around 7am. After breakfast Daragh was still asleep in his tent and as our efforts to rouse him proved futile we started the hike.
The first hour was relatively mundane. Once we climbed up in the mountains however, we were faced with one of the GR10 highlights: Le Chemin De La Mature. A 1200m path carved straight into the mountain, 200 meters above a river.
Built in the 17 century, this spectacular trail was used to carry tree trunks from the top of the mountain the riverbed of the valley. They were floated all the way to Bayonne to built ship masts for the French navy.
This part of the hike felt otherworldly. When you reach the plateau, a beautiful forest englobes you until you reach the meadow leading the the Ayous Pass. Near the top we caught up to François, whom I had hiked with at the Iparla ridge. He was doing his own sort of hike which sounded quite tough so we did not tag along.
At the Ayous pass another highlight appeared in front of us: Le Pic Du Midi d'Ossau. Another stunning peak, and today, not a cloud in the sky.
We stayed at the Ayous chalet for a a cup of coffee, met up with two other chaps that were also hiking the GR10 and relaxed. The cold made us leave 30 minutes later.
The descent towards Gabas was uneventful. In hindsight, the last 5 km are very boring, going from a parking lot to the village on the road, I would hitch hike that part if I ever do it again.
Day 13: Gabas to Gourette via Eau Bonne
22km, 6h33
This was the first stage where snow might cause us trouble. The famous Hourquette d'Arre was still under a thick layer of white powder. Not impracticable, but also not exactly something Roy and I wanted to face at this stage of our trek.
The French hiking network is one of the best out there and an alternative route is already planned. We headed towards Eau Bonne via the Lurdé pass.
On our way up from Gabas we got stuck behind a sheep herd. It was the first of June and all the herders were bringing their animals to graze in the higher mountain grounds. We were able to chat with a herder and thankfully the animals took a right when we took a left.
Up on the plateau the heavy fog was present again, hiding the Hourquette d'Arre, much to my dismay. It's one thing attempting to hike on snow, it's another when visibility sucks. I had got stuck with a friend in a heavy fog on a backcountry ski trip on a glacier a few months past and did not want to repeat that experience.
I tried my best to remain positive and happy for the rest of the hike but the fog was getting to me. It sucks knowing you are surrounded by spectacular sights but unable to see them.
The descent towards Eau Bonne was in interminable switchbacks. We arrived at the village around 3pm, everything was closed except the bar at the Richelieu hotel. We were in for a surprise.
Our goal was either to hitch hike or taxi to Gourette, which was a few kilometers away. We ordered a pint each, sat down, and were soon engaged in a random conversation with the three others guys at the bar. They were well into their alcohol consumption and the conversation flowed extremely easily.
After exchanging hiking stories, one of them, Régis, a native of Eau Bonne, offered to drive us to Gourette. It wasn't far and he wanted to go check out a bar there. It wasn't so much of an offer as much as a statement. There were no taxis around at this time, he was going to drive us.
Watching him down his beer and order another one I nervously accepted and tried my best to not think of a car burning at the bottom of ditch on the side of a mountain road.
We still needed to shop for food and the only grocery store was closed. Not a problem, our man, who worked in the administration of Eau Bonne, called the grocer, asked him where he was, and 10 minutes later Roy and I were looking at the limited supply of cereal of canned tuna the place had to offer.
The last thing to do before heading up to Gourette was wait for Claude, Régis's friend, who also wanted to go have a beer up there.
At last we made it, safely, to the ski station where the four of us sat down at a table and talked about the area.
Eau Bonne has thermal baths and became famous in the 19th century when Empress Eugénie fell in love with the place. It became a popular destination for people of high society to come there and relax in the natural hot springs.
Add to this the snow boom in the 60s and 70s and the Gourette - Eau Bonne axis became very, very popular, hotels popped up every where and life was good.
Today, the snow craze is over, the ski station in Gourette isn't as full as before, the natural hot springs of Eau Bonne are closed and most of the hotels are closed and some even boarded up.
Régis's goal is to renew with the past's energy by redeveloping the hot springs and refocusing the ski station into a summer destination.
This afternoon had been a delight after a less than stellar day of hiking. To make things even better, we found a perfect spot to pitch our tents and I didn;t even mind the light rain that was falling.
Day 14: Gourette to Arrens Marsous
13.4km, 4h15
Woke up to stunning mountain views as I opened my small tombstone tent. The rain had subsided, the sun was shining, it was another good day looking to start.
The start of the hike started with a steep ascent for an hour to the Torte Pass.
Even the sun was out the dew was still drenching my feet. I had accepted that my shoes were now as water proof as my flip flops.
After the pass it's a pretty walk to Arrens Marsous. Once there we looked for a coffee (Gourette didn't have any), found the Apistomaque and sat down for a cup. I put my shoes and socks to dry outside.
Bob Marley was playing in the background, the coffee was good and cheap, and I slowly settled into a relaxing state as I mentally congratulated myself for completing the first part of this GR10 trek.
We will look at the second part of the GR10 in a later post!
Clem
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