Lescun with Pic d’Ansabère in the background
Do you prefer walking in a straight line or going round in circles? Until recently most of the long-distance treks in the Pyrenees were linear. The big three, the Pyrenean Way (GR10), the Spanish Senda Pirenaica (GR11) and the Pyrenean Haute Route (HRP), which have been around for over 30 years, all stretch from coast to coast. Then came other trails like the Cathar Trail and the Chemin des Bonshommes. All linear trails, at least in principle.
But if you wanted to walk in circles, ending up where you started, you more-or-less had to plan it yourself. In recent years this has changed. The FFRP (French Ramblers Association) has brought out a guide to circular cross-frontier walks in the eastern Pyrenees (Ariège, Pyrénées-Orientales). And Brian Johnson is working on a guide to circular walks for Cicerone.
But perhaps the most interesting initiatives have come from Spain.
- The Sky’s Door Trail (Porta del Cel),
- The Mountains of Freedom Trail (Muntanyes de Libertat). I hiked the Mountains of Freedom route in 2015
- The Senda de Camille
They are all circular walks with nights in staffed hostels. Most importantly they offer central booking facilities. You also get a dedicated map (1:25,000) and a souvenir tee-shirt.
I’ve just come back from walking the Senda de Camille with two friends. It was great!
My Senda de Camille. Click to see on Wikiloc
