A First Trek on the HRP: Introduction

Three long distance footpaths traverse the full length of the Pyrenees mountains: the GR10 on the French side; the GR11 on the Spanish; and the HRP which follows the crest of the range, regularly crossing from one side to the other.

The GR10 and GR11 are very popular trails, starting and finishing every evening at a village or mountain refuge. The GR11 is more rugged and the GR10 more charming in a mountain kind of a way. But neither of these trails will excite the hill walker as much as the HRP, the Haute Route.

Now I’m not suggesting that the GR10 or the GR11 are in any way lesser trails than the HRP, indeed, in many ways I find them more demanding. Your average day on the GR10, for example, is a big climb up and a big climb down. Personally this drives me barmy. I’m much happier climbing higher and staying higher. The HRP is magical. There are high mountain pastures; wonderful mountain refuges; dramatic climbs over bare rock cols; huge boulder fields to bounce over as well as horrible scree to trudge through. There are glaciers to encounter, snow to traverse – even in August, and many wonderful people to meet on the way, people who hail from all corners of the globe. A walk on the HRP is – without any shadow of a doubt – a fine holiday indeed.

From the Col du Fache, Looking to Spain

The HRP is also a fine introduction to trekking for those who may be wanting to venture in that direction. True, this is not wilderness walking – the refuge and cold beer at the end of the day is a bit of a give away. But you’ll be walking for four or five days without resupply and so the planning and preparation for the trip will be of a different level than for, say, walking the GR10.

But if there’s one clincher for me – one clear reason why the High Route is best – it is the opportunity for wildcamping up here. Throughout the French National Parks wildcamping for trekkers is positively encouraged. The French call this the bivouac, which means being able to pitch your tent anywhere (with discretion) during the evening. The Park expect you to be gone early next morning, but of course your trekking and so you will be anyway. You can wildcamp on the GR10 I suppose but the opportunities are far more limited.

So, this post heralds the start of a new series of posts of the Pyrenees. The stretch that I shall focus on will take you from Lescun, east, to Gavarnie, a walk which would be a fine two week trek. I’ll be suggesting a route – my route – but will also look at alternatives to make things, for example, shorter or more convenient to those in more of a hurry. I’ll be starting with some practicalities and planning tips and then will move on to the route, which I shall take in three segments or so.

But I should finish this post by recognising that the HRP is not in any way an ‘official route’, rather – as a number of people have said before me – the High Route is really an idea.

The High Route was dreamt up by the French trekker Georges Veron not that many years ago. You can still by George’s guide to the HRP (published by Rando Editions); I’ve scoured my copy, which was revised in 2003, but I can find no mention of the original date. George’s guide is in French but if you’re grasp of that lingo is not that hot, don’t fret; the HRP is now well covered in three English-language guide books.

My section is covered by Kev Reynolds, in ‘Walks and Climbs in the Pyrenees’ and by Tom Joosten in his more recent guide ‘The Pyrenean Haute Route’; both guides are published by Cicerone. Douglas Streatfield-James’ ‘Trekking in the Pyrenees’, published by Trailblazer, also covers our route.

As I said, the High Route is more of an idea than an official route. Study these guides and you’ll see subtle differences between routes. For example, on day one out of Lescun, Kev takes you one way and Tom another. There are also a number variations throughout the walk. On contributing factor to this is almost certainly the fact that the HRP is not marked on the ISGN 1:250,000 maps of the area. The route is – though – well marked on the fantastic 1:500,000 scale maps. (Rather counter intuitively for those of us used to Ordnance Survey maps the larger scale maps are the best for walkers!).

All of this uncertainty suits me. There is no definite route which means your more likely to amble off it at will, and I do think that the best Pyrenean experiences are those that mix the HRP with other bits. There is also less pressure on the walker to get to this point, or that, by a prescribed time.

But whichever way you go this route is a fine, fine route. It will entice you back. Take on trip here and it certainly won’t be your last. And – over the next couple of weeks – while we’re taking this walk, I’ll point out the possible departure points for future exploration.

This is a walk that gets under your skin. Tom Joosten, author of the latest HRP guide, was so taken by the Pyrenees on his first visit in 1986 that he has been back several times every year since. Indeed, since 1986 Tom has not walked in any other mountain range. A tad eccentric maybe; but completely understandable!