I just added an elevation profile to the original report. (thanks to Greg for the suggestion)

Where did you get your maps from? Would it be better to buy them before I arrive in Hendaye?
The info is appreciated.

Martin asked about maps. Good question. I'll write a paragraph about map sources and add it to the original trip report. In the meantime,I have ideas that I'd like to send by personal message. Since you don't have your account set up to receive personal messages, could you send me a PM with your email address so we can email outside the forum thread?
[Jan 27 2011 - I updated the original post with info about maps.]

Edited by drongobird on 01/27/2011 14:28:24 MST.

Hi Amy,
Did you experience any issues with snow on the HRP that would have needed axe & crampons, or did you get by with trekking poles? I'm planning on hiking the HRP in July 2011, and need to decide whether to take a Camp Corsa Axe. Last July I hiked the GR11 and had to turn back on the Col de Tebarrai due to steep snow, causing a bit of a detour.

Chris,
Congrats on deciding to hike the HRP. To answer your question about snow on the hrp, take a look at the section called "technical difficulties" in the original report; I don't think I can add any more insight than that.
Amy

Edited by drongobird on 01/26/2011 16:53:26 MST.

Hello.
Im going to the pyrenees on th 13th oh july and i cant decide if i should do the gr11 or the hrp.

I want to do the HRP, but im afraid that i will be thinking all the time "am i on the trail? maybe i got lost" because there is no signs. I really want to hear how did you felt. Did you had to look at the map every couple of minute?

thank you!

Barak wrote
"I want to do the HRP, but im afraid that i will be thinking all the time "am i on the trail? maybe i got lost" because there is no signs. I really want to hear how did you felt. Did you had to look at the map every couple of minute?"

Barak - This is very difficult to answer. There were only a couple times on our trip where navigation was a challenge, and those were white-out fog conditions or steep snow and steep rock route picking situation. However, we have 80+ years of off trail hiking experience between the two of us, so for us navigation is not a worry.
Most of the hrp follows flagged routes. In places where it doesn't you will need basic navigation skills. If you don't feel comfortable navigating off trail, then you might be happier on a GR route.
Amy

Great answer, thank you!
i did the pct in 2010, so i do know more or less how to navigate, but i just found that when im dilling with navigation, im not enjoing the peace of the wilderness.
if less experience people will answer me as well it will be great.
i have some more questions, please.

1. can i buy only the maps? (hike without book)

2. i know there is no set hf maps for the HRP. but what maps should i buy? (i dont have gps or iphone)

3.im landing in barcelona. should i get to the starting point from irun?

4. i wont buy food from refuges. is there a list of all the places that have groceries?

1. can i buy only the maps? (hike without book)
You will need the book. The HRP route is not shown on maps, although it sometimes uses trails that are on the map. We used the Jootsen (Cicerone) guide. If you speak french then you have the option of using the original guide which has not been translated.

2. i know there is no set hf maps for the HRP. but what maps should i buy? (i dont have gps or iphone)
The list of maps is in described in the Cicerone guide.

3.im landing in barcelona. should i get to the starting point from irun?
I don't know

4. i wont buy food from refuges. is there a list of all the places that have groceries?
This info is in the Cicerone guide. Also in my original post in the section called Re-supply.

If you haven't already read it, you should look through this recent thread that has info about maps.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=44532&disable_pagination=1

Good luck, AmyL

2. i know there is no set hf maps for the HRP. but what maps should i buy? (i dont have gps or iphone)

The HRP is marked on the French IGN 1:50,000 Randonee maps in the places where it links between other more substantial paths. There is an index to all these maps here http://www.omnimap.com/cgi/graphic.pl?images/ind-for/64-5663i.jpg
They overlap considerably so you won't need to get them all.
Bizarrely the 1:25,000 maps show less information about paths.

Amy:

Totally awesome. What a great trip report. I appreciate the gear list. (What, no tarp and blankie, me neither!) You have provided so much insight. Just might have to get me some binoculars! One thing that really stuck out reading through this was the WARM nights even up higher. It must really have been bloody hot in a packed refuge! I completely agree to totally miss out on refuge life on such a walk would be such a shame.

Your smugmug slideshow is spectacular. What camera and any accessories did you carry? I checked the "details" for a few photos but didn't see this listed. Did you find the standard euro powerpoint in the refugios?

Thank you for the .gpx material. And the various mapping insights!

Also, did you find or notice discounts to members of the various Alpine clubs. In my case, the BMC reciprocal hut card.

I am going to try to eek this one in end Aug/September. It will be my first real outing since a significant back injury this past December and I am so excited to be regaining health. Any 2011 trip reports yet. Maybe the snow gods were too busy in the Sierras!

Cheers!

Edited by backpackerchick on 08/03/2011 11:11:25 MDT.

Hartley,
I'm glad you're inspired to hike in the Pyrenees, they are a beautiful range of mountains.
You asked a few questions, which I'll try to address:
Camera = Lumix DMC-FH20, no accessories except spare batteries.
Binoculars: EagleOptics.com is a great source if you're looking to buy.
Refuges: we ate in refuges, but never slept in one. We didn't carry anything that needed a power outlet, so I never looked for powerpoints, however most are off the grid, supplied by solar panels, so I wouldn't be surprised if they don't provide any power to visitors. I don't know about discounts for BMC card holders.
2011 trip reports: Six weeks in Turkey, two trip reports: Kackar Mountains and Lycian Way and Saint Paul Trail.

