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oceanpreneur

📍Hiking across the Pyrenees 🐕🏕️ GR11
🧜‍♀️ Travel with nature
🗺️+15yr Fulltime Adventurer by Sail & Van
🧭Sail with me & @oceannomads.community

I hiked across the Pyrenees! ⛰️🏕️💃🐕

I hiked across the Pyrenees! ⛰️🏕️💃🐕🙃
850km on the GR11 Transpirenaica.
What a trail & treasure hunt! Rough, tough, brutal and beautiful! This was probably the most mental and physical challenging but also most rewarding adventure of my life!50 days of calling the trail my home and a mountain of memorable moments richer.It all made such an impact 🙏The wild camping, navigating, weather challenges ⚡️🥶broken bridges, climbs and descents, 1000s of slides and slippery stones, bear encounters, shooting stars, getting lost, sore everything, the views, sleeps in crazy places and with creatures 🕷️ 🐜 🐌, the quality time with Wingo 🐕 , friends, parents and Jonte, the fact that my body is capable of this and that I didn’t get injured is quite amazing, the kindness of the people 🙏 and you here cheering on 💫I hiked parts with my dog Wingo 🐕🙏with friends 💃 and with @johnny__mango 🕺🏼❤️ But the biggest part alone in solitude🧘‍♀️ It’s very special to be on your own in the wild and getting at ease with it all. In tune with my own and nature’s rhythm. Experience to treasure!Some stats:
850 kms
+/- 50K elevation gain
Start Aug. 9, Hondaribbia
Finish Sept. 28, Cap de Creus
50 days
7 0days 🥳💤☔️
High🌡️40
Low🥶-5
Average bedtime: 20.10🥳
Kg of wild berries😋: +10 😁
Fastest day: 39.5 km / +4k elevation
Steps: millions! 👣Thank you to all trail angels supporting especially my parents 🍝❤️🐕 and to Jonte who inspired me to do this, made me ready 🏕️ & hiked crazy fast across the Pyrenees to catch up with me 🙊🥰Now it’s resting, digesting, eating 😁🍝, dealing with back to civilization culture shock 🤡🚨🚃🚗🎡🏭🌆🦠🛜 (tips?🤪 ) and getting ready for the next wild adventure with @oceannomads.communitySo much to say about it! 🔜 📽️✍️🧘‍♀️
What would you like to hear stories/ tips of?My best trail tip for now 💭 Prioritise it! A solo long distance hike! 🗺️ without a tight schedule so you can follow the weather and feelings. In my experience the healthiest & wildest possible wellness retreat for body, mind & soul 💫🧘‍♀️ 🌌⛰️#gr11 #transpirenaica #thruhike #pyrenees #longdistancehiking #womenwhohike #lospirineos #hiketheglobe #getoutside

I’m half way! 🏕️💃⛰️42.6066° N, 0.52

I’m half way! 🏕️💃⛰️42.6066° N, 0.5231° E
Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11 in SpainThey say Benasque is half way. Not exactly in kilometers but in time. I’m loving every moment of this long distance hiking. The good, the bad, the struggles, the views, the wildlife, the treasures, the encounters, and the sunshine after rain. The company but also the solitude of which now comes more 🧘‍♀️I feel so grateful that I can do this trail, that my legs and feet have brought me to where I am now and that I still have many kilometers left to just be in nature carrying all I need on my back. 🎒🏕️💅🏻😜Thank you all trail angels supporting me along the way. Massive thanks to my parents ❤️ who were there for Wingo 🐕 and me with food, love & shelter. He now goes with them. It’s safer. There are so many unknowns and variables. I can’t foresee his safety and well-being. But for him it was still the longest dog walk ever ❤️🐕🙃🥳After just having had a couple of fun days of trail living, loving and laughing with Bianca & Lesley, long time friends 💃💃💃, I now really continue solo.The backpack is ready and heavy with food for days. The sleeping bag and shoes almost dry again after some days with lots of rain and a day in a hotel 🥳🛀 The next stages there’s no town or shop. And probably no phone signal either. The guidebook says it’ll be brutal. The weather forecast says around freezing point at night. Vamos a ver! 🙊Stage updates will come eventually. I have so many stories to share but the sun is out and the mountains are calling ⛰️🙃Rule #1 the weather rules
Hasta luego ☀️Thanks for all the cheers and beautiful words ❤️Guess what I saw a couple of days ago! 🙊 Hint: I didn’t tell my friends until they left 😆Ps. I received many questions what’s in the backpack 🏕️🎒See the ljnk in bio for the content of my backpack. The only thing I would want to change is with a better rain jacket and a lightweight BPA water bottle. That’s it for now.#gr11 #transpirenaica #thruhike #dogswhohike #fulltimeadventurer #nomadlife #pirineos #pyrenees #aragon #slowtraveller #thruhike #longdistancehiking #womenwhohike

