The Pyrenees

Through the Pyrenees. Another extra detour on my Camino to Santaigo de Compostela. One that I really looked forward to.

As soon as I went on the GR10 I was no longer a pilgrim, but "just" a hiker who seeked the high mountains of the Pyrenees.

This was the part of my Camino in which I wanted to go completely into nature. Offline. Away from civilization for a while. A piece of raw nature, which came with a lot of new challenges.

I took on this challenge together with a fellow pilgrim. After I had been advised by several people not to go alone, I was very happy to have met someone who wanted to do the same route.

On the Camino it's fairly easy to meet someone along the way to join up with if you wish, but this GR10 route is walked from West to East by most hikers. From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and we walked it in the opposite direction. Super handy to ask walkers on the way about the continuation of the route or how far away the next supermarket is, but not to join up with.

The Pyrenees is divided into several departments. I started in the Haut Pyrenees and crossed half way through over into the Atlantic Pyrenees, the last part being Basque Country. The part I walked is about 1/3 of the entire GR10 route and because I entered it in the Haut (= high) Pyrenees, it started with high altitude straight away.

As a result, we came above the clouds on the first day, well above 1900mtr. After a tough climb, we were rewarded with a beautiful place between the mountains at a lake. A great place to acclimatize for the first night.

The first few days it took some getting used to in terms of breathing. It felt heavier to inhale and you get out of breath within a few steps. I would pause to catch my breath, but as soon as I had taken a few steps again I was just as out of breath as before the pause. After a few days it became easier by itself, I mean breathing, because I still get out of breath from the effort of climbing.

Climbing and descending. That's what you do when you walk through the Pyrenees. In general, you go uphill or downhill. At times this is a lot of fun and at other times it caused a sky-high stress level and quite clammy hands.

The difference in this depends on various factors. The degree of steepness and the type of surface have a major influence, but the weather also plays a role. The substrate varied from grass, solid sand, mud, forest ground, rocks, large boulders, smaller flat stones and pebbles. The last two are loose and often in a thick layer, which means that you have little solid ground under your feet. These kind of descents are not my favourite. With a solid surface I can go down in a dribble with the right steepness, but with a loose surface it is sweating. It’s like cycling in loose sand, can’t do that neither.

Climbing uphill is generally a lot easier for me, although sometimes technique is involved. At times, the route ran half way around the mountain via a 'ridge', instead of going over the peak. These are the parts that are fairly flat and where it felt like I could stretch my legs for a wee while.

The muddy parts are always a challenge. Sometimes it was so bad that afterwards I rinsed my shoes at a water source. Mud up to the ankles! Other parts I was happy that I was going up the mountain through the mud, because the people I saw sliding down were not really having a good day.

To keep the variety up there were also combi pieces. For example, I would walk on a narrow path between armpit-high ferns, the layer below bramble bushes that I tried to avoid from ripping open my skin, while at the same time I had to be careful not to slip in the mud.

With these challenging terrains, you regularly have to stop to enjoy the view, because you have no chance for this while walking and it’s just too fascinatingly beautiful to let pass by.

We also had plenty of variety in terms of weather. The first week in particular was still quite chilly. There I was happy again with my beanie and wintertrouser. There were even a number of sections where we still had to cross snow, I hadn't really counted on that! Fortunately, these pieces were not very long and it was doable with my shoes.

Shortly after a piece of snow we suddenly heard rumbling above us in the mountains. It sounded like a mini avalanche, patches of snow with loose rocks rolling. Perhaps a small warning for to the fact that attention is required here high in the mountains.

The first few days we had a lot of fog and clouds that we had to go through. In these circumstances we had to be careful not to lose the route markings and each other. Walking through the clouds is different from walking through the fog. The clouds have a very nice smell that is difficult to describe. I'm looking for the right description, but haven't come up with it yet.

In the evenings there was often a heavy thunderstorm, especially in the first week. Protected in my tent, this was easy to do and I felt safe. I can even quite enjoy this beautiful natural violence. I love watching the sky change and how the clouds form and race by.

In general, I walked a lot in shorts and t-shirt. There were a few days in the second week when it was very hot. This meant leaving a little earlier in the morning, walking at 7 o'clock. On one of the days the heat resulted in half a day of walking and an afternoon-nap in the shade of a tree.

