Halfway Anywhere

HRP Day 22: Rodent Rodeo I wake up well before sunrise and am out of my hotel before anyone else is even awake (or so I think - this place is honestly like a maze inside, like three buildings mashed together). It’s another “where the hell am I?” walk up a valley away from town that quickly turns from farmland to alpine as I spy the ridge I’m to gain in the distance. As I approach the seemingly impossible-to-climb cliff face I’m apparently going up, a helicopter circles me for what seems like more than an hour. Should I be doing something in this situation? At the top, it’s revealed that the other side of the mountains has been hiding from me some menacing-looking clouds (I have far too great a fear of storms out here), and I am now slightly less excited for the long exposed ridgewalk to come. After tagging a few more 9,000+ ft / 2,743+ m peaks (the Pyrenees stay a lot higher a lot longer towards the Mediterranean than they do at the start closer to the Atlantic), I drop at Coll de Tirapits and follow the GR11 over Coll de la Marrana. The trail drops again, this time to a closed refugio with a nice-looking winter shelter (it’s too early to stop)  before a quick road walk to and through a ski resort before again climbing to a ridgeline for more exposed traversing. The clouds are threatening all afternoon as I traverse the France-Spain border, but the ridge appears to hold moisture to the Spanish side. A few more cols and a lot more cloud cover later, I’m on a dirt road dropping to Refuge de Mariailles—a staffed (and open) hut that, unlike many others, allows me to eat dinner without also having to stay the night. I consider pushing to another unstaffed shelter up the climb now in front of me, but I instead opt to sleep in the quite nice Maison Forestière de Mariailles just up the hill from Refuge de Mariailles. Laying down in the top floor sleeping area, I quickly fall asleep, only to be awakened by mice skittering about. Looks like I’m in for a long night. La Perche to Refuge de Mariailles Distance: 29.28 mi / 47.12 km Elevation: 7,874 ft / 2,400 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 21: Weather Woes I head back to the trail in the morning via train to L'Hospitalet-près-I'Andorre, where I hike out of town on a well-maintained trail and past yet another Pyrenean dam. The terrain is lush and tree-covered, which I’m grateful for as the wind has been whipping. It would seem yesterday’s storm hasn’t wholly blown over yet. When I reach Coll de Coma d'Anyell and begin my descent into the other valley—home to Lac de Lanoux—the landscape completely changes, I’m now walking through a mostly barren and exposed alpine environment, nothing like what I just spent the morning stomping through. The wind continues to howl, and the clouds rush overhead at an impressive rate. This next section of the HRP goes over Pic Carlit at 9,583 ft / 2,921 m, but there’s a bypass just east of me that cuts off literally just the peak and meets back up with the route at Lac des Bouillouses not too far ahead. Because of the weather and my more-than-healthy fear of getting caught at altitude in a thunderstorm, I opt for the bypass. Add Pic Carlit to the things to come back to on my next trip to these mountains. It starts to rain and, grateful I am not on a mountain peak, I don my shell for the second time this trip. Not far ahead, I reach the staffed Les Bones Hores. It’s too early to stop, so I press past my day’s original destination. It’s mostly downhill from here back into cow-filled trees, where I find shelter from the wind. The trail turns to a gravel road as I reach the town of Bolquera and find an open store (something that’s rarer than expected on the HRP). Armed with a liter of chocolate milk, gummy snacks, and chips, I continue to the next town, where I need to decide whether to push farther and camp or stay at a hotel (that may or may not be open). The hotel is open, and the single employee is Brazilian, which is great because the owner seemingly only speaks French and Catalan (finally, I can employ my Portuguese). Dinner is an enormous bowl of pasta. Doesn’t mix well with that liter of choco milk I chugged. L'Hospitalet-près-I'Andorre to La Perche Distance: 23.43 mi / 37.71 km Elevation: 7,057 ft / 2,151 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #hrp

