Missing email addresses

Thanks to Jean Guy for spotting that I'd missed a letter from my email address in the previous post. I've now corrected it.

First part of e-book now ready for review

I've now added over 300 photos (from the 900 I took) into an ebook of the walk. To reduce the filesize (but still keeping a reasonable quality level for the photos), I divided it into four parts, matching the four regions (Pays Basque, Pyrenees Centrale, Ariège amd Pyrenees Orientales) traversed by the GR10. I've proof-read and captioned the photos in the first part (Pays Basque) and sent it out to a few of my fellow walkers for feedback. I'll make it more widely available once I've incorporated any feedback.
Meanwhile, I'll work through the rest over the next few days.

First draft now finished

It's taken longer than the actual walk but today I finish writing my first draft of my story of my adventure on the GR10 At over 25,000 words, it will take a while to review and to choose photos to include. Even if I include only two per day that's 100.

Day 38 - Out of The Ariege

After two weeks, I've completed the hardest section of the walk, the two weeks that takes me from Bagneres de Luchon to Merens-les-Vals. It is the hardest because of the paucity of accomodation and shops to buy food so you need to carry up to four days provisions at a time. I've now completed 75% of the walk - probably more as the remaining stages have much shorter projected times, typically 4 to 6 hours plus stops. The camping equipment is also going back home which will mean 5 or 6 kilos less to carry.
Until yesterday it was going really well. I'd been on the same schedule as a couple from Brittany (Danielle and Jean-Noël) so we aimed to stay at the same refuge, gite d'etape or cabane. From being a day behind after Fos, I had caught up and by turning what would be a 4 hour day from Goulier to Siguer into a 7 hour day to a cabane 5 hours on (the 4hr bit was done in 3:10) and the weather was cool and misty - ideal for walking although very challenging for navigation. However the cabane was only a little one and was filled by a Belgian couple so the tent had come out in the mist. By the morning there was a brilliant sunrise coming through the mist - one of 700 photos I've taken so far.
Yesterday should have been a nice 5 hour walk from the Refuge de Ruhle (about 7200ft above sea level) to Merens-les-Vals but I had my worst navigation problem of the five weeks so far. In some areas the way marking is very good, in others not. The worst case is when the GR way marks are there but you are no longer on the GR10. This is what happened yesterday. I followed the markers, failing to see any turn or any additional information. I became suspicious, looked at the maps, thought something was wrong, then turned round to see a very clear GR way mark. This was 30 minutes beyond where I should have turned I continued along the path to come to a quite new refuge. They spoke Spanish. I was in Spain. I had gone an hour too far. One problem with the maps in the France Randonnee book is they only cover the route so if you veer too far, you are off the map.
That and other lack of marking turned the day into an 11 hour walk with me not arriving in Merens but at L'Hospitalet near Andorra as I found out I was no longer on the GR10 but the variant the GR10C.
Hopefully no more nightmare days.
Today I'm having my first full rest day at Gary & Debbie Devine's brilliant Gite/Chambre d'Hote 4 miles north of Ax-Le Thermes which is few miles north of Merens where I shall restart tomorrow.
Last night we had runners here from Holmfirth Harriers, Lothian Harriers and Baildon Runners. By the way Gary is a member of Pudsy & Bramley and still wins races.
It's well worth a holiday down here with lots of acivities and is also close to Andorra the Med and Barcelona. It's called Pyrenees Haven

A minor setback

According to Paul Lucia's book, yesterday was expected to be the hardest day of the GR10. But he'd not taken into account a diversion due to fallen trees that added at least 40 minutes and his route didn't follow the ridge route unlike the actual markers on the ground. Some superfluous markers caused about 20 mins of investigation then finally on the very long descent to Fos, a diversion had been but in place, presumably because there were so many fallen trees. I'd already had to find my way under two with the second necessitating removing my pack which weighs currently probably over 18KG.
After 7.40am start and by lunchtime being 30 minutes up on Lucia's schedule, I eventually arrived in Fos at 7.20pm, very tired, thirsty and very hungry.
Then the problem. Once I'd stopped, I realised my right ankle was now screaming at me. So today has been a rest day. I've actually walked to the next village so done 70 minutes of the 6hrs40 schedule. Last night I dined with a party of four Yorkshiremen served by a lady from Stockton on Tees; Home from home. Bet the one Frenchman in the restuarant thought he was abroad.
So big thanks to the owners of Le Gentillhommiere in Fos for helping me out with icebags.

Today I'm writing this from a lovely little hotel up the road in Melles - 31440 - the Auberge de Crabere. Tel +33 (0) 5 61 79 40 49.



Tomorrow I shall complete the day and hopefully will be just be one day behind. Luckily I have a day to spare and as long as I can manage my ankle may even recover that day, especially once I've sent home up to 6 kilos of cqmping gear after the Ariege in a couple of weeks.

Mobile phone not working

I cannot get my mobile to fully start up so if you need to contact me, please do so through Julie on my home number. If you do not have this, the Harriers Club Secretary can provide it if you can't find it on bt.com.

Next few days should be a bit easier although today is fairly long. Before yesterday I had five very hard days averaging nearly 8 hours per day but this set of five should be lees than six per day on average.

I'm now in the Hotel Central in Bareges which is excellent. After 3 days of Hotels it's back to Gite D'Etapes tonight up in the wild country. Go up to 8500 ft again today but no snow (over 1k on Hourquette d'Arre last week). Better get going.