With the nice weather there are also more animals. I'll tell you about the nice ones in a bit, but the critters I'm referring to are mosquitoes and biting flies. These biting flies turn out to be horseflies and also suck blood. Their bite hurts, it gives you a big bump and it itches for a long time. Terrible little shits!

Just after the bite they are very slow and you can whack them, but yes, then they've already got you.

One afternoon I walked uphill, in the sweltering sun. Stopping was not an option because then it is an ambush of horseflies, so I kept walking breathless as long as possible. Despite plowing through, they still got the chance to bite me. I was very frustrated and yelled at them. I’m sure you can imagine these where not kind words.

Wild animals that I’ ve seen along the way are lizards, salamanders and marmots. Not the little marmots we put in a cage at home, but the size of a small dog. Super cute and very cool to spot them between the rocks and the grass.

The birds were also a real eye-catcher. In the Haut Pyrenees, these were the vultures. What a size of a bird, beautiful!

There are 3 species living here. The first has a bald head, because he goes with his head into the cadaver to eat the organs. The second is the more classic vulture and eats the meat off the bone. And the third kind eats the bone marrow from the bones. He flies into the air with a bone and then drops it from a height in the hope that the bone will break open so that he can eat the bone marrow out of it.

Along the way I saw several bones. Awesome to see. Most impressive was the jawbone with teeth and the skeleton; vertebra with ribs. I think all these bones were from calves. Unfortunately I didn’t find a skull.

In the Atlantic Pyrenees I have seen a lot of the European kite, a beautiful bird of prey to see, sometimes even from very close.

I have encountered many livestock such as sheep, cows and horses along the way. These are sent into the mountains for the summer months. The cows are therefore grass-fed and are sold for a good class of meat. The horses are semi-feral. They belong to someone, but live wonderfully free in the mountains. They do have a bell around their neck, just like the cows and sheep's. I wonder if this isn't annoying for them, that ringing around your ears.

The herds of sheep all have a shepherd. He lives in a shepherd's hut in the mountains during these summer months. Often they are with 2-4 shepherds, or shepherd's helpers. In the evening they take the sheep’s from the mountains and sleep in a fenced area near the shepherd's hut. In the morning they are milked after they send the sheep back into the mountains for the day. Cheese is made on site from this milk and every few days they walk down with donkeys into a village to deliver the cheese. You can also buy this cheese directly at a hut, it cannot be more local. And I must say, if you still want to eat cheese, this is one of the most animal-friendly options there is. I couldn't resist buying a small piece to try. Very tasty.

When they send the sheep into the mountains in the Haut-Pyrenees, they are protected by the patou. The Patou is a large white dog, somewhat of an oversized golden retriever. The Patou thinks he is a sheep. He grew up with the herd and his job is to protect and keep the herd together. If he sees you as a threat, he will do everything he can to drive you away from the herd. If you get too close and he sees you as a sheep, he will do everything he can to keep you with the herd. Not a dog you want to meet up close. There's also warning signs everywhere if you enter an area of a herd with patou, which show how to act. In short, make sure you walk around the herd with a big circle.

I have seen several Patou's, fortunately all at a safe distance, except for one. He was busy bringing the herd back into the enclosure when we were at the shepherd's hut. It was foggy and the Patou came out of the fog barking at us. Quietly walking backwards we created distance, the Patou continued with his task and he no longer looked at us.

In the Atlantic Pyrenees, a shepherd told me that they use the Patou in the Haut Pyrenees to protect the herds from bears and wolves. They live there in small numbers, in the Atlantic Pyrenees they do not, therefore the Patou is not necessary. So here I could walk through the herd of sheep at ease if they were on my trail.

The Patou caused me some tension along the way. When I heard bells ringing and couldn't see whether they were sheep, cows or horses, the tension already started to build. Fortunately, the stories of the people turned out to be more exciting than my own experiences.

For example, I was told a number of times by people that there were dangerous parts on the route. A scenario then built up in my head and with that came a somewhat uncomfortable gut feeling. In retrospect, it turned out to be just like with blood tests, easy. I found some parts of the descent over the loose stones much more stressful.

