Tips, Tricks and Facts for trekking the HRP

For index to 'stage preface tips'  click here  to page down

Hrp Summary: the division of days
Trek stages43 Retreat stages2 Rest & recuperation6

Frontier crossings: the flag flying
French26 Spanish15 Andorran2

Weather: days featuring
Cold20 Heat6 Mist8 Rain6 Snow6 Wind4

Accomodation
TypeDaysCost range (Euros)
Camping, 'wild'16 -
Gite d'etape: FR1010 - 13
Non guarded refuge8 -
Guarded refuge65 - 13
NB. Club Alpin Francais refs ½ price with BMC reciprocal rights
Appartement810 - 18
Hotel: ES311 - 15

Food: what to look out for, where
Refuges Tricky for vegetarians. Full meals cost 9 - 13 Euros, part meals possible
Soup, pasta, omelette, bread, cheese. Vegetables, salad & fruit infrequent.
Recommended: Refs Larribet, Mariailles, Serradets & Viados.
France Muesli, Prunes, 5-min rice, tomato puree & mayonnaise in tubes
Spain Hi-fibre buscuits, figs, 3-min pasta, roast nuts & sunflower seeds
Everywhere 3-min pasta, sardines, garlic
Camping Gaz Simple 'pierce to apply' cartridges most available. Screwtops infrequent

StageTips etc for trekkers presented in the daily STAGE PREFACE
S0When to trek the HRP: the season and the weather
S1Trekking in company: differences and compromises
S2The most useful language for the HRP: french
S3Why the trekking day should begin early: avoid storms
S4The HRP intersected by the GR65 St Jacques de Compostela
S5Poetry: from Songs of Travel, by George Stevenson
S6Pathfinding in rugged terrain: leave beelines for the bees
S7The usefulness of lightweight container or yoghurt pot
S8Pathfinding in Karstic country: rely on your compass
S9The Pyrenees eco-system in balance without the bear and wolf
S10Cirque de Lescun in the Bearn Pyrenees: don't rush ahead
S11The 'Parc National des Pyrenees' (PNP): no wild camping
S12Refuge bookings and ergonomics for trekkers: carry reserve rations
S13How to maintain dietary fibre intake while trekking lightweight
S14The Pyrenees and bears: how to know when you are in Bear Country
S15Pyrenean valleys and the passages between: cols, ports, and hourquettes
S16Poetry: The Road Less Travelled, by Robert Frost
S17George Véron and the HRP: discoverer and guidebook author
S18Following the real HRP: reject soft options
S19Travel at your own pace, re-group when the route presents ambiguity
S20Dietary supplements for trekkers: George Véron reccommends vitamin C
S21Navigation with an altimeter: daily setup for barometric pressure change
S22When you've seen the film and read the book, its time for reality
S23Getting lost in the Pyrenees: the Spanish don't talk french
S24Trekking poles: some are for, and some are against
S25Predicting your passage: how long is a piece of string?
S26When weather and visibility are good, a map is not essential
S27Meditation comes easily for the intent observer
S28What do Bear Country and real wilderness have in common?
S29Poetry: from Songs of Travel, by George Stevenson
S30Travelling lightweight: make the compromise, take the penalty
S31Dissapointment: converting failure into something positive
S32Carry a mobile: they're essential, you can't do without one
S33An unexpected trekking hazard: grass seeds
S34Essential equipment: ice axe and crampons
S35Route timing offered by guidebooks: reasons for not matching
S36How much water to carry, finding clean water en route
S37Performance, body mass, and calorific intake
S38Cumulus lenticularis, the telltale for unpredictable winds
S39The relationship between appetite and good food
S40An alternative trekking style: halt wherever you fancy
S41The passage of time while trekking: clock time and event time
S42To travel hopefully is better than to arrive ...


Navigation problem? Site Index   to regain control