Friday - it's still raining

So the very nice couple who run the hotel where I'm staying have let me use their netbook for awhile as I only have a short walk today to Esterencuby.
Here is their hotel at St Michel, about 2 miles from St Jean Pied-de-Port.
After 5 days of very tough walking, it's good to have an easy day. Yesterday's section would have been very pleasant had the conditions been decent rather than like a wild October/November day on Winter Hill.

Rain has stopped so time to go.

If you would like to donate to either Guide Dogs or British Heart Foundation it would make the hard bits easier.

St Jean Pied De Port, Thursday Day 5

Just arrived after a good walk over from St Etienne de Baigorry.
Quick update from office de tourisme as they only allow 10 mins at a time.
Weather has been horrendous. Hadly seen the sun. Worn thermals for past 2 days. Despite this, times are now quicker than schedule. Did today in 5hrs against book schedule of 6:20 probably because it was too cold to stop on the tops in 90mph wind.

Just been shopping for a few essentials and decided to throw my trustworthy Merrell walking sandls which have started to come apart. Onlyt had teh, for 14 years and only a few thousand miles. Should I ask for a refund? Anyway replaced with a new much cheaper model whuich would not last very long on decent walk but will be fine for inside the gite d'etapes and hotels which is where I'm off now. Tomorrow is an easy short day in readiness for the longest one yet on Saturday. If anyone wants to contact me, easiest way is to text on 07787 948671

Looks like weather is still poor for a few more days. In a hotel tonight so will catch the meteo. Hear it's crackin t'flags back home.

A very long walk in the Lake District

Due to a late night on Saturday, I'd arranged to meet up with this East Lancs LDWA walk two hours into it.

The walk is named the High Street Stroll. If the name conjures up a gentle afternoon stroll, think again!

The walk started in Ambleside at 8am, then headed over to Kentmere where I met up with the rest of the six strong group on the path from Garburn Pass shortly after 10am.

The route after Kentmere: Nan Bield Pass - Harter Fell - Branstree - Mosedale - Selside Pike - Mardale Head (bottom of Haweswater) - Kidsty Pike - High Street - Thornthwaite Crag - Stony Cove Pike - Kirkstone Pass and then back to Ambleside.

The estimated time for reaching the cars at Ambleside was 8pm for this 30 mile walk. However, GPS showed it to be 31·5 miles and we finally returned at 9.15pm. And we are not talking about slow walkers : these are hardened experienced walkers who go at a fast pace. Many will be completing in the forthcoming "Hundred" in Scotland.

There will be a more detailed report soon on the East Lancashire LDWA Website

All photos were taken with a cheap phone camera on which the lcd is little use in bright sunshine so it's point and hope!
The first couple of photos were taken on the top of Branstree, the second of the unusual trig point.



The next is the view eastwards towards Shap and the final from the col between Kidsty Pike and High Street.



As usual with me, I was slow on the tricky descents but making up on the climbs where, even late in the day, I was happy with my stamina, being able to push strongly up the final major climb up Stony Cove Pike. By joining them late, I was only out for 11hrs 15 minutes but this is the longest walk or run I have ever done by over a couple of hours. The longest day on my GR10 schedule is nine and a half hours according to the book, so I should hopefully be able to cope, providing I get early enough starts to avoid the worst of the heat.

The Route

The route starts on the Atlantic coast at Hendaye, close to the Spanish border, before meandering through the lower hills of the Pays Basque for a few days reaching the possibility of snow in June on a high pass towards the end of the second week.

Click on the map to view in reasonable detail. The route is shown as a yellow dashed line.

I'm quite likely to come back and improve these maps when I get a bit of spare time.

On a 50 day schedule Fos will be reached in about 25 days.

At the moment I'm using the schedule from Paul Lucia's book.

The GR10 Challenge

In February 2007, I had some very mild chest pains on a couple of days, 4 days apart. After a phone call to my GP, I went to get myself checked out at the Royal Preston Hospital and all of a sudden I was strapped up with electrodes and then for 12 hours the doctors were telling me that they thought I'd suffered a heart attack. I was rather astonished and told them I'd had worse toothaches. Anyway the second set of results came back the following morning to reveal that I had not. Further tests (angiograms are not the most fun things if you want get back to running) confirmed that my heart was in perfectly good working order.

However, the experience made me realise that I ought to set myself a challenge whilst I was still young enough and fit enough. I've never considered myself capable of say a Bob Graham Round completion but I've always enjoyed walking in the hills. I have also loved the Pyrenees whenever we have holidayed there and have done a few walks (and the occasional race) there.

Therefore I decided my challenge would be to complete the GR10 long distance footpath which goes from Hendaye on the Atlantic to Banyuls on the Mediterranean, a distance of just over 900km (about 550 miles) with 50,000 metres of ascent (and descent!).

My original idea was to undertake the challenge last summer but I put it off, hoping that the value of the pound against the euro would recover a bit. Maybe it will, maybe it won't, but next Summer is now the ideal opportunity for me and plans are well on the way to get me into condition.

Also as a response to the wonderful care I had with my little ticker scare, I'm trying to hook it up as a means of fundraising, 50% to the British Heart Foundation and 50% to Guide Dogs For The Blind (for whom my wife does much voluntary work and as she will suffer much of my preparation, etc for the walk, I think it only fair).

I have set up two justgiving sites, one for British Heart Foundation and one for Guide Dogs for the Blind and hope to raise the modest sum of £500 for each charity, more if possible.

There is a lot more to go in this blog in line with much preparation. I'll keep you informed.