The GR10 Trail. Brian Johnson

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      The north face of Vignemale from Oulètes de Gaube (Stages 18 and 19)

      The Pyrenees, the mountain chain which forms the border between France and Spain, stretches over 400km from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. The GR10 is the easiest, oldest and most popular of the three long-distance routes that traverse the mountain range.

      It is an extremely well-waymarked route following good mountain paths, with only a few tough stages with boulderfields to cross and occasional scrambling. Towns and villages are frequent so finding accommodation and supplies is rarely a problem.

      Initially the GR10 follows ridges over the steep rolling hills of the Basque Country before reaching the impressive limestone peaks at the western end of the High Pyrenees. The fantastic Alpine scenery of the High Pyrenees includes a number of tourist hotspots, including the Pic du Midi d’Ossau, Vignemale and Gavarnie. After Bagnères-de-Luchon the GR10 passes into the less-frequented Ariège where the route crosses a succession of deep valleys with occasional returns to spectacular Alpine terrain. As the Mediterranean is approached the Canigou massif dominates the scene and the terrain remains mountainous with the final 1000m peak being only a few miles from the route’s end at Banyuls-sur-Mer.

      The highlight of the GR10 for many walkers isn’t the mountains or the fauna, but the magnificent wildflower meadows, and the associated butterflies, which you will walk through most days on your traverse of the Pyrenees.

The stages

      At 954km in length with a total climb of 53,000m, taking approximately 315 hours to complete, the GR10 is too long for most hikers to do in a single trip and most will break it up into sections and walk it over several years. There are good bus and rail links throughout the French Pyrenees so there is plenty of choice when splitting into sections. For convenience, this guide has been divided into four sections, which fit in well with the rail links. See Appendix A for a route summary table.

      For a fit walker, it would be possible to complete the entire trek in around 45 days by combining stages. This would require some planning ahead to ensure daily distances are realistic and accommodation options fit the intended schedule.

      Section 1: Hendaye-Plage to Etsaut (Stages 1–12)

      As the GR10 leaves the border town of Hendaye on the Atlantic coast it follows ridges over the steep, grassy and wooded rolling hills of the Basque Country. After nine stages there is a rapid transition to the steep limestone peaks at the western end of the High Pyrenees. Section totals: 221km; 11,300m; 68 hours.

      Section 2: Etsaut to Bagnères-de-Luchon (Stages 13–26)

      This is the most spectacular section of the GR10, passing through the High Pyrenees, which rise to over 3000m, crossing high passes that may be snow-covered well into summer. The fantastic scenery in this section means that you will be passing a number of tourist hot-spots, including the Pic du Midi d’Ossau, Vignemale and Gavarnie. Section totals: 253km; 14,400m ascent; 85 hours.

      Section 3: Bagnères-de-Luchon to Mérens-les-Vals (Stages 27–43)

      In this section, the border between France and Spain (or Andorra) is well north of the watershed and the GR10 passes through the Ariège. These mountains aren’t quite as high as the High Pyrenees, but the route crosses a succession of deep valleys cut out by the huge glaciers that flowed north from the Pyrenees in the last Ice Age, meaning that there is a lot of climb. The Ariège has never been as popular as the High Pyrenees so there is often a feeling of remoteness, and facilities for walkers are harder to find. Section totals: 265km; 17,600m ascent; 98 hours.

      Section 4: Mérens-les-Vals to Banyuls-sur-Mer (Stages 44–55)

      The first few days of this section are through spectacular Alpine terrain, after which the mountains become gentler. After the dominating Canigou massif is passed, the terrain becomes drier but remains mountainous, with the final 1000m peak being only a few miles from Banyuls-sur-Mer. Section totals: 215km; 9700m ascent; 64 hours.