Trip Preparation
GR10:
GR10 is an epic hiking trail located on the border of France and Spain. It is about 560 miles long. It traces the Pyrenees Mountain from the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic side to Banyuls-Sur-Mer on the Mediterranean. It typically takes 45-60 days to hike the entire route. The highest altitude is around 2500-2600 meters. On an average daily basis, a hiker typically covers 10-12 miles with elevation gain and loss of about 1000 meters. Such is my brief summary about the trail, you can read more details online or get a guide book.
I hiked TMB and Bernese Oberland. There are wonderful trails in the Alps with stunning beauty. But I am fascinated by GR10 because it runs coast to coast, each side with its distinctive character; it intersects with another epic path, Camino de Santiago, at the pilgrimage town of St. Jean Pied de Port; it trails along the Pyrenees, the natural boundary that witnessed centuries of conflicts between the Islamic Moors and the northern Christians; it has drastically varied terrains and unpredictable weather; it is less traveled... It is like an enchanted story book that keeps reader longing for the next page. I wish I could hike GR10 in one go, but just like most of us, I am bound by circumstances and could only hike one or two weeks at a time. It may take three, four or more trips. Does it really matter? No, because I know one day I will walk out of the arid mountain range and step onto the sunny Mediterranean shore, feeling absolutely fabulous.
Who hikes long distance?
I don't mean to discourage the youthful, but it is evident that more "mature" folks hike long distance. No need to explain why, everyone has his/her own story. I would like to point out though, you do not need an athlete's endurance or a soldier's iron will; you don't have to be a thrill-seeking outdoors extremist. My husband (Z) may not be all of the mentioned above, but he came along and returned in one piece as strong as ever (if he ever reads this), while carrying a bag one-fourth of his weight. If you have a love for nature, if you are fond of walking outdoors, if you don't mind moderate cardio exercise, such as 30 minutes jogging or lifting weights 2-3 times a week, most likely you qualify! You can train yourself based on common sense: carry out physical activities regularly, do exercises that strengthen the muscle around your knees, do day hikes with a loaded backpack weekly for couple of months. With 2-3 month of physical preparation, a generally healthy individual is capable of long distance hikes. The heart's desire plays a crucial role. Often times, you do one long hike, you will come back for more.
From Paris:
By train: overnight train from GARE D’AUSTERLITZ to Hendaye
By air: Paris (various airport) to Biarritz, taxi to Hendaye
Stage 2: start from St. Jean Pie de Port to Borce:
By train: overnight train from GARE D’AUSTERLITZ to Bayonne, take Aquitaine Regional train from Bayonne to St. Jean Pied de Port (line 62 in 2016), usually you can purchase the regional train ticket after you arrive at Bayonne.
How to get back to Paris:
From St. Jean Pied de Port: take SNCF bus from the train station to Bayonne, there are multiple trains from Bayonne to Paris.
From Borce: take regional bus from Etsaut (town center across from the restaurant) to Bedous, from Bedous take Aquitaine Regional train (line 63 in 2016) to Pau, there are multiple trains and flights from Pau to Paris.
Hotels and B&B
We find booking.com being the best in class to book hotels, B&Bs in Europe. App is user friendly and provides offline booking information. In Basque countries, you can find good selections on Booking.com. Median rate is 65 Euros (2015).
Gites
You may find booking information on gites from these websites.But you may have to call or email the proprietor to book your stay.
Walk-ins
There seems to be gites/hostels available for walk-ins but not available online. You may try your luck. Most likely you won't have a problem in the Basque country.
When to go?
From more experienced hikers, we learned the season starts after June 20 when snow has receded and the high country is passable. July and August are high season. All refuges, gites and other accommodations are available. After September 15, some refuges in the high country may be closed. In the Basque country (day 1 - day 10), you may go any time between May and October. Weather for that part of GR10 is generally mild. But it could be hot and humid in July and August, as on most trails there is no shade. We didn't encounter any thunder storm or entrenched rain. Drizzle or moderate rain was no issue for us. There were hikers on every trail, but there was never a "crowd". If you hike the high country, you generally need to time your trip between mid June and mid September. It would be wise to obtain weather information and trail condition which is generally available at refuges or gites before you set off everyday.
Navigation
GR10 is well signed. However, it is inevitable that you may miss a turn here and there. We patched together a GPS map which you may use either on Google Map, or on our favorite outdoors app "Backcountry Navigator Pro". Google Map now allows you to download map and keep it for certain period of time so that you may use it offline. We have been using "Backcountry Navigator"over 3 continents (Americas, Europe and Asia) for a few years. It is just a wonderful app for hiking (as well as other outdoors activities). Best features: download and store free maps on your device for offline navigation, very low battery usage, import/export/record tracks, free maps of multiple styles. We found GPS signal reliable on the portion of GR10 we traveled. Based on our experience on TMB, it is generally reliable as well.
Download GPX, KML, KMZ file (zipped)
Download 2017 KML version
A few tips on taking care of your gears
- Have you ever sprayed bug repellent on your backpack or rain jacket?
Well, I did and felt really sorry afterwards. Rain jackets are often made with Gore-Tex, a breathable, waterproof material. My backpack by Granite Gear was made of water repellent, durable material called Cordura nylon. Unfortunately, both material is vulnerable to deet based insect repellent. Deet appears to "melt" away Gore-tex or Cordura soon after contact and could continue to spread for a while. Thus, deet, as much as we need it, caused me grief on my band new backpack. However, we did find a way to control the damage. Deet is soluble in alcohol. Once you realize you sprayed deet on Gore-tex or Cordura nylon, you can apply rags soaked in alcohol locally on surface several times, thus wiping away deet from the surface. It worked well for me on my backpack. So don't panic, give it a try! - Have you ever been dispirited by soaking wet boots after a long day in the middle of a long distance hike?
Happened to us! Boots are pivotal for long hikes. Wearing wet boots often means trouble down the road. What are the options? First step is to take the sole out of the boots and dry it separately. As many of us know, stuffing a lot of old newspaper could be helpful, but you have to change very often and it takes a long time to suck out the moisture. If you can get hold of a halogen light, it helps if you place the wet boots directly facing the light. Halogen light does give off a lot heat (hence a dying breed for its energy inefficiency), which helps drying up the boots but not hot enough to burn them. Sounds a bit wacky, but works.