⛰️42° 39’ 5.9” N, 0° 0’ 59.3” E💃🐕🕺
Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11
Stage 16/47
Day 20. August 28&30
Ordesa Nacional Park
Kms hiked: 325 / 840
Weather: Rain & Sun. 20 degrees
😋Wild food: Blackberries, raspberries & blue berries!
💫Highlights: hiking with dad & Wingo, the canyon, waterfalls, a normal path, meeting other GR11 hikers
🤪Challenges: Thunder, leaking roof, park logistics
Trail tip: If the weather and your pace allow, hike until Fuen Blanco (stage 17). Spectacular campsite and allowed. No reservation necessary ;) It’s in the wild.
Highest point: 2160
Spirit: highAfter breakfast numero 2, Dad and Wingo joined the next bit of the trail, the beginning of stage 16! It was a lovely forest hike, with some river crossings and ropework included 🥳🕺🏼💃🐕 Dad just did that! And how special to hike a part of the GR11 with him AND Wingo. This one goes in the memorybook for sure! 🥰Stage 16 also enters the Ordesa Nacional Park. A stunning piece of nature I never heard before until recently. Wow! With thunder in the background Wingo stayed the second part with my parents. I finished the first Ordesa kilometres and then took the national park bus down to the campsite. There’s only one place you are allowed to camp in the park and you need to book that way in advance. I’m happy I did not because the forecast looked terror. The night promised to be wild, rainy and stormy. And it was! Later I heard that about half of the tents pitched next to the refugio broke. I sheltered in my campervan, with also a leaking roof. At least my tent was still in one piece.I took a one day break to shelter from the weather and hang out with my parents. The next day I took an early bus up back to the park. Without Wingo. Too many unknowns. I was one of the first to arrive in the park. After all that rain, the waterfalls were spectacular! The whole route was just one big wow.Same day I made it to the refugio Fuen Blanco, etapa 17, surrounded by waterfalls. After me two more hikers arrived who are hiking the GR11.
With more buckets of rain in the forecast, I decided to stay in the shelter hut instead of the tent. Good call:) More about etapa 17 in the next post 💫

Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11 Stage 15/47

Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11
Stage 15/47
⛰️42° 43’ 0.4” N, 0° 13’ 50.9” W💃
Day 19 & 20 . August 27 & 28 2024.
Around Panticosa to Bujaruelo
Kms hiked: 300 / 840
Weather: Hot! +/- 25 degrees. Cold at night!
😋Wild food: Blackberries, raspberries & blue berries all around:)
💫Highlights: No injuries, the berries, 10 hours of sleep, and the tentpoles stayed in tact.
🤪Challenges: The 1000s of rocks
Gear favourite: Sunhoody to protect from the sun
Highest point: 2765 m
Spirit: highI finished stage 14 and continued with stage 15. I don’t do ‘a stage a day.’ I hike them according to the weather and how I feel. It was only 15 km left until the end of the stage. I thought I would easily make it. No way!
On the map, I scouted a cabana, which I aimed for the day. Cabanas are super basic shelter huts where you just roll out your mat and have a roof above your head. Sometimes, there’s a fireplace and a table, too. As I get higher, more and more of these are in the zone.
I didn’t reach the goal. It may only be 15 kilometres away, but that doesn’t say anything about the time it takes you to get there. Etapa 15 was largely over rocks and boulders and every single step needs focus. At one point, my speed was close 1 km/ hour.
With about 8 kilometres of trail left to the cabana, I ended up pitching the tent at one of the most beautiful spots so far. I love that you can just pitch your little home wherever you are. And that it still withholds:)I put the alarm at 06.00 for the next day. I really appreciate the first hours of the morning in mountains. It’s silent. There are no day hikers yet, and the temperature is perfect. The next morning, was just a lovely stroll down to the end of the stage, with a few river crossings here and there. At the end I dove into the ice cold river for a fresh shower and met my parents (& Wingo) for a second breakfast :)What do you prefer? Sleeping in a tent or a shelter hut?#gr11 #transpirenaica #pyrenees #hiking #thruhike #longdistancehiking #womenwhohike #slowtraveller #gr11trail #pirineos #aragon #trekking #girlswhohike #nomadlifestyle #lospirineos #hikingtheglobe

Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11 ⛰️42°

Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11
⛰️42° 47’ 31.4” N, 0° 16’ 9.1” W💃
Stage 14/47
Day 19. August 27, 2024.
From the lake below Collado de Tebarrey (2765m.) to somewhere after Panticosa
Kms hiked: 275 / 840
Weather: Perfect! +/- 20 degrees. Cold at night!
Total ascent: 715 (12) + 955 (13)
Total descent: 1300 (12) + 30 (13)
😋Wild food: Blackberries, raspberries & blue berries.
💫Highlights: Conquering the tough bits
🤪Challenges: The rocks
Gear favourite: Telescope hiking poles. Without them this would have been a disaster.
Highest point: 2765 m
Spirit: highThe guidebook says this is the hardest part of the GR11. After hiking it now, I agree! So far at least.
I’m happy I started the tough bit fresh in the morning. Out of the sun. The forecast is with me. This would have been a different story in rain or clouds or snow.Part of the reason I started the trail in August is because then most of the snow has been melted, mostly in this bit. Otherwise, you have to bring mountaineering gear, and it’s a next-level challenge.I’m happy I didn’t bring Wingo for this part and to have trailangels around 🐕. The almost vertical climb would have been quite a challenge, but mostly all those 10000 rocks and boulders that came afterwards. It’s a miracle I got through all this without a single injury. It was one big obstacle run.
Superhappy with having good telescope hikingpoles. I found them on Wallapop (the Spanish second hand market place).
And if this was the hardest bit, bring it one next stages! 💫So far one the most riskiest thing I found, is coming across other hikers and looking them in the eyes to say hello! It makes you not watch your feet and it’s easy to misstep. It’s also one of the most fun bits :) Every day I meet a couple of other GR11 hikers. Few of them do the whole route. And few of them are females. Of the about 25 people I met doing the full GR 11 trail, only 2 are women!Would you be up for doing a long distance hike?#gr11 #transpirenaica #pyrenees #hiking #thruhike #longdistancehiking #womenwhohike #slowtraveller #gr11trail #pirineos #aragon #trekking #girlswhohike #nomadlifestyle #lospirineos #hikingtheglobe

