19th June - 12.30am
Well, I am on the train heading to Hendaye at last! I flew into Bairitz yesterday afternoon, but failed to catch the train down the coast
until this morning due to the public sector workers being on strike. So I had to put up with a night in the noisy Bairitz
campsite amongst the young British revellers and surfing types.
It's a glorious morning. Wall to wall blue sky and already very warm. I have managed to exchange text messages with Gill on the mobile phone, which makes me feel much happier knowing that I am in touch with home.
I had a long chat with an American guy at Hendaye station. He has quit his job after 12 years and has taken off to travel round Europe. He reminisced about holidays with his son who has died recently - he was crying as he talked. It's such a shame that we need these tradgedies to spur us into getting out of the rut and changing our lives for the better!
Photo: On the beach in front of Hendaye Casino, the start of the HRP.
9.30pm
That turned out to be a much bigger day than I intended!. Hendaye turned out to be a fairly typical seaside resort, though with a very nice sandy beach. I went and paddled in the Atlantic, feeling rather out of place among the topless sun-worshippers.
I had my 'last supper' (actually lunch) in a streetside restaurant just off the seafront. I didn't really know what I had ordered but it turned out to be a fish salad followed by lamb cutlets and then finished off with coffee & ice cream. Excellent quality and it only cost 11 euros (about £8)!
Then I brushed the sand off my feet, donned by boots, shouldered my pack and headed east towards the hills.
The walk out of Hendaye was hot but uneventful. George Veron's guidebook instructions helped me to keep on track and soon I was out in the fields and taking in the view along the coast. There are some lovely villas in the hills behind Hendaye though many appeared to be unoccupied - presumably holiday homes. I watched a Red Kite wheeling, spotted a stonechat and saw some lovely golden yellow butterflies.
I got to the picturesque village of Biriatou at about 5.00pm and rested in the shade of a tree near to a charming church and Fronton (a walled enclosure used for playing a sport similar to squash). I found a postbox there and posted my first letter back to Gill, which will be a good test of the postal service. I considered staying in the hotel at Biriatou but I didn't really want another big meal and preferred to camp out, so I decided to press on.
The path now climbed up and over Col d'Osin on hillsides cloaked in bracken, very much like the Lake District. These hills are grazed by ponies with bells around their necks, providing a constant background accompaniment as I walked. The large numbers of these ponies meant that clean stream water was unavailable, so I pressed on to try and camp at Col d'Ibardin.
Col d'Ibardin used to be a border post and consists of a strange collection of shops and bars that were all shut up when I arrived at 8.00pm. The only sign of life was two ladies at a small farmhouse on the border who very kindly filled my water bottle and then produced a large bottle of mineral water as well. I struggled to understand their rapid Basque, but gathered that they were suggesting that I camp on the hillside to the east of the road.
I have pitched the tent on a nice patch amongst the braken with a fantastic view along the coast to the North, and with ponies grazing around me. I expect their bells will keep me awake, but better that than the revelling Irish like last night!
20th June - 8.00am
Issy would love camping here. Every now and then a small posse of ponies come clanking up the path and then canter past my tent with a great drumming of hooves on the springy turf. This area is so like the NW Lakes that I could easily imagine being camped on Grisedale Pike or Whiteside, except for the ponies and the view of La Rhune behind me.
La Rhune is a big cone of a hill that dominates the eastern skyline here, topped with a large white building and a red & white transmitter mast. This morning I leave the GR10 for the first time to follow the HRP over La Rhune before following a loop of the border Southwards. The early mist has burnt off and it is warming up already, so it is time to get going.
Photo: La Rhune seen from near Col d'Ibardin.
3.00pm
I'm sat in the shade of a mountain oak on the southern flank of La Rhune watching a pair of lizards chase each other over a
sunny rock, whilst big dragonflies flit around the gorse bushes. It's baking hot, and I had to run for shade on the descent
as I could feel myself overheating. Before stopping my watch registered 40degC on my wrist!
La Rhune was a bit of a slog and the summit was overrun by tourists who had arrived on the little mountain railway. There was a great view of the Atlantic coast though (despite being a bit hazy) and my first view of snow-capped mountains far away to the east. The view to the North over France is of a vast flat plain, but to the South the foothills of the Pyrenees stretch away to the horizon. I am glad to be on the HRP, which turns south here into some lovely looking country, cloaked with woodland and dotted with meadows and pan-tiled farms
Photo: Shady refuge on Southern slopes of La Rhune.