HRP Day 20: Farewell, Andorra Sadly, I don’t get the opportunity to use the only privy of the entire HRP thus far when leaving Refugi de Cabana Sorda this morning. Not sadly, I hike out with @thedanyopang and @jacqulin.chen. This is the first time I’ve been hiking with someone(s) on the HRP for more than a single day. However, our time together is short-lived as they detour to a town I’m bypassing in favor of heading to a different town, L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre (imagine having to write that on all your mail). Why the different town? Honestly, I don’t have a good reason beyond it being on the “official” HRP (which is more an idea than something objective). We bid each other farewell with the promise of one day reuniting in Taiwan (I’m coming), and set off toward our respective towns. The benefit to the town I’m heading to? There’s a train station that will take me to an even larger town (or, theoretically, anywhere in France). It’s a relatively easy hike into town after having done most of this section’s climbing yesterday. I arrive just as the wind starts picking up, and the impending storm begins showing its cards. Yes, another storm is coming, and I’ve once again been lucky enough to slip into town. I only have to wait an hour for the train, which brings me to the town of Ax-les-Thermes where I eat a meal, buy a French scratcher (and double my money), resupply, watch a small French child run and fall right in front of me then burst out crying while I stand and do nothing because what do I do, and check into a hotel. Tomorrow is a zero day (because storms). Unrelated news: I’ve officially completed the Andorra section of the HRP. It lasted just over 24 hours. Maybe I’ll be back one day? Refugi de Cabana Sorda to L'Hospitalet-près-I'Andorre Distance: 11.65 mi / 18.75 km Elevation: 3,563 ft / 1,086 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 19: Old Friends Today wasn’t easy. It is almost on par with the elevation change per mile from yesterday (which was the most of the trip thus far). I entered Andorra - the third country of the HRP and my first time visiting (if you can call it that) - and hiked up to the Andorran border in the dark with a Spanish hiker who stayed in the same shelter as me last night. But instead of recapping today in what would surely be “I went up, and then I went down, and then I did it again,” I want to tell a story about what happened at the end of the day (that I might not even have room for any more in this caption). At 17:15, I arrive at a shelter (Andorran shelters are nice) to find two hikers inside. They’re thru-hiking the HRP eastbound (same direction as me) - the first eastbound thru-hikers I’ve met on the entire trail. What’s more? They speak English! I ask @thedanyopang and @jacqulin.chen why they’re stopping when there’s (what looks like) an even nicer shelter not too far ahead. Long story short, I convince them to continue hiking with me. As @thedanyopang packs up his backpack, I ask him about it as I don’t recognize the brand. He tells me it’s from a small Indonesian company called @ysrid_ and I tell him I’ve heard of this brand before. Apparently, I’m the first person he’s met who’s heard of them. Cool. They finish packing up, and we start hiking. The chat turns to trails, and the Hayduke comes up. The two of them tell me they were hiking in Utah last year. I share that I heard of @ysrid_ when I met a guy who had a backpack from the company while hiking the Hayduke in Utah last year. Then, @thedanyopang says to me, “Wait, I think I’ve met you.” Turns out that HE WAS THE GUY I briefly met and chatted to about his backpack for five minutes in the middle of Utah over a year ago. Crazy. The outdoor and hiking community can be small like this, as this is not the first time I’ve been party to something akin to this, but this is certainly one of the more remarkable meetings. Also, found the first privy of the trail. Refugi Baiau "Josep Maria Montfort" to Refugi de Cabana Sorda Distance: 22 mi / 35.41 km Elevation: 9,865 ft / 3,007 m #hrp

HRP Day 18: Shelter Friends I’m out of the shelter before sunrise and meandering down a trail that feels largely unused. But there are random horses everywhere, so someone must be out here? Passing a seemingly abandoned village, I start a grassy climb to Coll de Certascan. Where is everyone? Today's elevation change is even more aggressive than yesterday’s (previously the most elevation change per mile of the entire route). I pass a staffed hut that’s closed for the season but where two people are working on the roof. So there are other people out here, I guess? The HRP has been a strange one. It’s been easy to feel far away from everything and everyone while at the same time regularly hitting staffed huts and towns. After dipping