⛰️42° 49’ 0.96” N, 0° 18’ 29.5” W💃
🏕️Day 17 & 18 hiking across the Pyrenees (Aug. 25&26)
Stage: Candanchu to Sallent de Gallego (12) & past Respomosu (13)
Kms hiked: 255 / 840
Weather: Perfect! +/- 20 degrees. Cold at night🥶
Total ascent: 905m (12) + 955 (13)
Total descent: 1180m (12) + 30 (13)
😋Wild food: Blackberries, raspberries & blue berries🙃
💫Highlights: The berries! The beauty
🤪Challenges: Without Wingo🦌😔Long ascent. Cold night.
Gear fav: Stove! 🔥 priceless to have a cooked warm meal after a long busy day.
Highest point: 2220 m
Spirit: highAfter two days of rest, sheltering, some laundry, lots of eating, and quality time with my parents, I am fully powered on to the next etapa!
Without Wingo🐕. He needs more rest. And with many unknowns and more difficult trails ahead of me, it’s safer he stays with my trail angels, 😇 aka parents.💃🕺🏼❤️I’m excited to explore how I’m doing completely alone and what my rhythm would be. I never hiked & camped completely solo for multiple days.I’m now reaching the higher Pyrenees, and it’s getting wilder, sunnier and rockier. Warning signs appear to be prepared. I changed into a long-sleeve hoody shirt to protect myself better from the sun. It’s strong ☀️up there! Lips are burned.It’s getting more beautiful around every corner. I’ve stepped over (and in) +100’s of streams. I don’t carry any water anymore. It keeps the pack light.I crossed a few ski resorts, mountain lakes, and the trail now provides raspberries & blueberries!! 🥳😋In case you wonder why I’m slow ;) I take my time and can recommend that!After a 7 km morning walk, I met my parents for a tostada aceite tomate second breakfast in Sallent de Gallego. lovely! And meanwhile I dried the tent to be dry and light for the stage 13 ascent. So far almost all nights have been quite moist💧In 1,5 day, I finished stages 12, 13, and the first kms of stage14, hiking +/- 40 km in total. I pitched the tent at 2300m just before the toughest bit of the whole GR11 on stage 14. Tomorrow, I have to be ready for some almost vertical climbing. Vamos a ver!💃Thank you for all your kind words and support! It means a lot 🙏❤️curiosities about the hike?

42.7852° N, 0.5348° W Stage 9,10 & 11 of the GR1

42.7852° N, 0.5348° W
Stage 9,10 & 11 of the GR11 across the Pyrenees
Kms hiked: 200/840
Weather: ! +/- 25c Strong sun
🏕️Day 15
Highest point: 2300 meter
🤪Challenges: steeps ascents and descents, that broken tent, first almost blister, broken hiking pole.
💫Highlights: the views, many water points, deers 🦌solitude, quality time with 🐕
Spirit: High
Trailtip: from now on there are refugios/shelters now and then (& open!) where you can just stay. Basic but you can put your mat under a roof. Great when it rains. For me though, camping is the best 🏕️🙏The trail turned rocky, more steep, higher and is rated more difficult.
Trailmarkers are now also cairns (stone towers), water is only sourced from the rivers, it all got a little more wild and challenging. But wow so beautiful too! Views have been wild! I’ve seen the first snow, deers, marmots, and pigs, and so did Wingo 🤦🏼‍♀️😅Mesmerised by a beautiful barranco and waterfalls, I missed a trail mark and made a few ghost kms but instead we got more water which wasn’t an unnecessary luxury that moment. We’ve had some hot days. I’m finding my rhythm. The new strategy is getting up before first light, chill in the hot hours, and walk a few more kms in the early evening.I’ve been meeting the same hikers each day. Each one hiking the GR11 alone but we come across each other a couple of times / day and check in with each other. Super cool!With no shelter on the trail and a broken tent I got a little bit worried about the sleeping situation but then a fellow hiker kindly offered his repair stick and I managed to pitch the tent 🙊🙏🥳 First night of Wingo & I in the tent. Surrounded by cows but we were both too tired to bother. Superhappy the tent shelter is operational again. I’m going to need it in the High Pyrenees.Writing this from the hammock on a campsite, as in one with facilities 😁🛀 My favourite trail angels aka my parents arrived 🥰 they will holiday in my campervan and be around in case of. I’m resting, digesting, fixing and planning for what’s next.With some serious thunder on the forecast, timingwise it works out perfect.Suuuper excited about the next stages. I feel ready❤️

42.8635° N, 0.8207° Etapa 8 of the GR11 across t

42.8635° N, 0.8207°
Etapa 8 of the GR11 across the Pyrenees
Kms hiked: 165/840
Weather: ! +/- 25c
🏕️Day 11
🤪Challenges: Figuring out food for 4 days, finding sunglasses and a powerplug, sleep deprived.
💫Highlights: Pretty waterfall, shady trail, meeting other GR11 hikers, finding shelter.
Broken/lost: nothing🤓
Spirit: Medium.
Trailtip: Overnight oats+dates. A simple lightweight multi day superpower breakfast bringing happiness.Writing this from sweet simple shelter hut. The first one I’ve found open on the trail. I’m now in the province of Aragon and out of Navarra.Today is a semi rest, re-asses, figure out and re-supply day. This stage is only 12 km without crazy ascents or descents.It was a wild night of barking and cowboy camping with little sleep. Today I must take it easy. I got up early after waving Ro and walked into town for resupply, phone calls, next stage planning and figuring out tent fix and shelter possibilities.The next couple of stages there are no shops or towns. I need to resupply food for Wingo and I for 4 days. The backpack got heavy! Would I have enough food for Wingo? The butcher gave him some raw meat. So sweet. Further he’s mainly on catfood now as this comes in carryable size 😅 and I carry some superpowers supplements for him.Around noon I walked out of town. Slow and easy. It was hot but luckily mainly forest hiking.
After a few hours and a river swim I laid down and woke up 3 hours later 🙊 It was necessary 💤I met more long distance hikers. One had a paper map showing me a shelter place. I went for it and it was open! I settled in, washed and filtered water in the river in front. A neighbouring campervan let me charge the phone a little bit. At 20.30 I crashed to sleep, with the alarm at 6.30.Tomorrow the steepest stage so far is on route! 🙊 With all that food 😅My first long distance solo hike ever has started, with Wingo 🐕🥰I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time. To live on the trail. With nature. In your rhythm. Solitude. And here we are. 🙏Xx from the wild