There have been several BPL threads about people prepping for 2011 hikes along the HRP. You might read those threads to glean more info. Here's one
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=44532&disable_pagination=1

Edited by drongobird on 07/28/2011 15:21:44 MDT.

Reposted to your Lycian Way thread.

Edited by backpackerchick on 07/28/2011 19:42:01 MDT.

Amy, I am completely floored as to the amount of effort that goes into your planning and reports and the finished product! You could sell these as Kindle singles for a few bucks each!

As for cutting off needless detours to avoid refugios/ski resorts/etc that you don't plan to patronize -- IMO, that should be cnsidered "legal" -- it's not like using vehicular transport! In his intro, Joosten even says HRP is more an "idea" than a route (I think Wainwright said the same of C2C). Cicerone (and others perhaps) seem to have a habit of directing traffic to local business at the expense of adding a few kms here or there -- I always figured this was to help support the local economies.

hi there.

in case anyone sees this thread and has hiked the HRP, could you give me some information on travel to and from the start/end points of the route? i'd be flying in from the USA. looking to do this hike in late summer 2012.

thanks!

We flew to Madrid (because we use frequent flier miles and there were free tickets available to Madrid). From there we took a six hour bus to San Sebastian, and then a commuter train to Hendaye.

On the return, we finished early so we walked south for a week along the Spanish Coast. From whatever town we finished walking, we caught a train to Barcelona. I can't remember if took a train or bus from Barcelona to Madrid on our way home.

Have a great trip. Amy

Both start/end points are in well populated areas with good public transport and big cities nearby. Flying from the US, you're probably bound to fly into some main hub such as Madrid or Barcelona in Spain; or Paris, maybe Lyon in France. On the spanish side, either would do though traveling between Barcelona and the western end may require some commuting. It'd probably be logistically easier to fly into/out of Madrid but this would require two long approaches (400+ and 600+ km) instead of just one. There are across-the-border, direct trains between Madrid and Hendaye, a 6 h trip. Traveling between Banyuls and Barcelona should be easy by train and between Madrid and Barcelona there are many options.

I'm not so familiar with the french side but from Paris you could go virtually anywhere, there must be a direct train connection Paris-Hendaye and Paris-Perpignan (Perpignan-Banyuls is a short ride). Paris is further from both ends though.

Amy, thanks for your response and your ridiculously informative thread. You should be writing these as articles for BPL!

Inaki, thanks much for the info. I've been from Paris to Biarritz, Madrid, and Barcelona before, so it should be straightforward I suppose. Just some train work.

Hello again Amy. I met you and Jim in Andorra and walked part of a day together. Great trip report; it brings back strong and vivid memories of my HRP walk.

@ Dave, another option is to start in Bibao, if you have the time. Biarritz is a closer jumping-off point, but IMO Bilbao is worth the little bit of extra effort. I spent a day and a half there and would love to go back. It's a cool little city. If you are into art, you can visit the Guggenheim, where I spent one full day before headin off to the mtns. I caught a bus from Bilbao to Irun, where a Basque festival was taking place, so no more public transport possible that day. San Sebastian is en route and is another place worth visiting. Ended up walkin and hitchin from Irun to Hendaye.

Beyond the fantastic people I met there and the beautiful mountains, one of the highlights of the trip was staying in the cabanas (free of charge) I came across on or near the HRP. Cabanas are very basic and sometimes very old shelters, but most are dry and situated in prime real estate. They are on the maps, and Joosten, who, I got the impression, doesn't seem to use or like them, describes them as "primitive" or "basic." If possible, I would not rush the HRP, as the Pyrenees are mountains to savour. Other things that come to mind? Lescun has a good camp site, so does Gavarnie. You can post a drop box to the Tourist Info/Post Office in Gavarnie. I'd recommend the Spanish Mountaineering Club's hostel in Salardu. They'll take a drop box too. I liked the hut/hostel in Salardu (and the meals) so much, I ended up staying 2 nights. Very friendly and helpful caretakers. Oh yeah, keep an eye on snow reports. There was a good bit of snow left over after a heavy winter--even in mid July. If you like, I will dig up notes for the name of a good hotel in Banyuls-sur-Mer. Enjoy and safe journey! --Mike

Edited by greenwalk on 02/04/2012 03:05:46 MST.

Yeah, I would watch out for snow. We got to Merens in the middle of the Pyrenees one year to find the main range totally covered in snow. We had no snow gear like crampons, axe of snow stakes for the tent, so we went another way.

Transport: Europe is *covered* in transport. Paris-Hendaye is direct via TGV. Banyuls has good transport too. Try the sleepers - allow for the fact that you are saving a hotel night when looking at the cost.

Hotel in Banyul - we stayed in a garret room very cheaply in Hotel Canal. The hotel cook was excellent.

Cheers

Edited by rcaffin on 02/04/2012 02:08:19 MST.