Where Next: Highlights of the GR10, French Pyrenees

Trip No. 2 of 2018 is, as yet, unbooked. Hazel and I are waiting for Exodus to run a special offer 🙂

Destination: The French Pyrenees.

When: June 2018.

What: Highlights of the GR10, with Hazel.

How: On Exodus’ Pyrenees: The GR10 trip (no link – they don’t like me doing that!)

Why: More mountains! Europe! Summertime!

Plus we both had a fab time on the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB), aka Exodus’ TWB, back in 2012.

The GR10 is the Grande RandonnĂ©e, long distance path, that runs along the French side of the Pyrenees, providing la grande traversĂ©e des PyrĂ©nĂ©es. It’s been on my trekking radar for a while, but work and more far flung destinations mean I won’t be able to tackle all 538 miles any time soon.  This trip seems a good way to get a feel for how it “works” and only needs a week off work.

Ten days end to end, with 7 full days of walking (mainly point-to-point), and 4 nights in basic mountain huts and the rest in simple hotels, Exodus rate the trip as activity level 5 – “Challenging”, one notch up from their Mont Blanc Circuit, TWB version.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Fly to Toulouse; transfer to Gavarnie.
Day 2: Walk the Cirque de Gavarnie and up to the Espuguette hut.
Day 3: Follow the GR10 to Pragnères; transfer to Barèges.
Day 4: Trek along the VallĂ©e d’Aygues-Cluses; enter NĂ©ouvielle National Nature Reserve.
Day 5: Climb to the Col d’Estoudou (2260m) and up to the Col de Portet (1069m); transfer to Saint-Lary (Ariège edition).
Day 6: Free Day in Saint-Lary.
Day 7: Morning trek up to the Col d’Azet (1580m); descend to Loudenvielle.
Day 8: Enter the Val d’Aube; climb to Couret d’Esquierry (2131m); walk to les Granges d’Asteau.
Day 9: Ascent to the Coume de Bourg Pass (2272m) via Lac d’OĂ´; ridge walk down to Superbagnères. Overnight in Bagnères-de-Luchon.
Day 10: Transfer to Toulouse; fly to London.