down a bit and bumping up over one more col, I begin a massive descent down some of the most poorly maintained trail of the route thus far. Above tree line, this wouldn’t be a problem, but the lower the route drops, the more vegetation begins to crowd the trail. Eventually, I pop out onto a nicely maintained trail where a bridge crosses a river. There’s zero indication that there’s a junction where I come out onto the trail. The trail improves dramatically and I begin another huge climb. After Coll de Sellente o de Banorte, I drop again (zero flats out here) before beginning yet another climb to yet another col. The HRP has a lot of alternates and detours available to hikers and despite wanting to follow the “official” route, I think I may get off it here as I climb into the night toward Refugi Baiau "Josep Maria Montfort.” I can see headlamps in the distance, which does not excite me. It appears I’ll be sharing the shelter tonight. When I arrive, I see a group sitting around a fire and am greeted by a dog angrily barking at me. Fortunately, the dog and the four hikers are all friendly and also nice enough to speak English with me instead of suffering my mostly Portuguese Spanish. After our chat, I sleep with the promise of another hiker that he’s leaving with me in the morning. Cabana del Fangassal to Refugi Baiau Josep Maria Montfort Distance: 25.46 mi / 40.97 km Elevation: 11,480 ft / 3,499 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #hrp

HRP Day 17: All the Elevation Gain I wake up well before sunrise to make up for the extra road miles I need to walk to make it back to the HRP. Slowly, I climb until transitioning to a trail that leads me through a ski resort before I leave civilization (or at least signs of civilization - I see no people) behind and find myself in a quickly changing landscape. In the distance, I can see my next objective, Tuc de Marimanha, towering high above the valley I’m in. From here, it looks like an impossible and near-vertical scramble to the top, but I know (I hope) that a route will present itself as I get closer. Instead of going straight up to the peak, I climb to the ridge below and follow it the rest of the way up. It’s steep, loose, and insecure, but it’s not too dangerous feeling. That said, it's certainly one of the more scrambly bits of the route thus far. After a ridge walk down the other side, I drop into a not-so-fun bit of the route that’s made quite tedious by the lack of an obvious path and the presence of thick vegetation. But after a slog up to Collada del Clot de Moredo (it is tough for me to remember all the names of the features out here), I find a trail that drops aggressively to the small village of Alós d'Isil. After being chased by a sheepdog out of town, I walk a road before jumping a gate and probably trespassing before I’m again hampered by vegetation. I meet an Austrian hiker who claims to have just seen a bear (there are a few in the Pyrenees; they’re rare), but I doubt his story as he attempts to convince me that the deer vocalizations echoing through the mountains are bears growling. Reaching the top of today’s second huge climb at Coll de Cornella, I push over one more col and drop to Refugi Mont-roig, an unstaffed shelter where I hope to sleep. However, there are two Spanish women here, and instead of staying with them, I continue into the dark another 1.5 mi / 2.4 km to the next shelter, which I find unoccupied. Hopefully, no mice friends are waiting to scurry around all night. Arties to Cabana del Fangassal Distance: 25.46 mi / 40.97 km Elevation: 11,480 ft / 3,499 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 16: Closed for the Season Fortunately, it didn’t pour rain all night, and I wake to a misty, overcast morning. That said, I am glad for having pushed over the final cols yesterday, as the weather doesn’t look great for being at altitude. After a short stint on a trail, the route intersects a road I follow down the valley just as it begins to rain. Passing a parade of livestock, tractors, and hikers unfortunate enough to be driving into the mountains today instead of out of them, I see the town of Tredòs come into view. My first attempt at hiking into town takes me into a completely fenced-off construction area with no way around. A sign before heading down this dead-end would have been appreciated. I find another way down. This town, despite looking fairly large and being filled with construction, apparently has zero businesses operating at the moment - no hotels, no restaurants, no markets, no nothing. But not to