GR11 Stage 18 Trail Diary: Wildcamping in a Stormy Night and a Bear Sighting

Part of my GR11 trail diary. Catching up? Read stages 1-11, stages 12-16, and stage 17 in Ordesa first.

⛰️ Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11
Stage 18/47
Day 24
📍From the high country below Monte Perdido, down towards the Pineta valley
Weather: Thunder, rain, sun. The full menu in 24 hours.
🍲 Food: squeezed croissant, an avocado my mum carried up the hill, overnight oats, herbs and sea salt
💫 Highlights: number-one wild camp spot, Monte Perdido views, dozens of waterfalls, a probable bear at sunrise, made it to my dad's birthday
🤪 Challenges: thunderstorm overnight, wet sleeping bag, bugs in the tent, broken zipper, a dog attack on Wingo
Trail tip: A tent that holds in real wind is worth every gram. Test it at home before you trust it on trail.
Spirit: rough through the night, gratitude in the morning

The Best Camp Spot of the Trail (or So I Thought)

This is fairly flat. Look at the views. Seriously, this would be the number one spot so far of the trip.

Little I knew this would turn into one of the toughest nights on trail. Long, busy day. That's where I came from this morning, very steep descent, the steepest of all of them. There you can see all the snow. There is a spectacular waterfall. And that's Monte Perdido, the third highest peak of the Pyrenees. And here we're going to camp.

I pitched the tent, made food, and relaxed a little bit, spending some quality time with Wingo. I think he likes this spot. I think that was a yes.

On a long-distance hike, things rarely go as planned. Having your own shelter means you can stop wherever the trail tells you to stop, bearing in mind local regulations. Above 2,000 metres, wild camping is generally tolerated between dusk and dawn, with stricter rules in national parks. Always check the local rules before you go.

A Wild Storm Night

That was perfect timing. The tent is pitched, we're inside, and it starts raining. Now we just have to eat, relax, and sleep.

As a starter, we have a squeezed croissant. Oh, and my avocado just rolled down the hill. I'm going to eat an avocado, which I haven't eaten in a long time. My mum bought it for me, and I carried it all the way uphill. So thanks, Mum, and I'm super appreciating this piece of fresh food. It's heavy too, so we'll go lightweight tomorrow. I also brought some herbs, oregano, and some sea salt for the minerals.

It's 9:30, and it's been a little bit of a rough night. I mean rough. There have been some strong wind gusts, rain showers now and then, and a lot of bugs in the tent tonight. The inner tent zipper is broken, and I already had a big spider walking on me. There's some sort of little beetle that I've already taken three out of the tent. Becoming one with nature, huh?

The zipper has been broken since the start. It's a very used tent. It hiked the Pacific Crest Trail before, not with me, but with my partner Jonatan, whose trail name is The Ambassador. I can use this tent, and it's still functional, but it has had its use.

It's 12:00 at night. I just went outside pretty much naked and with my rain jacket that is not waterproof. I took off all my clothes, so at least those stay dry. There was getting quite some water in the tent, so I went outside to check all of the bags. The tent was being flattened by the wind gusts. It was crazy, and yeah, two got loose, so that didn't help.
From the trail, on camera

I was a bit worried about the tent if it would hold, and I'm very impressed. It did. Nothing seemed to have broken. The good thing is it's not cold. I'm not cold because my sleeping bag got a little bit wet, and if down gets wet, it's not really insulating. Luckily, this guy also keeps me warm. I keep him warm and comfort. He's okay. The mat got wet. My hair got wet, but luckily my towel got a purpose finally. I could dry my mattress with it.

Morning Surprise: A Bear, Waterfalls, and a Wet Pack

That was a rough night with a lot of rain and thunder, but now it's dry. It's 7:00, so it's a good moment to pack and start walking. This is when you learn complaining doesn't help.

Nature doesn't care about your mood, but gratitude does. For a tent that holds, a dog that snores, and a chance to wake up in the wild again.
From the trail, on camera

I opened the tent and I think I saw a bear, though I'm not sure. It was in the distance. Wingo was barking at it, but something was drinking out of the river. Wingo started barking, and quite slowly, like wobbly, wobbly, it went into the bushes. So, it was definitely not a cow. It was too slow for a deer and too big for a marmot. The bushes are far away, so I'm not afraid. I'm more excited.

Now it's dry, so I'm going to pack the tent while I can. All right, it's raining again. I have this dry bag in my backpack for things to stay dry, which is nice. But my sleeping bag is quite wet. If the sun is out, it will dry fast. I'm doing some risk management with what stays in the dry bag.

Next challenge: my rain jacket is soaking wet. It's not waterproof, but it's the best I have. Yesterday, I had this amazing poncho, but I left it by accident. It's in my parents' car. The best trail angels came to bring some fruit and food, and I forgot to take it. The good part is the next bit is going to be uphill, so I will be warm soon.

Walking into the Clouds

I don't think I would ever say this, but I love walking uphill in the morning. It makes me warm. I was pretty cold down there. My hands are still cold, but I still have a little bit of uphill to go, which makes me warmer.

In the background: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven waterfalls. Snow. The good thing about having rain at night is that the waterfalls the next day blow your mind. They're spectacular. I see the first bit of blue sky as well. The sun is trying to get through, which will be amazing because everything is soaking wet.