10.00pm
It has been a hard afternoon and evening, and I have been hit by my first bout of depression already! It was a blistering hot day and despite resting in the shade until nearly 6.00pm the descent from La Rhune to Col Lizuniaga was exhausting. I was banking on the venta (cafe/store) being open to buy water but was disappointed to find it all closed up. I was down to my last few sips of water and still sweating in the heat!There was no option but to start walking down the road towards Sare in France, but fortunately I found a small stream a few hundred metres down the road. It looked clean enough, so I filled my bottles, added chlorine tablets and climbed back up to the Col.
Continuing along the cinder track, it was still very hot and my shirt was soaked and plastered to my back. In the end it took me another hour of hard work to find a suitable campsite, by which time it was all I could do to cook a meal and set up the tent. When I think what lies ahead it is difficult not to despair and to begin to doubt my ability to do it. Anyway, I will leave early tomorrow and get to Dancharia in the cool of the morning. I won't think beyond that for now.
21st June - 1.30pm
Well the early morning strategy worked a treat and I have made it to Dancharia without overheating. It is another very hot day (30degC in the shade) so I think I have done well despite today being a relatively easy one.
The navigation has gone well so far. The guidebook descriptions are good and there have only been one or two occasions when things have changed since it was written. The maps appear to be pretty accurate too, despite my fears. My only short term problem is that my compass gave up the ghost today. It seems it couldn't cope with the heat, and the needle fell off! If I can't get a new one in Bidarry or Les Aldudes then I will have to divert to a larger town before I reach the mountains.
10.00pm
Thank god I wasn't out in the hills this afternoon. It was 34degC by 5.00pm! It was bad enough sitting in the shade. I just couldn't seem to get cool enough and sweated continually. I suspect that I am lacking in salts or dehydrated, but I have drunk a lot since I got here. Maybe it will just take me a few days to acclimatise?
This morning's walk restored my confidence a bit. Once I had crossed the Cols at Lizuniaga and Lizarrieta the path followed a lovely ridge along the frontier and then meandered through a shady pine forest to reach the Col des Trois Bornes, which gave a good view back west to La Rhune.
I have seen very few people since leaving La Rhune, and when I have they have kept to themselves. One chap actually hid behind a tree when he saw me coming and didn't reply to my chirpy 'Bonsure Monsieur'. It's nice to stay in a relatively cosmopolitan village tonight and exchange a few greetings with people!
I have made good use of the campsite facilities. I had a wonderful shower, washed my shirt and socks and enjoyed a steak in the restaurant. I also visited the local venta and found some dried meals, so I am stocked up to get me to Les Aldudes (I expect to get a meal in Biderray tomorrow, but the shops will be shut as it is a Sunday).
I am writing this sat outside my tent in the semi-darkness. At last it has cooled down enough to think about retiring to my tent. Early start tomorrow.....I will set my watch for 5.30am.
22nd June - 8.00pm
That was quite a day! Especially for one that was described as 'an easy and pleasant stage' in the guidebook!
I set my alarm for 5.30am and it was still dark when it went off. I was away by 6.30am, but my pack felt heavy with the new supplies, 4 litres of water and a wet tent. The route followed a river along the border and was very overgrown, so I had to push my way through undergrowth and step over fallen trees and branches.
Then there was the climb onto Gorospil, which would have been a lovely climb if I hadn't been feeling so weary and wasn't being hounded by some horrible flies. They attacked in groups, were about the size of a wasp and shuffled about to find a nice place to sink their teeth in when they landed. The worst thing was that they were armoured; if you hit them they just kept on chewing, so I had to grind them under my thumb to kill them...very unpleasant!
Photo: View West from Gorospil with La Rhune on the right.
Once on the tops there was a stiff breeze blowing, dispersing the flies and keeping me cool. The walk past the gite at Esteben farm and up to Col de Mehetche was very pleasant and I was feeling good as I started down towards Biderray. Once over the col I had a good view of the high Pyrenees to the East, forming a serrated skyline but still looking a long way off.
The descent dropped into a steep ravine and I had to watch my footing on the rocky path, but the surroundings were very spectacular, with Vultures riding the thermals over the steep cliffs. As I lost height the temperature and humidity increased dramatically. It was now past midday and I was starting to struggle in the heat. Near the bottom I stopped beneath some caves, took off my sack and climbed the 30 or so steps into the cool shade. I nearly didn't make it, I was so tired!
