TR: HRP - the High Route Pyrenees, June 2022

[CAMERONM]

Hello. I have posted my account of my trip to the Pyrenees this summer.
https://www.trailnamebackstroke.com/hrp

The HRP is the acronym for the French name Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne, and because the route also has Spanish or English names, it is easiest to stick with the generally understood name HRP. It is called a route because it combines several different trails with off-trail sections and alternates. It is one of three ways to hike in the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean; the GR 10 and GR 11 trails hew to the French and Spanish sides respectively, while the HRP zig-zags back and forth over both, staying high and largely avoiding roads and towns. It features more challenging passes than the GR trails, and unlike the GR trails, the majority of hikers on the HRP carry tents which they use frequently and which allow for more spontaneous camping opportunities. The route offers the advantages of abundant fresh water supplies and frequent opportunities to obtain cooked meals and provisions, and three days is about the longest stretch without provisions.The complete trip is 44 days, known as stages or “étapes”, for a total distance of 497 miles and 139,000 altitude gain. I allot 16 days to hike Sections 2 & 3, containing 16 étapes, not knowing in advance if I could do more than one étape a day or if bad weather might ground me. At the conclusion I hiked 14 étapes, but I also managed to eke out 3 days of rest along the way and climb one mountain, so I was moving a bit faster than the 44 day pace. My total distance covered was 158 miles with 62,300 ft altitude gain.

lescun to vielha satellite.jpg

Haute-Route_Pyrennees_2022-06-15 19.06.22.jpg

[wildhiker]

Thanks for posting. I looked through your complete report. Many photos of stunning mountains and green meadows. Looks like you had pretty decent weather overall. We did some day hikes a few years ago at the head of the valley above Benasque in late September. I thought it was very pretty, but didn't care for the large flocks of sheep moving like waves over the land and eating everything (including flowers) down to a stubble. I can see why Muir called them "hoofed locusts". I'm so glad that the early conservationists such as Muir got the sheep out of the High Sierra.
-Phil

[The Other Tom]

Looks like a good trip. Thanks for posting.

[windknot]

Beautiful photos of an epic journey. I appreciated seeing the huge diversity in landscapes, shelters, and people/animals. Thanks for sharing!

[paul]

Thanks for posting this. Loved your photos, and that landscape really appeals to me.

[robertseeburger]

I really enjoyed scrolling through the photos.
Interesting area, and sounds like a great experience.
I have been asked to go do the Camino de Santiago before...and I said.."nah".
This hiking looks a lot more interesting..

And I could not help it.. the title was too tempting. I clicked on the link and also enjoyed the Evolution Basin/high pass route..
great route great photos great description.

[frozenintime]

love your reports cameron!

[kpeter]

I read through the full report. Lovely. I've done some hut-to-hut hiking in Austria, where the advantage to a lazy American is that everyone speaks English. Your report showed the charm and character of a different kind of landscape--not sure what I expected with the Pyrenees but you've given me a nice impression.

[grampy]

Great story-telling AND photos! - thank you for this.

[Harlen]

Congratulations Cameron, fantastic trip! We enjoyed the entire epic, the stories, and the scenery. Did you get to the Breche de Roland?
What kinds of wild life did you see? We heard that there are still a few Brown Bears hidden in the Pyrenees. Thanks for sharing all of this with us, Cheers, Ian and Lizzie.