worry! The slightly larger town of Salardú is just up the road. I make it to Salardú and find everything equally not open. So much for my resupply plan. Cool. But not to worry! There’s a but that can take me to the even larger town of Vielha where there are guaranteed things open. Except the bus has stopped running for the season. Cool. I check the internet (which has let me down enough on this trip for me to be skeptical of its suggestions) and see there’s a hotel in a town just under 2 mi / 3.2 km away. Road walking it is. Fortunately, the hotel exists, and to my surprise, it’s nice. I also get an excellent price which I attribute to it being the off-season. Unfortunately, there’s no grocery store in town. But another 0.6 mi / 1 km down the road there’s a gas station with a mini store that proves suitable for resupply purposes. Today’s rain is expected to turn into a storm tomorrow, so it’s time for a zero day. I should probably get around to finally posting some of this trip on the internet. Barrage de Colomérs to Arties Distance: 9.99 mi / 16.08 km Elevation: 157 ft / 48 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 15: First Exposure I wake up after a successful night of sleeping on the picnic table at what I discover is one of the trailheads for Aneto, the highest mountain in the Pyrenees (and Spain's third-highest), at 11,168 ft / 3,404 m. Sadly, I will not be going up Aneto as the HRP has other plans, but I’ve added it to the list of things to return to. In unrelated news, I met a German HRP hiker (out for just a section) this morning. I’ve yet to meet any other eastbound thru-hikers, but it’s become pretty easy to distinguish the HRP hikers from the weekend warriors and/or the GR10/11 hikers. I instead climb to Tuc de Molières, the highest point I’ll reach on the HRP at 9,876 ft / 3,010 m. Below me, I can see Coret de Molières from the summit - the col from where I’ll drop into the valley. There’s someone currently navigating the exposed-looking route down from the col, and - it looks like there’s a dog with them. Either that or they’re about to have a noteworthy animal encounter. When I reach the col, I find what’s undoubtedly the most exposure of the route thus far. It’s nothing too crazy, in fact, it’s what I expected most of the route to be like, and, surprisingly, I haven’t seen more of it. I climb slowly and catch up to the Spanish hiker I had seen descending ahead. His dog’s name is Africa, and she’s a pretty cool (but very vocal)pup. I’m not sure what the rules surrounding dogs in the mountains are here, but I wish them well and continue. About 30 minutes later, I run into a large group of French hikers coming up the other way. They ask me if I saw a dog (a sentence I’m surprised to have understood). I tell them yes and don’t linger for fear of having to push my language skills. After a long descent and ascent to Pòrt de Rius, I push over two more cols and bypass the final staffed hut. Instead, I hike into the night. And now it’s raining. Cool. Then my headlamp dies without warning. Cool. Using my phone and watch lights, I manage to find a flat place to pitch my tent for the first time this trip. Cabaña de La Besurta to Barrage de Colomérs Distance: 23.66 mi / 38.08 km Elevation: 9,898 ft / 3,017 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 14: Up & Down (& Up & Down) Out the refugio door before sunrise, with all my electronics charged and a few more overpriced snacks in my backpack (still carrying way too much food, but it’s better than the alternative), I start my first climb of the day to Col d'Aygues Tortes. Remembering (and pronouncing) the names of all the cols, passes, refugios, and valleys I’ve passed through on the HRP has been challenging. Whenever someone manages to ask me where I’ve been or where I’m going, my answers of “to the Mediterranean” or “from the Atlantic” never seem to suffice. I drop into the adjacent valley and find what may be the nicest unstaffed shelter yet - it’s even got windows! After a long contour and some impressive trail building, I reach Lac de Caillaouas (a lake), where I find a group of elderly French hikers who appear to be quite interested in what I’m doing. We speak little of each other’s languages, but after they ask me to take their picture, I ask for one with them, and they oblige. My human interaction quota for the day has officially been met. My next destination, Col des Gourgs Blancs, is visible in the distance as I slowly make my way up the day’s second climb. From here, it’s a quick stop at Refuge du Portillon for a soda