I'm walking on an actual dirt road, which is quite unusual for the GR11. Sometimes there's like little bits and pieces, but I think it's going to be all the way walking into the clouds now too. Some people say it's boring, but I kind of like it because you have to focus less on your steps and you can enjoy the scenery. Well, if you're not in a cloud. The views now and then are spectacular, absolutely spectacular.

I hardly have to carry any water for Wingo because, well, there's water all around, especially today. It's just the food that can get a little bit heavy. That's it. It's so worth it.

It's my last day with Wingo for a stretch. He's doing great, and I like to keep it that way. The trail is tough, and I don't know what's ahead of me, but I heard there are some rough bits that could potentially be very challenging for him. So he will go with my parents. He's safe at least, and he has had a good time on the trail.

The Dog Attack Scare

We just had the most scary moment of the hike so far. Everything is good, but I don't even know what to say. We were just walking like this on the road. It's a road walk for a little bit, and suddenly there's a dog. Suddenly there's a dog running out of the gate and going for Wingo, fully for Wingo.

I saw it coming, and this has happened before. I jumped in between. I just did everything to keep that dog away from Wingo, and I managed. So everything's good. But then there was another dog coming, and the owners were running behind and they took the dogs, thank God. So that ended up all good.

This has happened before, and then it didn't end up good, and Wingo had a big bite. So I learned from last time, and nothing is going to get Wingo, no one. It's fine. I just got a little bit scared, I guess. Yeah, but it's all good.

Made It to Dad's Birthday

How much adventure you can live in one afternoon and a night and a morning. It's unbelievable. We had thunder, we had rain, we had a wet tent, we had bugs and animals in the tent. We saw a bear this morning. We saw dozens of waterfalls again. The views, the weather changes, we had sunshine, hotness, all the layers of clothes, we had a dog attack. And this is just today, yesterday afternoon, and last night.
From the trail, on camera

Now I'm going to pay attention because I think the road is ending and it turns into a trail again soon. It has been quite a road walk the last bits, but it's okay after all that excitement and adventure. It's always nice to walk into a town. It has been a while.

I made it to my dad's birthday party and in time to shelter for the next storm before I tackle the next high altitude sections of the GR11.

Solo on alpine terrain? Bring the Garmin InReach Mini

For trails like this where cell signal vanishes and storms roll in fast, the Garmin InReach Mini is the one piece of safety gear I would not hike without. SOS button, two-way satellite messaging, weather updates from anywhere, live tracking so my mum knew where I was every two hours. The 30% chance of thunder warning saved more than one camp night on the GR11.

Check the Garmin InReach Mini

FAQ: Stage 18 GR11, Wild Camping, Bears and Dogs

Can you wild camp on the GR11?

Above 2,000 metres, wild camping is generally tolerated between dusk and dawn, with stricter rules in national parks like Ordesa y Monte Perdido. Always check the local rules before you go. Pitch late, leave early, leave no trace.

Where to stay near Monte Peridido and Parzan?

Are there bears in the Pyrenees?

Yes. Brown bears live in the central Pyrenees, mostly in the Aragón and French sides. Sightings are rare but real. On stage 18 of my GR11 hike I think I saw one at sunrise: too slow for a deer, too big for a marmot, drinking from the river. Wingo barked, it wobbled into the bushes, gone. The bushes were far away so I wasn't afraid, just excited.

Are dogs allowed on the GR11?

To the best of my knowing, dogs are tolerated on the GR11. Normally dogs must be leashed. Sometimes I unleashed Wingo when safe, away from wildlife and livestock, and being sure he would stay with me. The biggest risk hiking with a dog is not the heat or the distance. It's other dogs being territorial, especially on road walks past farms.

What is GR11 stage 18 like?

Stage 18 descends out of the Ordesa high country towards the Pineta valley. A mix of trail and dirt road. Spectacular Monte Perdido and waterfall views, lots of water, exposure to fast-moving Pyrenean weather. After a wild storm night, this stage can feel like a very full day in the wild compressed into a few hours.

How do you deal with a thunderstorm while wild camping?

Pitch below 2,000 metres if storms are forecast. Choose a spot away from lone trees and exposed ridges. Keep your sleeping bag and electronics in a dry bag inside the tent. Watch the weather updates on a Garmin InReach Mini if you have one. If the tent flattens in wind gusts, get out and re-stake. If down gets wet, body heat and a dog help. Mostly: trust the gear, breathe, wait it out.

What happens if a dog attacks your dog on trail?

It happens, especially near farms. I jumped in between. I did everything to keep the other dog away from Wingo, and I managed. The owners came running behind and took their dogs back. Watch the body language of farm dogs from far away. Pick up small dogs, get yourself between them and a charging dog, and use a hiking pole if you need to keep one off. Don't run.

Trail Tips & Final Thoughts

The lesson of this stage was simple: nature doesn't care about your mood, but gratitude does. The number-one camp spot turned into the toughest night, and the toughest night turned into a morning of waterfalls and possibly a bear. You can't change the weather. You can only change your attitude about it.

Be ready with waterproof gear (mine wasn't, and I paid for it). Test your tent in real wind before you trust it on trail. Respect the weather above 2,000 metres. And accept that things rarely go as planned, which is half the point of being out here.

For the full kit I carried on the GR11, see my GR11 gear list with weights.

Thanks for hiking along! If you want to support my journey or get exclusive trail checklists like the GR11 preparation planner, check out my Patreon. Hasta luego, and may your tent hold and your sleeping bag stay dry.

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