The distances in the Pyrenees were suddenly very different from what I had become accustomed to until now. Here the distances are not described in km's but in time. For example, it is not crazy to do 8 hours over 17 km, or an hour over 1.5 km. It took some getting used to in the beginning, but it was just impossible for us to walk more than 15 km in one day. It should be fun, right?

On the first day in the Pyrenees we ran into a boy who we had a chat with to get some information about the route. He offered us his book, the route in it started in the next village and went to the coast in Hendaye, exactly what we were going to walk, and what he completed. He didn't need it anymore, just perfect. As an added bonus he had marked the route for good places to camp for the night, great! Even though we were no longer on the Camino route, we still had Camino magic with us!

As he walked on, he yelled, Yes, 100 grams lighter! Even here in the mountains, every gram counts.

For me it was quite a few grams or kilo more than what I had worn until now. There were a lot less villages and supermarkets on the way, exactly what I wanted, but this means that I had to have food with me for about 4/5 days. Among other things, what I had with me was a bag of oats for breakfast. Alternately a bag of couscous or a bag of bulger with red lentils. This flavored with Indian spices and salt or a packet of soup. A bag of mixed nuts and dried fruit, e.g. apricots, dates or figs, are my favorite break time snacks. I also often had dark chocolate with me and where I had the opportunity I bought fresh fruit that I usually ate on the spot.

Along the way we were spoiled here and there with food from nature. Fresh mint, thyme and lemon balm for a cup of tea. A type of chives to enrich the couscous. And best of all, wild strawberries and blueberries along the way!

I felt like a king the moment I came across wild strawberries. They are the size of a blueberry and are delicious. Eating from nature really gives a special feeling of freedom!

The first time I came across blueberries, climbing that slope was even slower then normal, they were so delicious that I stopped almost every step to pick them again.

A few days later I walked through a forest area that was full of blueberry bushes, and yes, I really had to take advantage of that. Backpack off, lunch box in hand and picking I went. I collected quite a few blueberries so that I could brighten up my oatmeal the next morning and snack on it in the afternoon. A load of healthy antioxidants free from nature. Happiness.

Most of the Pyrenees I’ve seen is very green and has a wide variety of rivers, waterfalls and lakes. These were the main sources of water we used. I had purification tablets with me for when I took my drinking water from a river or lake, very handy but not really tasty, has a chlorine-rich aftertaste. My preference for drinking water was the natural sources that came directly from the mountains. These points are often marked on the map and the water usually comes from the rocks or mountain via a man-made hose. There is always a water source at the shepherd's huts and often also at the drinking places forthe cattle. This water is so incredibly delicious, it tastes so pure and like nothing. The cows and horses here in the mountains enjoy cleaner drinking water than what we drink at home in our cities!

During this trip through the Pyrenees, I enjoyed three types of showers. At least, that's how I classified them. You have the towel shower, the nature shower and the regular shower.

The ordinary shower is the one you all have on a daily basis, where you stand under and the water flows over you. Incredible, especially if you have it once a week.

The towel shower is at the moments when there is no other option. Then you wet part of the towel with your drinking water to wash with it and use the dry part of your towel to dry yourself off with.

The nature shower took some getting used to, but eventually became my favorite. The first week the temperature was still on the cool side and I was still a bit squeamish. The ritual was to first wash my upper body, put on clean clothing and then wash my lower body.

In the second week the temperature rose and I got used to this natural shower. The first time you are naked in the middle of nature washing yourself at a natural source gives a really fantastic feeling of freedom.

Choosing a suitable place to camp mainly had to do with the location of water, and yes, then of course the view. Sometimes we could pitch the tent right next to a river or lake, other times we had to walk a short distance to the water source. Then I took my towel and clean clothes, my cooking pot and water bag. Shower, washing clothes and fill up water supplies. Reminded me of Jungle book, although I didn't wear the water on my head.

When I walked back to my tent, washed clean and all, and then met a number of late walkers, I was happy for this right timing. I would be strange sight if suddenly someone is standing naked on the walking path.

I only shower, wash clothes and do the dishes with water here, which goes very well and is sufficient to wash away sweaty smell and dirt.

