 Hi All I am planning to walk the HRP west to east this year, starting on or about 1 June. I know it might be a little bit early, but can't start later and still fit it all in. Any comment, advice or guidance appreciated. One or two questions: - is it too early still, to predict snow conditions in June? Philip, or anyone? - what do folks do about maps? I want to keep the weight down as far as I can and at 1:40000 scale or thereabouts a full set makes an imposing and expensive pile. Has anyone tried the Memory Map pyrenees dvd? I don't want to take a gps, but could print sheets before I go for the route, and together with a couple of regional maps maybe that might suffice. Still not cheap mind. - any recommendations for travel insurance? Is BMC or similar the best option? Ta in advance
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We have used the BMC for insurance. We bought the paper maps and cut away the bits we would not need. We were in the high bits, with ice axe and crampons at about the same time as you will be and it was fine, including extra peaks, but my knowledge of this year is zero.
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If you google Peewiglet you might find some good information on the HR in the Pyrenees. I'm researching the GR20 in Corsica and have found her pages on it of immense use and a good source of information for planning it for 2011. I know from her blog that she has done the Pyrennean HR both the GR10 and 11 which I think mirrors it on the Spanish side. That was only remembered from a comment on the intro to her GR20 walk description mini-blog site. Peewiglet is or was a regular poster on this site BTW, I'm sure some will remember her. She certainly has an online presence. Into music and those little brown wire haired terriers as well as walkng and backpacking I believe.
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Way to early to predict snow conditions. It varies form year to year. Although it will be around mid june when you reach the high passes. You could be lucky. Last year I crossed the glacier at the Breche de Roland (around 2700m or so) on the first weekend of July without crampons. 2 weeks later I did another trip camping at 2100m to wake up with my tent covered in ice which wasn't forecast. I crossed a low col at 2400m to find the other side covered in frozen snow and no crampons so I changed my route. The last 2 years have seen some heavy falls of snow (50cm at 900m) in mid april and cold weather in May leaving a lot of snow and ice until mid July. There is a lot of snow at the moment (270cm at 2600m) but the last few days have been warm. I'd advise to not even think of checking snow conditions until mid may. Regarding maps there is a set of 1:50 000 covering the whole of the Pyrenees by Rando editions.
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Hi Philip! Thanks to you and to everyone for your comments. Peewiglet did quite an interesting podcast with Andy Howell about the Pyrenees, available here (mentions Cauterets, Philip!) - it is dated 30/9/2006 and titled "outdoor channel book club no. 2" So far as timing goes, I haven't much leeway anyway so what with trains etc needing booking, I will just take my chances.. (and probably a pair of crampons!)- it is a good practice to be prepared for anything, the weather is a tad unpredictable thereabouts anyway. Re maps, I am aware of the Rando maps, but altogether there are 24 of them! Joosten says that a total of 13 maps (10 Rando 1:50k, 1 x 1:25k and two Spanish Editorial Alpina 1:40k) are required to cover the whole of his hrp route. My current plan is to buy the first three or four and try to find the rest en route. Part of the problem is that I am reluctant to be too dogmatic about the exact route I follow so requirements may change.. it will sort itself out, nae doot. Starting to get excited about going!
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| Edited: 19/03/10 16:11 |
What we do about maps on long-distance walks is post them home once we've used them. If you combine this with buying them en route as suggested they shouldn't be too heavy.
Another thing we've found you can do is post on spare clothing, eg the stuff you might need in the high mountains but not in the lower bits. You can send it to yourself, marked 'Poste restante', at the post office in (as far as I know) anywhere big enough to have a post office, and collect it once you get there: you'll need to show your passport to prove you are you, but we've found it works. You can, of course, post stuff home too.
Oh, and we use BMC insurance too, although if you join the Austrian Alpine Club you get half-price access to huts and helicopter rescue insurance included. The huts would help, but the insurance might mean you don't need extra insurance above your everyday one.
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The AAC insurance will cover the rescue and get you to hospital. the EHIC card will give you the same treatment terms as an EU national in that country (Switzerland is included too). Repatriation and any costs that the locals would pay are up to you. This is the hole that you might need travel insurance to fill.
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I have booked the train ticket now, and membership of the BMC. I would feel a bit silly joining the AAC, never having been to Austria.. I thought the BMC insurance includes helicopter rescue if necessary? I will check..
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Regarding travel insurance, I cannot advise as I've never had it. I'm off to Finland in May and the thought of insurance has not even crossed my mind.