and some chocolate before I work up the resolve to commit to a third climb today - to the route’s high point thus far - up to Portilló de Lliterola. Looking at the map, I see there’s a hotel at the bottom of the next valley, and I set my sights on it as the day’s destination. The next section of the trail is one of my favorites, but the trail and my love of it quickly deteriorate as I drop lower into the valley below; the terrain gets progressively worse and more difficult to navigate as I now rush to make it to the road below before dark. Long story short, I reach the hotel (huzzah!), the hotel is closed (sads), there’s a cat (huzzah!), and I have to hike a few more miles in the dark (meh) before finding a picnic table to crash on for the night. Refugio de Viadós to Cabaña de La Besurta Distance: 25.69 mi / 41.34 km Elevation: 10,226 ft / 3,117 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 13: Most Glorious Morning I wake up before sunrise and step out of the shelter into a glorious, star-filled sky - not a cloud in sight. My decision to play it safe and slow the past two days may have been the right call. At the top of the day’s first col (from where I climb to a summit instead of dropping down the other side), I get what promises to be the most spectacular sunrise of the route. I don’t pretend to be constantly inspired and having a great time in the mountains; in fact, it’s not infrequent that I wish I were elsewhere. But this sunrise, this morning, this being utterly alone on this col whose name I can’t pronounce, this payoff for having waited out the weather? This makes the past two weeks worth it. I'm happy to be here. Emotional high point of the trip. As the sun rises, I continue up to Pic de Port Vieux and follow the ridge down and across the next nearly 10 mi / 16 km of the route. It’s slow going at times with steep, wet, vegetation-covered, and sometimes rocky terrain—I’m glad I’m not doing this in whiteout conditions, rain, or snow. Eventually, I drop a bit and contour below Punta de Salcorz before climbing to Port de Moudang. Ready to drop down the other side, I check the map and realize I’m meant to keep climbing. The pass was not a destination; it was a waypoint. Reaching the actual high point, I find “HRP” scrawled on a rock at the top in orange paint—the first time I’ve seen these letters anywhere on the route. I follow orange dots through jagged rocks and what’s probably the most insecure-feeling section thus far. Continuing to descend, I find the trail fading as the vegetarian grows thicker; this is why I prefer the alpine. I hit a more defined trail and climb again to the day’s final high point at Port d'Ourdissétou. From here, I drop to what feels like the lowest point in days as I enter Spain (again) and make my way to Refugio de Viadós, where I spend the night with two old Spanish men who speak zero English (but who are graciously patient with my Español). They snore. Refuge de Barroude to Refugio de Viadós Distance: 22.62 mi / 36.4 km Elevation: 8,684 ft / 2,647 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 12: Decisions I wake up before sunrise, and the weather isn’t looking good. After sleeping early yesterday to wait out the weather, I am disappointed. My hope was this would have blown over last night. Instead, I find the ground outside covered in snow. I go back to sleep. Waking up again a few hours later to the same weather (and with far too many hours of sleep behind me), I decide to hike out. However, after being unable to find a route up the mountain and not being able to see the ridge where I’m going, I decide the smart move is to retreat to the shelter, and I do. Good thing I have a lot of podcasts downloaded. Again attempting to wait out the weather, I start to get a bit stir crazy. A couple more hours, and I decide to detour around this peak/ridge via a slightly lower route. It adds a couple of miles, but it means I will stay a bit lower, and hopefully, I can make my way through the weather without issue. I can't stay in this shelter any longer. This alternate route proves more complicated than I had hoped as it still requires me to cross two high cols (cols I would also cross if I took the initially intended route over Pic de la Géla). The climb to Hourquette de Héas (which I guess is an Hourquette and not a col - whatever that is), is snow-covered, but I manage it without too much difficulty. However, the other side is far steeper and holds much more snow. I fall on my ass a dozen times, picking my way down steep, snow-covered talus and scree. I traverse