After a short rest in the shade I struggled down to the valley bottom where I found local families swimming in the river and sitting in the shade. I stopped and joined them, swimming in my shorts and watching the kids playing. It was a wonderful relief to feel cool!
After a very nice hour I decided to brave the last 3km to Biderray, which unfortunately turned out to be about 5km to the campsite on the other side of the village. It was a very hot and weary Rob who collapsed in a heap when he arrived. But just when I needed it something happened to cheer me up. There are two English guys on the site who are also walking the HRP. And what's more they agree that the last stage was actually very tough and they took two days over it, which makes me feel much better! Also the French chap is here who camped nearby when I was at Col d'Ibardin on Thursday night. It seems that he is doing the GR10.
The English guys, Chris and Jim, are planning to post some gear home tomorrow, so I will take the day off, try to buy a compass, recuperate and let my blisters on my little toes have a rest.
23rd June - 11.30am
I had a really good nights sleep last night and woke to find some clouds in the sky. I have never felt so happy to see it overcast! Chris & Jim sussed out the local trains last night and I accompanied them to St Jean Pied de Port this morning. We sat in a cafe and had some breakfast. They have both recently lost their jobs and decided to use the opportunity to walk the HRP with no idea what they will do when they return to the UK, much like myself. Like Chris says, "we have got a few weeks to think about it".
I left them to their shopping and postal duties and, with great relief, found a sports shop and bought a shiney new compass. Given that the hills are now covered in cloud this really was essential. I then bought some postcards and caught the train back to Biderray where I will now spend the rest of the day relaxing.
What a great day I have had! After resting yesterday, it was warm and stuffy last night and I didn't sleep too well. Or perhaps the wine and coffee kept me awake, that I enjoyed with the meal in Bidarray? I went to a small hotel in the village with a lovely restaurant. It reminded me of the poussadas that Gill and I stayed in on our honeymoon. I wish she had been here to enjoy it with me.
Anyway, after a poor night it took me ages to pack up and it was 8 o'clock by the time I left Bidarray. The morning wasn't too warm, so I made good progress climbing through broken woodland onto the Iparla ridge, and then yomped along it in hazy sunshine and a cooling breeze.
Steep cliffs dropped into France with cloud cloaking the valley below. The singing of skylarks on the ridge made me feel at home, whilst vultures and choughs riding the thermals reminded me that I wasn't. Butterflies danced in the breeze and lizards scurried off sunny rocks as I walked by. It was bliss!
I only saw seven people all day on the ridge, including a French couple, Mathias and Noel, who were in the restaurant last night and who are doing the GR10. Noel had run out of water and was looking very tired so I gave her some of my spare water. I should think that she will have suffered on the long desent to St Etienne.
I then descended to the Venta at Col d'Ispeguy where I planned to camp. The venta was open and doing a good trade, and I found Chris and Jim there. They camped high on the ridge last night and nearly got blown away in a storm!
We continued south from the col, loaded with food and wine, and camped at a nice grassy col with horses and sheep grazing and thunder rumbling about the hills. Very atmospheric!
I am looking forward to a pleasant run down to Les Aldudes tomorrow.
25th June. 6.00 pm.
It took me a while to get to sleep last night. We had camped at Col de Elhorrieta which was grazed by a herd of very small ponies, only about four feet high. During the evening and early night they stampeded about the col with a great drumming of hooves and clanking of bells. On one occasion I feared that they might run right over our tents. I can see the headline, "Three British trekkers killed in Pyrenees by miniature ponies"!
This morning we awoke to thick hill fog which has remained with us all day. After packing up very wet tents we picked our way along the frontier ridge, through beech forests and over a switchback of minor peaks. I am sure it would have been spectacular if we had been able to see the view.
It was good to walk with Jim and Chris and enjoy their company. Jim was suffering from tiredness and sore feet but is hanging in there and pressing on with great determination. We generally did well with the navigation, only having to retrace our steps on one occasion, when the path onto Abrakou was found to be a bit indistinct through the forest. The highlight of the day was arriving at a col high on the slopes of Hautza to find sheep and ponies grazing, with vultures perched on the rocks amoungst them.
Les Aldudes has turned out just to be a cluster of buildings scattered along the road in the bottom of the valley. It is now very run down, though it has clearly been quite prosperous in the past as there are some large houses.
The campsite was just a field behind the village shop so we have booked into a Gite overlooking the river. It's a lovely old building with beamed ceilings and full of very nice furniture. We are now planning how to tackle the next section, which will involve a few days in the wilds before the next civilisation"