42.8583° N, 0.9265° W Etapa 5,6,7 of the GR11 ac

42.8583° N, 0.9265° W
Etapa 5,6,7 of the GR11 across the Pyrenees
Kms hiked: 153rr/ 840
Weather: perfect! +/- 20c
🏕️Day 10
😋Wild food: blackberries
Animals: Beautiful horses & mating slugs🫢
🤪Challenges: Chased by cows, guard wingo in the night 🐕 📣, lost a few items, sleep deprived.
💫Highlights: Those views 😍 The cute villages, the moon 🌕, the greenery, sharing this with Ro 💃💃🐕
Broken/lost: tent pole 2, lost dog leash & sunglasses
Found: dog leash
Spirit: high to low to high
Trailtip: Bring a tent. Albergues are often booked out weeks in advance + a tent gives you flexibility, freedom, and time in nature in tune with nature and your needs. Make sure it’s a good size for a good snooze for all.Trail life is full on and phone time is not. 📶❌
We’ve been lucky with the perfect hiking weather! Not too cold, hot or sunny. Dry trails🙃 What a difference the weather and trail state can make. Even the shoes got dry🥳The lush greenery made place for epic views of the high Pyrenees. We’ve been re-meeting fellow hikers which adds life to the trail.A herd of cows chased us. That was a first time! And raised the heartbeat as much as hiking uphill. Letting Wingo of the leash saved us from a cow incident 🙏Wingo 🐕 is the best guardian. He checks in on us hiking and guards at night. It only has come at the cost of our sleep and the tent. He needs to be in the tent for a peaceful night but it’s too small. A second tent pole broke and we reinvented a shelter setup with the hiking poles 🤓 Luckily the weather has been on our side 🙏 Last night Wingo & I exchanged spots. Me outside, him inside. So we all managed to sleep a few hours.Let’s see if it’s still fixable🏕️🤞600 kms to go 😅Grateful to have shared the first trail section with Ro. After 10 days & 153km 💃💃🐕🏕️ on the trail together we each continue our own path. Proud of Ro & Wingo to have made it so far🏆The time has come to start my solo hike. I’m excited for all the unknown to come.1st goal now is to manage shelter wise until new trail angels arrive in a few days with repair items. The forecast is with me🤞Question! What to do when a herd of cows comes after you?📸 of me by Ro

⛰️ 42° 59’ 19” N, 1° 19’ 49.9 W💃🐕💃
Stage 3 &4 GR11 across the Pyrenees
Kms hiked: 97/ 840
Rain 18 Degrees
ascent: 1090 (3)+ 765 (4)
descent: 385 (3) 780 (4)
🏕️Day 7
😋Wild food: blackberrys
💫Highlights: Breakfast in fairy tale land. We made it to the end of mudparty. Wingo happiest.
🤪Challenges: rain, mud, wet everything, wind, cold, slug invasion 🐌
Broken: tent pole again
Fixed: the above 🤓 for now…
Highest ⛰️ : 1213 m
Spirit: still high
Trail tip: Bring a waterproof proven rainjacket/ poncho. Rainjacket doesn’t mean rainproof.Wet. Muddy. Wild. But we made it through without tears and too much trouble. We knew it was going to rain in the morning, a few buckets around 11. We figured we would find some sort of shelter by then. We did not. Not a single roof. Rain was full on all morning turning the trail into streams and mud. Full acceptance mode ON. Our rainjackets did not pass the waterproof test. Wingo 🐕 loved it. Fishing pools all over.There were a few refugios/ shelters marked on the map where we aimed for for shelter and to make ourselves a cup of chai tea. All locked 🤷‍♀️ We set up camp in the frontyard. It was flat, water available ☕️and hooks to hang out soaked everything. And an invasion 🐌 slugs. I was on slug watch the rest of afternoon. The homemade chai tea finally came out and warmed us🙃Stage 3 we didn’t see much besides rain, rivers and our feet. Stage 4 was very beautiful with lots of greenery, views, rivers and birds. An hour of sunshine dried all gear🙏 Except for the socks & shoes. No rain but strong and cold wind gusts.
We arrived in town ready for supermarket and camp out of town but it’s a public holiday and we found ourselves in the middle of the happening eating the only thing available: A rediculous expensive Oetker pizza✌️Today felt like the easiest trail day so far, but I feel the sorest. Bedtime. Manana we charge, I post this, resupply and off to etapa 5 🥳. In the town of Burguete also the Camino the Santiago passes. It’s full of hikers here. We met a few characters hiking the full GR11. It’s a thing and adds coolness to the trail. Hikers high is ON. We forget about the 🌍 Life is here and now.#gr11