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I would feel a bit silly joining the AAC, never having been to Austria.. I thought the BMC insurance includes helicopter rescue if necessary? I will check.. We've never been to Austria either! There's a UK 'chapter' of the AAC - it's called Sektion Britannia - that's has an office down in Wareham. We actually belong to both the BMC and the AAC, having joined the BMC first as you did. The advantage of the AAC is that you don't have to pay extra for cheap access to huts, as you do with the BMC hut access card. If we're going walking at comparatively low levels or for short trips we don't bother with BMC insurance, but rely on the AAC rescue plus EHIC as john Kilgour says. having said that, this year we hope to do a guided tour from the Jungfraujoch over the glaciers, and have taken out BMC insurance to be on the safe side: it probably means that we've got too much helicopter rescue cover, but better that than too little.
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Taken out BMC insurance now.. cover is comprehensive and includes rescue & repatriation cover. £81 for the two months but I took out an annual policy for £95 as I have other plans.. As to whether to take out insurance or not, it has always been my habit not to insure against anything, except for those events which I could not otherwise cope with. So no to product insurance, general medical insurance, extended warranties etc.. but yes to house insurance and car insurance. And yes to this, because I could not afford to pay for helicopter recovery from a mountain or for air repatriation should that ever be necessary.
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For the maps, ignore Tom Joosten says about Alpina. They suck. Kids draw more informative things. The rando editions are much more detailed and cover the whole frontier area. North of the border, the 1 to 25k IGN maps work well - it makes you realise we are really spoiled in the UK with our Ordnance Survey. When you are using many of the area maps if you are anything like me you will find it really annoying that many shade out detail when it goes the "wrong" side of the border - that's why I'd plump for the rando editions which recognise you might go either side of the border according to your whim, or the weather.
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| Edited: 29/03/10 20:15 |
Steve is right. The Rando editions are the best option and in the last 18 months they've been revised and re-issued in parts of the Pyrenees. However, don't be too put off with the maps from Editorial Alpina. They don't have topographic details (ie cliffs) but in many cases they are the best option for the spanish side. I have used them for Monte Perdido, the Basque Country, Picos de Europa, and the Sierra Nevada, and once you wean yourself off UK OS (which are the best) and get used to them they can be useful. And as in Rando editions they do mark the paths on the french side of the border which the French IGN 1:25 000 do not.
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Hi Jerry Don't know if you're still around and considering the HRP, but I've emailed you a word file of my HRP log from last year together with some planning notes and a kit list. Regards, Rob
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Hi Jerry/Rob Also planning on walking the HRP this summer although I wont be setting off until the end of July. Is your log on the web anywhere Rob? Also I only have the summer holidays so I was hoping to run some legs tohether - how tight are Joosten's timings? Good luck Jerry and hopefully be able to share experiences later in the year.
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Lee - I think Joosten's timings are about right, if you are reasonably fit and have fine weather. Some of his short 'days' can obviously be merged. You could also take some short cuts from his route if you are so minded. I tended to add a third to his walking time to accommodate breaks, etc. If you send me an email address, I'll forward my log from last year. Rob
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Well, not long now as I am off to Hendaye on 31 May. Pretty much all equipment in place now. 7.6kg + food/water + what I wear, ie perhaps 13Kg max. Maps have been a problem, since few places seem to stock them, even Stanfords. I have bought the first half dozen or so and will hope to find the rest en route. Map 24 (Gavarnie) seems out of stock everywhere as it is apparently reprinting. Anyone got one to lend or sell? Philip, or anyone, I understand the weather has not been great especially in the Catalan area, but is set to improve? Any snow around?
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 Jerry, apologies if you've (probably) tried this, but I've always found The Map Shop to be better than Stanfords for stock, and they're very helpful. The website isn't that great but it's always worth giving them a call - Freephone: 0800 085 40 80 (UK only) or 01684 59314. I can't remember exactly what coverage you need for that section - it's predominantly the Spanish side isn't it? I've got some slightly ageing ('90s vintage) IGN maps that predate Map 24 but only really cover the French side well, or I've got the Prames 1:40k GR11 strip maps but I'm not sure if HRP coincides or runs close enough to be on them at that point....
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Hi Matt Thank you.. I hadn't tried them - and they are a bit cheaper than where I used, maps international - but they don't have no.24 iehter. Their index diagram shows the problem! J
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OK. I can't promise anything but I'll have a look later and see whether anything I've got would fill the gap at all.
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