Stones heated by the sun are ideal for drying clothes and what is not dry in the morning I hang on the outside of my backpack.

I really liked being offline. To save my phone battery I only used it for the route and to take pictures. This meant that I also suddenly had more time to read and do yoga, now that I didn't write on a daily basis. I also love to just sit somewhere and enjoy the view and the surroundings, because it was incredibly beautiful! The Pyrenees exceeded my expectations, but was also exactly as I had hoped.

An amazingly beautiful experience to make this trip through the Pyrenees, very happy and grateful that I did this extra detour on my way to Santiago de Compostela!

After two weeks hiking I arrived in Saint Jean Pied de Port (SJPDP). Pied-de-Port means 'foot at the pass'. The routes from Paris, Vézelay and Le Puy-en-Velay all arrive at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and it is the pilgrims' last stop before the mountain crossing into Spain.

Here I had to acclimatize a bit after a few weeks in the mountains. The traffic, the exhaust fumes, the noises, but the worst part is the unnatural human smells. The parfum, the deodorant, aftershave, the detergent and even the toothpaste. I smell it all, and the smells are unpleasantly strong.

Another special moment of acclimatization was the supermarket. There is a large Lidl in Saint Jean Pied de Port. After my arrival at the pilgrim hostel I went here. I was already hungry and knew it would be difficult, but as soon as I walked in and saw the abundance of food, it became too much for me. I bought a banana and a pack of biscuits and sat outside on a wall to eat them, then went back in with a calmer feeling and bought what I needed. Great to eat fresh fruit and vegetables again, I missed this in the mountains.

In SJPDP I enjoyed a rest day to recover from the tough Pyrenees before hiking the last 5 days to the French coast. It is a beautiful and touristic village and is full of brand new pilgrims who go on the Camino Frances. After walking about 2000 km it was time to buy new shoes, because my Brooke's trail runners were really worn out. I took a gamble and bought Teva sandals, which are specially made for multi-day backpacking trips. I like being able to walk without socks.

The part of the Pyrenees that followed was not so high anymore, but that didn't necessarily meant it was easier. I hiked this part alone again and here I realized how nice it was to have walked the Pyrenees together. Not only because it was nice to have a buddy at times when it was strenuous and scary, but also because it was pleasant to share the particularly beautiful moments.

Halfway through the trip to Hendaye (the French coast) I had another day of rain and fog while I had to descend over slippery stones. Like a guardian angel I met Jean-Pierre here. He walked in the same direction as me and we went down the mountain together, which took over 4 hours due to the unfavorable conditions. Fortunately, a drink was waiting for us in the village below as a reward. The next day I was very tired and my knees were stiff and sore, probably because of the effort, but perhaps also because of keeping the tension cramped.

It was still 2 long days to arrive in Hendaye, but I had smelled the sea so there was no stopping me.

During these three weeks in the Pyrenees, the milestones of '100 days on the road' and '2000km' have passed by unnoticed, but arriving at the sea was a very special milestone.

The whole beach was crowded with surfers, but this couldn't spoil my moment. With backpack on and walking sticks and shoes in hand I walked into the sea..... home!

Hendaye is my last place in France before crossing the border into Spain. Since the 17th of April, I have walked through France, more than 3 months. I walked more than 2250 km from home to arrive at the border to Spain. It took me some time and emotion to actually cross that border.

France has become such an incredibly big part of this journey. I have learned so much about this country, how amazingly beautiful and varied the nature is, how very friendly and hospitable the French are, but also how incredibly awesome it is that it is allowed to camp in public places. I have a treasure trove of beautiful memories that I carry with me and several pilgrim friends who make these memories special and that I hope to keep in touch with. The only thing I regretted was not being able to have better conversations with the local people because of my poor French. A great country with places where I would like to come back.

Time to continue this pilgrimage adventure in Spain! 🇪🇸

For those who like numbers, below the details of each day. In Spain I will write my experiences per day again as you are used to. Hopefully it was also pleasant and enjoyable to read in this way.

Day 86 Lourdes - Pierrefitte-Nestalas 20.1km

Day 87 Pierrefitte-Nestalas - Cauteret 12.8km