43° 08’ 54.2” N, 1° 31’ 01.9” W Stage 2

43° 08’ 54.2” N, 1° 31’ 01.9” W
Stage 2 GR11 across the Pyrenees ⛰️
Kms hiked: 62 / 840
Weather: drizzling, rain & a ray of sunshine +/- 22🌡️
ascent: 1270
descent: 1120
Highest point: 795 m
🏕️Nights camped: 4
😋Wild food: chamomile for tea & lots of blackberries. The fresh water springs are also a treasure 💦
Animals: a snake, beautiful horses and lots of sheep, cows & goats.
🤪Challenges: Missed a water source, twice. Period. 11mm rain/ hour and thunder on the forecast, Roline lost a shoe.
💫Highlights: waterproof proven tent, flowers & greenery, Menú del Día. Roline found her shoe.
Broken: hole in tent
Fixed: the hole🤓
Spirit: high
Trail tip: time town with ‘menu del dia’ hours (+/- 13.00/16.00) for a good value superpower mealWe made it happy and safe to the next stage. Etapa 2/47✅ done.It’s raining & I can hear the thunder in the mountains. We did well staying in town. With Albergues being booked out weeks in advance, our shelter today is the tent under the local market roof🙏 I love being (almost) self sufficient on this trail. You carry more but can go with the flow, weather and feelings. Last night the tent passed the rain test but we didn’t want to go for the bucket test tonight. The forecast said lots of rain and the last hours it proved to be right. 🌧️The only things we need to source are water, food & power which is doable but also a big part of the tasks on trail. And happiness 🥳This stage, Bera to Elizondo, is beautiful! Lots of trees and greenery, views, small soft paths and a fresh water spring here and there. It felt like hiking in the tropics.So far the trail has been a dry luxury but that’s about to change with the buckets of rain falling out of the sky right now. Bye dry socks! Hello mud slides? Vamos a ver!We’re settling into the trail, get fitter each day and eat our heart out. With fast changing weather forecasts we also level up our mountain navigation, weather reading and planning skills. I’m proud of our decision making so far! We’re safe and dry under a roof. The weather is not to play with.It’s way less hot & Wingo has been thriving last days on his longest dog walk ever 🐕🙃Photos of me by Rolini

⛰️43°16’53.3”N, 1°41’29.6”W💃🐕💃
End of stage 1 GR11 across the Pyrenees
Kms hiked: 32 / 840
Total ascent: 830m
Total descent: 820m
🏕️Nights camped: 2
😋Wild food: blackberries, wild strawberries & mint.
💫Highlights: sharing this with Roline & Wingo. Delicious pincha de tortilla, an apple,shady riverbed to survive the hottest day of the year, black berry season is starting!
🤪Challenges: battery empties fast, it’s hot, especially for Wingo, mosquitos at night, lices fall from trees, a random dog just ate our dinner.
Broken: zipper of the tent, tent pole & sunglasses
Fixed: all the above 🤓
Blisters: 0
Highest point: 448 m
Spirit: highI’m writing this from the best camp spot ever next to the river, in the shade with a view over 100 shades of green.
So far the trail has been lovely. It’s green, often shady, a spectacular view now and then, some ups and downs to train the legs but nothing crazy. It’s really nice to start the trail with Roline and share this adventure. We’re tuning into nature, fixing our set up, sweating A Lot 🥳 and finding a flow. We’ve come across about 12 other hikers of which most do a section of the GR11. Water sourcing has been easy with lots of running streams and fountains. Wingo 🐕 is doing well. We need to go slow and easy for him. He can handle a lot but needs more rest than us humans.Last evening we made it to the town of Bera, where we could charge, eat, and figure out the best plan for today which was easy, we stay here.Today the forecast says +40 degrees. We find ourselves on a river beach where we can swim, stay cool, plan ahead and make friends with the domingueros.
The next days the forecast says rain and thunder so let’s see what sensible and safe plan we can come up with. We’re not in a rush, there’s no deadline. We let the weather and Wingo 🐕decide.We feel good. A little bit sore but not nearly as sore as on previous hikes I did. I think a different better fitting backpack and drinking electrolytes make a huge difference here.I’m super proud of Roline, Wingo & me💃🐕💃.Let’s see what the next days bring!Photos of me by Rolini 💃#gr11 #transpirenaica #pyrenees #visitnavarra #dogswhohike

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oceanpreneur

📍Hiking across the Pyrenees 🐕🏕️ GR11
🧜‍♀️ Travel with nature
🗺️+15yr Fulltime Adventurer by Sail & Van
🧭Sail with me & @oceannomads.community

I hiked across the Pyrenees! ⛰️🏕️💃🐕

I hiked across the Pyrenees! ⛰️🏕️💃🐕🙃
850km on the GR11 Transpirenaica.
What a trail & treasure hunt! Rough, tough, brutal and beautiful! This was probably the most mental and physical challenging but also most rewarding adventure of my life!50 days of calling the trail my home and a mountain of memorable moments richer.It all made such an impact 🙏The wild camping, navigating, weather challenges ⚡️🥶broken bridges, climbs and descents, 1000s of slides and slippery stones, bear encounters, shooting stars, getting lost, sore everything, the views, sleeps in crazy places and with creatures 🕷️ 🐜 🐌, the quality time with Wingo 🐕 , friends, parents and Jonte, the fact that my body is capable of this and that I didn’t get injured is quite amazing, the kindness of the people 🙏 and you here cheering on 💫I hiked parts with my dog Wingo 🐕🙏with friends 💃 and with @johnny__mango 🕺🏼❤️ But the biggest part alone in solitude🧘‍♀️ It’s very special to be on your own in the wild and getting at ease with it all. In tune with my own and nature’s rhythm. Experience to treasure!Some stats:
850 kms
+/- 50K elevation gain
Start Aug. 9, Hondaribbia
Finish Sept. 28, Cap de Creus
50 days
7 0days 🥳💤☔️
High🌡️40
Low🥶-5
Average bedtime: 20.10🥳
Kg of wild berries😋: +10 😁
Fastest day: 39.5 km / +4k elevation
Steps: millions! 👣Thank you to all trail angels supporting especially my parents 🍝❤️🐕 and to Jonte who inspired me to do this, made me ready 🏕️ & hiked crazy fast across the Pyrenees to catch up with me 🙊🥰Now it’s resting, digesting, eating 😁🍝, dealing with back to civilization culture shock 🤡🚨🚃🚗🎡🏭🌆🦠🛜 (tips?🤪 ) and getting ready for the next wild adventure with @oceannomads.communitySo much to say about it! 🔜 📽️✍️🧘‍♀️
What would you like to hear stories/ tips of?My best trail tip for now 💭 Prioritise it! A solo long distance hike! 🗺️ without a tight schedule so you can follow the weather and feelings. In my experience the healthiest & wildest possible wellness retreat for body, mind & soul 💫🧘‍♀️ 🌌⛰️#gr11 #transpirenaica #thruhike #pyrenees #longdistancehiking #womenwhohike #lospirineos #hiketheglobe #getoutside