to and climb to Hourquette de Chermentas before a steep descent (this time snow-free) and lots of contouring through clouds. The HRP’s next section climbs to a peak and follows a long ridgeline - not something I want to do in weather. I could drop to a low route, but this would be a large bypass, and I am still not frustrated enough with the weather to do this. An even more basic shelter than the one I just came from (literally just an empty square cinder block room) is my home for tonight. Don’t let me down again tomorrow, weather. Cabane des Aires to Refuge de Barroude Distance: 9.95 mi / 16 km Elevation: 3,730 ft / 1,137 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 11: Stubborn Storms I slept in Gavarnie last night (I took the bus from Luz-Saint-Sauveur, where I had hitchhiked for two zero days to escape storms) to get started early this morning-but not so early that I would miss my (included) hotel breakfast. Climbing in fair weather, I pass Refuge des Espuguettes (sight of my first visit to the Pyrenees) and reach Horquette d'Alan where I spy Brèche de Roland across the valley. Brèche de Roland is a glacial notch on the France-Spain border that you can hike through—it’s pretty sweet. It would be a mediumish detour from the HRP, but it would probably be worth it as a more exciting way to Gavarnie. Guess I have to come back. Clouds gather as I descend into the next valley. Fortunately, there are a few shelters ahead of me as well as a staffed refugio. However, the staffed refugio requires me to detour and drop 2,000 ft / 600 m, which isn’t too enticing a prospect (at least the climb back up isn’t). I round the valley and begin a contour along a shelf to the end of valley number three toward Cirque de Troumouse. Despite being within sight of a road, I feel like I’m all alone out here. Since descending from the col earlier, I haven’t seen anyone. The next section of the trail gains the cirque’s ridge. Then it continues climbing to a peak before dropping to a col, contouring to another, and slowly descending the other side. It’s a funky route meant to avoid what I imagine is a technical climb/descent directly over the cirque. However, the entire ridgeline is now shrouded in dense clouds as the weather quickly deteriorates. Ducking into a fortuitously located shelter, I wait for the weather to pass; it only worsens. Inside this shelter is pretty decent and once it gets late enough that I know I’m not going to make it to the next shelter (tonight is supposed to be the coldest yet on the trail and I don’t trust my setup to keep me warm at this elevation outside four walls), I accept my fate and set an alarm for the morning. At least I’ll be getting a good night’s sleep tonight? Gavarnie to Cabane des Aires Distance: 16.1 mi / 25.9 km Elevation: 6,135 ft / 1,870 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 10: Snow Day ❄️ After suffering through a humid and snore-filled night in the refugio’s bunkroom, I emerge in the morning to find the world blanketed in snow. I guess sleeping indoors was better than packing a wet shelter in the cold this morning? Last night's weather would have pushed the temperature limits of my gear 🏕️ After opting out of breakfast—I’ve been carrying far too much food and have been only disappointed with refugio breakfasts—I begin my day’s hike with @davifah - the first time I’m hiking with someone else 👯 That said, he’s only out for a few days on a hike that’s not the HRP, so our time together is short-lived. I’ve yet to meet another HRP thru-hiker 😔 The snowline is not far below Refuge de Bayssellance, and before long, the trail is snow-free. It was exciting while it lasted 🫠 A long descent down the valley leads to a dam, where the HRP crosses and begins contouring in and out of adjacent valleys. It winds past unstaffed shelters, livestock, and waterfalls toward the town of Gavarnie 🐃 There’s a road that takes a much more direct route out of this valley, and it looks like it would be a nice bad-weather alternative. That said, I’m still trying to keep this hike high whenever possible ↗️ I reach Gavarnie, a touristy town where the road dead ends into a cirque, and check the weather. According to the forecast, a storm is rolling in over the next two days. Could I hike through? Sure. Do I want to? No. I consider my options for Gavarnie accommodation ⛈️ However, a larger town, Luz-Saint-Sauveur, is not far away. Since there’s only one road in and out of here, I try my luck hitchhiking. A bus that won’t leave for another 3 hours is my backup option 🚌 There’s not much