Quick Guide GR 11

with everything you need to know before undertaking the Pyrenean Path

The transpirenaica alone and in 25 days.

(A few years ago we published this interview article, which even today serves as inspiration for many mountaineers who are thinking of tackling a great solo route. We have rescued it and edited it again due to its timeless nature and because it is a very useful content for the community).

Have you thought about doing the Pyrenean Route alone? If so, you'll be interested in the talk we had with Nico Fernandez  and his solo Transpirenaica.

Here you have the video of his adventure, it is not to be missed. And below you have the interview with all his experiences and advice.

Many thanks to Nico for sharing his experience with the whole community.

How did the idea for the Trans-Pyrenees on foot Challenge, discovery, what motivated you?

In 2000 I did 4 stages of Carros de FocI had never done a mountain like that before, with a backpack and everything I needed to spend those days in the high mountains, that captivated me so much that I never stopped climbing at different levels. My lifelong dream of being a "pyrenean" had been to cfollow the GR11 through the PyreneesSo in 2015, after 15 years of experience and more than 200 different summits climbed, I wanted to put the icing on the cake. I have done many sporting challenges but without a doubt this was the one that attracted me the most.

Did you do any specific training? One prepares oneself before such a challenge, how was it in your case?

Well, I have always done a lot of sport, snowboarding, mountain biking, mountaineering, etc., but without a doubt my life and my passion is climbing mountains, almost every weekend I usually go to the mountains With a group of mountaineers, we have a hiking group where we are 41 friends who enjoy climbing mountains like children, thanks to so many years of experience going out every weekend I have acquired a fitness and experience that has made me able to do this challenge in 25 days. I didn't do specific training although I have done it for other challenges, but due to a personal issue I couldn't do that specific training and I had to face the GR11 with what I had in my legs after so many years of doing sport. At first I had 43 days to do it, but for personal reasons I had to accelerate everything and do it in 25 days, a real madness.

that equipment you carried in your rucksack? What did you miss and what would you leave at home now?

I tried to bring the minimum and essential because I think lightness is very important, weight can make a challenge like this go up in smoke for many reasons. I was carrying a 60-litre backpack and inside; a solar charger for charging the ebook, Gopro, GPS and the mobile phonea camelbak 3 litres of water, 60 litre rucksack, inflatable mat, fibre jacket, Goretex jacketa small vanity case, sleeping bag comfort temperature 12º, maps, ultralight 950 g tent. Trekking clothing necessary, two changes of clothes, one on and one drying, hooked to the rucksack with safety pins, food as a sandwich, biscuits or snack in case I couldn't find a place to eat and in case something unexpected came up and I had to go to a restaurant. first aid kit.
The shop It was very light but very small, so much so that my life inside it was hell because I couldn't fit the rucksack inside and it was a nightmare, so after a week I bought a bigger one in a village, in the only shop where I could find one because in the Pyrenees you can't find many shops. They only had a 3-seater tent and it weighed almost 3 kg, so I increased the total weight of the backpack, but I don't regret it, my life inside it improved considerably and with it the much needed rest. I was carrying a bag that was too summery (12º comfort) and at night I was cold, so I bought another 5º bag in that tent, so the weight also increased, in total. with everything I had in it, water and food, the backpack weighed 20 kg.It was a real torture for the legs and back, but of course many things can happen in the mountains and being alone sometimes it is necessary to carry some things just in case. After having done it, if I had to do it again I would only change one thing, I would do it in more days, maybe 35, to enjoy everything more and not suffer so much. I started with a 15 kg backpack and after changing tents and bags I ended up with 20 kg.

How do you deal with the 'mental' issue. I mean, a lot of hours with yourself... Does it take a long time?

Loneliness was the hardest part of the GR11I have done things alone but this made me realise many things, you appreciate many things that you have and that you lack there. It is not the same to go through hardships alone than with someone else, happiness is not complete if you don't share it, going through good times without having someone to tell you how happy you are at that moment is hard. Not having a shoulder to cry on or vent to at times is hard. Finding yourself in dangerous situations like thunderstorms at 2,200m in a lonely area of the Aragonese Pyrenees is hard. I missed a lot my friends and family, my comforts of home, my routines, but I learned to know myself away from all those influences, there is only you, you face everything in your own way, and that makes you stronger and you know how you react in every situation. When I came back from GR11 a lot of things changed in my life, not that I had changed, but I saw things in a different way and I made very important decisions.

Did you have any physical problems or injuries?

The lack of special preparation took its toll on me. inflamed patellar tendonsI also had blisters on my toes, I cured them all except one that accompanied me for 25 days with a very strong pain with every step, but I also suffered a painful and not very silent hemorrhoid during the last week, not to forget chafing, a contracture in the quadriceps, etc .... It's one thing to walk 30 or 40 km a day and quite another to do it with injuries and 20 kg on my back, without a doubt the physical and emotional pain was the worst, but there is no glory without pain, right? hahaha

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of doing the Senda Pirenaica solo?

My first piece of advice is to take a good look at the weight and distribute the km studying the stagesIn the first and last stages you can do more km so that you can do less when you get to the steepest stages of the Pyrenees. Although the route is well marked, it is not a bad idea to take a guide with a map. GPS Until I left Andorra and entered Catalonia where I had to turn on the GPS due to the poor signposting of the GR11 in the Catalan area, a pity. I had 43 days to do it and I did it in 25 due to a personal issue that arose right at the start, so I recommend doing it in about 35 days to enjoy the Pyrenees without haste or suffering, or even climb some of the nearby peaks it passes through. It is also interesting do it in July as it is statistically the month with the least rainfall. of the calendar where the temperature is good. I also recommend plan routes one or two days in advance. to adapt to the weather, to the areas with villages where you can eat, etc... because you never know what can happen and it's no use having planned the stages well in advance, because then all kinds of unforeseen events occur. I recommend get up early enough to avoid sunshine hours and rainfall I used to get up at 05:00 which made me see the sunrise every day as I walked and I used to pitch my tent around 17:00 to avoid walking in the afternoon rains. I would plan the route so that at midday I would pass through a village where I could eat a menu and there I would buy some food for breakfast and dinner which was spent away from civilisation.

What has been your favourite place in the Pyrenees and the Trans-Pyrenees?

The Central Pyrenees/Aragon area is undoubtedly the most beautiful, wild and rugged, a real beauty. The Ordesa Meadow I was captivated, I had never been there before and I was very surprised. The area of the Baztan Valley is also very beautiful, it has a lot of charm, magic and mystery.

What are the lessons and experiences that you carry in your backpack?

People really asked me if I was scared when I was there alone, in the nature, and the truth is that I wasn't. There is nothing that can harm you, it's not the jungle. There is nothing that can harm you, it is not the jungle, if you are experienced and careful nothing should happen to you. On the other hand, when I went down to civilisation, that's when my fears came, the dangers, especially in large towns. You learn to realise that we come from nature, when we are there we recover an inner wellbeing that we have lost after moving away from it. But you also value everything that you have at home and leave far away, comforts, your people, etc. I learned a lot from that experience, I learned to give the importance that each thing really has, I am the same, but stronger, less superficial, something changed inside me.

READ ALSO:

• Advice on how to tackle the gr11 - pyrenean path >>
• Preparing for the gr-11 or trans-Pyrenean >>
• What to pack in your basic hiking equipment >>