I’m half way! 🏕️💃⛰️42.6066° N, 0.52

I’m half way! 🏕️💃⛰️42.6066° N, 0.5231° E
Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11 in SpainThey say Benasque is half way. Not exactly in kilometers but in time. I’m loving every moment of this long distance hiking. The good, the bad, the struggles, the views, the wildlife, the treasures, the encounters, and the sunshine after rain. The company but also the solitude of which now comes more 🧘‍♀️I feel so grateful that I can do this trail, that my legs and feet have brought me to where I am now and that I still have many kilometers left to just be in nature carrying all I need on my back. 🎒🏕️💅🏻😜Thank you all trail angels supporting me along the way. Massive thanks to my parents ❤️ who were there for Wingo 🐕 and me with food, love & shelter. He now goes with them. It’s safer. There are so many unknowns and variables. I can’t foresee his safety and well-being. But for him it was still the longest dog walk ever ❤️🐕🙃🥳After just having had a couple of fun days of trail living, loving and laughing with Bianca & Lesley, long time friends 💃💃💃, I now really continue solo.The backpack is ready and heavy with food for days. The sleeping bag and shoes almost dry again after some days with lots of rain and a day in a hotel 🥳🛀 The next stages there’s no town or shop. And probably no phone signal either. The guidebook says it’ll be brutal. The weather forecast says around freezing point at night. Vamos a ver! 🙊Stage updates will come eventually. I have so many stories to share but the sun is out and the mountains are calling ⛰️🙃Rule #1 the weather rules
Hasta luego ☀️Thanks for all the cheers and beautiful words ❤️Guess what I saw a couple of days ago! 🙊 Hint: I didn’t tell my friends until they left 😆Ps. I received many questions what’s in the backpack 🏕️🎒See the ljnk in bio for the content of my backpack. The only thing I would want to change is with a better rain jacket and a lightweight BPA water bottle. That’s it for now.#gr11 #transpirenaica #thruhike #dogswhohike #fulltimeadventurer #nomadlife #pirineos #pyrenees #aragon #slowtraveller #thruhike #longdistancehiking #womenwhohike

⛰️42° 39’ 5.9” N, 0° 0’ 59.3” E💃🐕🕺
Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11
Stage 16/47
Day 20. August 28&30
Ordesa Nacional Park
Kms hiked: 325 / 840
Weather: Rain & Sun. 20 degrees
😋Wild food: Blackberries, raspberries & blue berries!
💫Highlights: hiking with dad & Wingo, the canyon, waterfalls, a normal path, meeting other GR11 hikers
🤪Challenges: Thunder, leaking roof, park logistics
Trail tip: If the weather and your pace allow, hike until Fuen Blanco (stage 17). Spectacular campsite and allowed. No reservation necessary ;) It’s in the wild.
Highest point: 2160
Spirit: highAfter breakfast numero 2, Dad and Wingo joined the next bit of the trail, the beginning of stage 16! It was a lovely forest hike, with some river crossings and ropework included 🥳🕺🏼💃🐕 Dad just did that! And how special to hike a part of the GR11 with him AND Wingo. This one goes in the memorybook for sure! 🥰Stage 16 also enters the Ordesa Nacional Park. A stunning piece of nature I never heard before until recently. Wow! With thunder in the background Wingo stayed the second part with my parents. I finished the first Ordesa kilometres and then took the national park bus down to the campsite. There’s only one place you are allowed to camp in the park and you need to book that way in advance. I’m happy I did not because the forecast looked terror. The night promised to be wild, rainy and stormy. And it was! Later I heard that about half of the tents pitched next to the refugio broke. I sheltered in my campervan, with also a leaking roof. At least my tent was still in one piece.I took a one day break to shelter from the weather and hang out with my parents. The next day I took an early bus up back to the park. Without Wingo. Too many unknowns. I was one of the first to arrive in the park. After all that rain, the waterfalls were spectacular! The whole route was just one big wow.Same day I made it to the refugio Fuen Blanco, etapa 17, surrounded by waterfalls. After me two more hikers arrived who are hiking the GR11.
With more buckets of rain in the forecast, I decided to stay in the shelter hut instead of the tent. Good call:) More about etapa 17 in the next post 💫

Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11 Stage 15/47

Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11
Stage 15/47
⛰️42° 43’ 0.4” N, 0° 13’ 50.9” W💃
Day 19 & 20 . August 27 & 28 2024.
Around Panticosa to Bujaruelo
Kms hiked: 300 / 840
Weather: Hot! +/- 25 degrees. Cold at night!
😋Wild food: Blackberries, raspberries & blue berries all around:)
💫Highlights: No injuries, the berries, 10 hours of sleep, and the tentpoles stayed in tact.
🤪Challenges: The 1000s of rocks
Gear favourite: Sunhoody to protect from the sun
Highest point: 2765 m
Spirit: highI finished stage 14 and continued with stage 15. I don’t do ‘a stage a day.’ I hike them according to the weather and how I feel. It was only 15 km left until the end of the stage. I thought I would easily make it. No way!
On the map, I scouted a cabana, which I aimed for the day. Cabanas are super basic shelter huts where you just roll out your mat and have a roof above your head. Sometimes, there’s a fireplace and a table, too. As I get higher, more and more of these are in the zone.
I didn’t reach the goal. It may only be 15 kilometres away, but that doesn’t say anything about the time it takes you to get there. Etapa 15 was largely over rocks and boulders and every single step needs focus. At one point, my speed was close 1 km/ hour.
With about 8 kilometres of trail left to the cabana, I ended up pitching the tent at one of the most beautiful spots so far. I love that you can just pitch your little home wherever you are. And that it still withholds:)I put the alarm at 06.00 for the next day. I really appreciate the first hours of the morning in mountains. It’s silent. There are no day hikers yet, and the temperature is perfect. The next morning, was just a lovely stroll down to the end of the stage, with a few river crossings here and there. At the end I dove into the ice cold river for a fresh shower and met my parents (& Wingo) for a second breakfast :)What do you prefer? Sleeping in a tent or a shelter hut?#gr11 #transpirenaica #pyrenees #hiking #thruhike #longdistancehiking #womenwhohike #slowtraveller #gr11trail #pirineos #aragon #trekking #girlswhohike #nomadlifestyle #lospirineos #hikingtheglobe

Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11 ⛰️42°

Hiking across the Pyrenees on the GR11
⛰️42° 47’ 31.4” N, 0° 16’ 9.1” W💃
Stage 14/47
Day 19. August 27, 2024.
From the lake below Collado de Tebarrey (2765m.) to somewhere after Panticosa
Kms hiked: 275 / 840
Weather: Perfect! +/- 20 degrees. Cold at night!
Total ascent: 715 (12) + 955 (13)
Total descent: 1300 (12) + 30 (13)
😋Wild food: Blackberries, raspberries & blue berries.
💫Highlights: Conquering the tough bits
🤪Challenges: The rocks
Gear favourite: Telescope hiking poles. Without them this would have been a disaster.
Highest point: 2765 m
Spirit: highThe guidebook says this is the hardest part of the GR11. After hiking it now, I agree! So far at least.
I’m happy I started the tough bit fresh in the morning. Out of the sun. The forecast is with me. This would have been a different story in rain or clouds or snow.Part of the reason I started the trail in August is because then most of the snow has been melted, mostly in this bit. Otherwise, you have to bring mountaineering gear, and it’s a next-level challenge.I’m happy I didn’t bring Wingo for this part and to have trailangels around 🐕. The almost vertical climb would have been quite a challenge, but mostly all those 10000 rocks and boulders that came afterwards. It’s a miracle I got through all this without a single injury. It was one big obstacle run.
Superhappy with having good telescope hikingpoles. I found them on Wallapop (the Spanish second hand market place).
And if this was the hardest bit, bring it one next stages! 💫So far one the most riskiest thing I found, is coming across other hikers and looking them in the eyes to say hello! It makes you not watch your feet and it’s easy to misstep. It’s also one of the most fun bits :) Every day I meet a couple of other GR11 hikers. Few of them do the whole route. And few of them are females. Of the about 25 people I met doing the full GR 11 trail, only 2 are women!Would you be up for doing a long distance hike?#gr11 #transpirenaica #pyrenees #hiking #thruhike #longdistancehiking #womenwhohike #slowtraveller #gr11trail #pirineos #aragon #trekking #girlswhohike #nomadlifestyle #lospirineos #hikingtheglobe

⛰️42° 49’ 0.96” N, 0° 18’ 29.5” W💃
🏕️Day 17 & 18 hiking across the Pyrenees (Aug. 25&26)
Stage: Candanchu to Sallent de Gallego (12) & past Respomosu (13)
Kms hiked: 255 / 840
Weather: Perfect! +/- 20 degrees. Cold at night🥶
Total ascent: 905m (12) + 955 (13)
Total descent: 1180m (12) + 30 (13)
😋Wild food: Blackberries, raspberries & blue berries🙃
💫Highlights: The berries! The beauty
🤪Challenges: Without Wingo🦌😔Long ascent. Cold night.
Gear fav: Stove! 🔥 priceless to have a cooked warm meal after a long busy day.
Highest point: 2220 m
Spirit: highAfter two days of rest, sheltering, some laundry, lots of eating, and quality time with my parents, I am fully powered on to the next etapa!
Without Wingo🐕. He needs more rest. And with many unknowns and more difficult trails ahead of me, it’s safer he stays with my trail angels, 😇 aka parents.💃🕺🏼❤️I’m excited to explore how I’m doing completely alone and what my rhythm would be. I never hiked & camped completely solo for multiple days.I’m now reaching the higher Pyrenees, and it’s getting wilder, sunnier and rockier. Warning signs appear to be prepared. I changed into a long-sleeve hoody shirt to protect myself better from the sun. It’s strong ☀️up there! Lips are burned.It’s getting more beautiful around every corner. I’ve stepped over (and in) +100’s of streams. I don’t carry any water anymore. It keeps the pack light.I crossed a few ski resorts, mountain lakes, and the trail now provides raspberries & blueberries!! 🥳😋In case you wonder why I’m slow ;) I take my time and can recommend that!After a 7 km morning walk, I met my parents for a tostada aceite tomate second breakfast in Sallent de Gallego. lovely! And meanwhile I dried the tent to be dry and light for the stage 13 ascent. So far almost all nights have been quite moist💧In 1,5 day, I finished stages 12, 13, and the first kms of stage14, hiking +/- 40 km in total. I pitched the tent at 2300m just before the toughest bit of the whole GR11 on stage 14. Tomorrow, I have to be ready for some almost vertical climbing. Vamos a ver!💃Thank you for all your kind words and support! It means a lot 🙏❤️curiosities about the hike?