traffic, but before long, I’m picked up by a friendly couple from Italy/Spain who deliver me to the small center of Luz-Saint-Sauveur. It’s not a huge town, but there are outfitters, a supermarket, hotels, and restaurants (aka a much better place to wait out storms than in a mountain shelter) 🏙️ Time for a zero day 🥳 Refuge de Bayssellance to Gavarnie Distance: 11.79 mi / 18.97 km Elevation: 1,417 ft / 432 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 9: The First Longest Day I wake up and slip out of the refugio early. Early morning hiking usually isn’t too tall an order, but thanks to lingering weather, I’m forced to choose between walking in total darkness and walking in a sea of blinding light reflected back into my eyes by the fog. Cool ☁️ Then, it starts to rain; it wasn’t supposed to rain today. Cool 🌧️ I descend to the intersection of two valleys and start up my first climb to Col de Cambales. I’ve actually hiked up this valley once before - last year on my second trip ever to the Pyrenees. This was when I decided to hike the HRP one day - and here I am ⌚ That said, this year's weather is colder than last year's - much colder 🥶 At the top of the climb, I’m met with what’s my favorite view thus far. I’ve said I finally feel like I’m in the mountains a few times, but this is the first time I REALLY feel like I’m in the mountains. Looking east, I’m met with new yet familiar scenes of endless talus fields, alpine lakes, distant peaks, and promises of getting lost in the boulders below 🪨 The Pyrenees are sweet 🏔️ I descend nearly 3,000 ft / 915 m to Refuge Wallon Marcadau - an enormous refugio that I think(?) is the latest in the Pyrenees. Certainly, the largest of the HRP 🏠 I then claw back all the elevation I lost up to Col d'Arratille. From here, I contour to Col des Mulets, where I can see the trail ahead switchbacking up the other side of the valley. After a brief stop at Refuge des Oulettes de Gaube and a look at the Vignemale glacier, I press on and climb again - this time up to Hourquette d'Ossoue ↗️ Just after the climb, I find myself approaching Refuge de Bayssellance, where I’ll post up for the night. This refugio is far busier than last night’s, and I manage to find some fellow non-French speakers (and one Portuguese speaker) to chat with while we’re served dinner 🇩🇪 Sleeping just inches from 2 strangers and in a room with an additional 13, I question my choice of this dank, sweaty room over pitching my tent outside ⛺ Refuge de Larribet to Refuge de Bayssellance Distance: 21.81 mi / 35.1 km Elevation: 8,999 ft / 2,743 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 8: I’m dropped back off at the trailhead in the early afternoon, where @charliewgt collected me two days ago; it appears I’ve successfully avoided the weather. Despite rain on the way here, the clouds seem to be moving north, and I hike into the alpine with faith I won’t be struck down by storms - at least not today 🌩️ I’ve been dipping in and out of the Parc national des Pyrénées (Pyrenees National Park) for a few days now (the boundary is a bit funky), but I think I’m now in the heart of it and will remain in it for the next couple of days 🌲 After a long and uneventful climb from the road (the HRP is filled with steep descents out of the mountains immediately followed by equally steep climbs back into the alpine) to Col d'Arrious, I’m back in the mountains ⛰️ From here, I can descend 600 ft / 180 m and immediately climb back up or take Le Passage d’Orrteig, “a vertiginous and difficult section,” according to a sign. Sounds fun - and it is. It’s the first time on the HRP there’s any exposure - something I have been (and am) expecting a lot more of. It’s probably the most stoked I’ve been thus far ⛓️ The next shelter is essentially a construction site as it’s being gutted and rebuilt this season; a light drizzle (and probably all the rain yesterday) means no work today ☔ I climb through my first proper talus field of the route (I’m pleased with how the terrain is progressing) up to Col du Palas and then contour around to Port du Lavedon and squeezing through a gap in the ridge before dropping past a lake and finding Refuge de Larribet just as the fog and diminishing light brings the visibility down to near-zero ☁️ Only two other people are staying here tonight, so I get a room to myself. The refugios are great, but not when you have to share a room with 15 other people (and especially when people refuse to open the window) 🌬️ The hut employee says my plan for tomorrow is too ambitious; I set my alarm for 5 am to give myself ample time to prove him wrong ⏰ Fingers crossed, the weather turns sunny 🤞 Caillou de Soques to Refuge de Larribet Distance: 7.55 mi / 12.15 km Elevation: 4,859 ft / 1,481 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 7: Escaping the Rain I wake up and get moving into the near total darkness that is this seemingly abandoned ski town. Fortunately, today behind with a road walk, and I need not spend my headlamp’s precious battery to navigate. That is until the road walk ends, and it's not any more light than when I began 🌒 Navigating the mess of animal trails braided into what I suspect to be my trail is made far more difficult by the darkness, and my pace takes a hit. This is precisely why I work up so early 🥱 I reach the day's first col and can see the outline of Pic du Midi d’Ossau in the distance, hovering above my next objective, Col de Peyreget ⛰️ Behind me, I see storm clouds already gathering on the Spanish side of the border; I’ve now crossed back into France 🇫🇷 Now with enough light to navigate without my headlamp, I dip into a valley past herds of sleeping sheeps and start up the next (and final) climb of the day. When I reach Col de Peyreget, I have my first real feeling of “I just made it to the top of a pass (or col)” of the trip. Despite having been over many named passed, cols, and saddles thus far, this one feels the most real yet 🌟 On the way down, I find marmots, izards - small and incredibly skittish Pyrenean mountain goats - and plenty of the omnipresent livestock. I also get barked at by a Pyrenean Mountain Dog (probably the most dangerous animal out here) 🐏 Dropping back below the tree line, I begin to encounter day hikers - a telltale sign of nearby trailhead 🧟‍♂️ I reach the road and a small parking area just in time to advise a British couple on the distance and elevation change between them and the hut. They ask what I'm doing, and just as I explain I'm meeting a friend, Mr. @charliewgt pulls up to collect me 🚕 We head into town, where I’ll take tomorrow off to avoid the incoming storm. Dropping to the GR10 or GR11 - two parallel routes in France and Spain, respectively - is always an option to avoid weather, but since I’ve got time, I prefer to stay high (and out of storms) whenever possible 🏔 Candanchú to Caillou de Soques Distance: 13.42 mi / 21.59 km Elevation: 4,678 ft / 1,425 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute

HRP Day 6: Dreams of Electric Sheep I get a later start today since I obviously had to take advantage of the food, bathroom facilities, and hospitality of @charliewgt and @alienor2701 🛏️ From Lescun, the trail briefly dips before beginning its longest climb yet up to the ridge delineating the France-Spain border 📈 Clouds move in as I approach the top, and my anxiety kicks in as I imagine being stuck up here in a thunderstorm ⛈️ The weather is supposed to hold until tomorrow afternoon when a storm is expected to move in; however, I anticipate being able to reach another road crossing by that time, where I've arranged for @charliewgt to pick me up once again - this time expressly to avoid the weather (but also to spend time together) 💛 Today appears to be the day the shepherds drive their sheeps out of the mountains for the winter. I see flocks lined up and tracing well-worn livestock paths like ants moving across the mountainsides - always accompanied by the fearsome Pyrenees canine guardians 🐑 The route remains relatively exposed throughout the day, and I'm grateful the clouds fail to go beyond simply gathering and lingering. That said, they do rob me of what may have been the best swimming opportunity of the HRP up until now 🏊‍♂️ These sections between towns are strange. They feel desolate and remote while never straying too far from civilization. Maybe it’s because there’s nobody else out here? 🏝️ I arrive in Candanchú, seemingly the largest town yet, and it’s virtually abandoned - the hotels, the restaurants, and the ski shops? All closed ❌ “Ouvert” and “abierto” signs boldly lie as I scour to place for traces of life. There ends up being a single open refugio just off the main drag with a single employee working. Tonight, I will sleep inside once more - but this time in Spain 🇪🇸 I pay for my (single) room and meal and sleep early. Tomorrow, I plan to start well before sunrise. I'm not taking chances when it comes to potentially getting caught at altitude in a storm ⚡ 5:00 alarm it is (sunrise is at 7:45) ⏰ Lescun to Candanchú Distance: 25.11 mi / 40.4 km Elevation gain: 7,766 ft / 2,367 m #hauteroutepyrénéenne #pyreneeshighroute