42.7852° N, 0.5348° W Stage 9,10 & 11 of the GR1

42.7852° N, 0.5348° W
Stage 9,10 & 11 of the GR11 across the Pyrenees
Kms hiked: 200/840
Weather: ! +/- 25c Strong sun
🏕️Day 15
Highest point: 2300 meter
🤪Challenges: steeps ascents and descents, that broken tent, first almost blister, broken hiking pole.
💫Highlights: the views, many water points, deers 🦌solitude, quality time with 🐕
Spirit: High
Trailtip: from now on there are refugios/shelters now and then (& open!) where you can just stay. Basic but you can put your mat under a roof. Great when it rains. For me though, camping is the best 🏕️🙏The trail turned rocky, more steep, higher and is rated more difficult.
Trailmarkers are now also cairns (stone towers), water is only sourced from the rivers, it all got a little more wild and challenging. But wow so beautiful too! Views have been wild! I’ve seen the first snow, deers, marmots, and pigs, and so did Wingo 🤦🏼‍♀️😅Mesmerised by a beautiful barranco and waterfalls, I missed a trail mark and made a few ghost kms but instead we got more water which wasn’t an unnecessary luxury that moment. We’ve had some hot days. I’m finding my rhythm. The new strategy is getting up before first light, chill in the hot hours, and walk a few more kms in the early evening.I’ve been meeting the same hikers each day. Each one hiking the GR11 alone but we come across each other a couple of times / day and check in with each other. Super cool!With no shelter on the trail and a broken tent I got a little bit worried about the sleeping situation but then a fellow hiker kindly offered his repair stick and I managed to pitch the tent 🙊🙏🥳 First night of Wingo & I in the tent. Surrounded by cows but we were both too tired to bother. Superhappy the tent shelter is operational again. I’m going to need it in the High Pyrenees.Writing this from the hammock on a campsite, as in one with facilities 😁🛀 My favourite trail angels aka my parents arrived 🥰 they will holiday in my campervan and be around in case of. I’m resting, digesting, fixing and planning for what’s next.With some serious thunder on the forecast, timingwise it works out perfect.Suuuper excited about the next stages. I feel ready❤️

42.8635° N, 0.8207° Etapa 8 of the GR11 across t

42.8635° N, 0.8207°
Etapa 8 of the GR11 across the Pyrenees
Kms hiked: 165/840
Weather: ! +/- 25c
🏕️Day 11
🤪Challenges: Figuring out food for 4 days, finding sunglasses and a powerplug, sleep deprived.
💫Highlights: Pretty waterfall, shady trail, meeting other GR11 hikers, finding shelter.
Broken/lost: nothing🤓
Spirit: Medium.
Trailtip: Overnight oats+dates. A simple lightweight multi day superpower breakfast bringing happiness.Writing this from sweet simple shelter hut. The first one I’ve found open on the trail. I’m now in the province of Aragon and out of Navarra.Today is a semi rest, re-asses, figure out and re-supply day. This stage is only 12 km without crazy ascents or descents.It was a wild night of barking and cowboy camping with little sleep. Today I must take it easy. I got up early after waving Ro and walked into town for resupply, phone calls, next stage planning and figuring out tent fix and shelter possibilities.The next couple of stages there are no shops or towns. I need to resupply food for Wingo and I for 4 days. The backpack got heavy! Would I have enough food for Wingo? The butcher gave him some raw meat. So sweet. Further he’s mainly on catfood now as this comes in carryable size 😅 and I carry some superpowers supplements for him.Around noon I walked out of town. Slow and easy. It was hot but luckily mainly forest hiking.
After a few hours and a river swim I laid down and woke up 3 hours later 🙊 It was necessary 💤I met more long distance hikers. One had a paper map showing me a shelter place. I went for it and it was open! I settled in, washed and filtered water in the river in front. A neighbouring campervan let me charge the phone a little bit. At 20.30 I crashed to sleep, with the alarm at 6.30.Tomorrow the steepest stage so far is on route! 🙊 With all that food 😅My first long distance solo hike ever has started, with Wingo 🐕🥰I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time. To live on the trail. With nature. In your rhythm. Solitude. And here we are. 🙏Xx from the wild

42.8583° N, 0.9265° W Etapa 5,6,7 of the GR11 ac

42.8583° N, 0.9265° W
Etapa 5,6,7 of the GR11 across the Pyrenees
Kms hiked: 153rr/ 840
Weather: perfect! +/- 20c
🏕️Day 10
😋Wild food: blackberries
Animals: Beautiful horses & mating slugs🫢
🤪Challenges: Chased by cows, guard wingo in the night 🐕 📣, lost a few items, sleep deprived.
💫Highlights: Those views 😍 The cute villages, the moon 🌕, the greenery, sharing this with Ro 💃💃🐕
Broken/lost: tent pole 2, lost dog leash & sunglasses
Found: dog leash
Spirit: high to low to high
Trailtip: Bring a tent. Albergues are often booked out weeks in advance + a tent gives you flexibility, freedom, and time in nature in tune with nature and your needs. Make sure it’s a good size for a good snooze for all.Trail life is full on and phone time is not. 📶❌
We’ve been lucky with the perfect hiking weather! Not too cold, hot or sunny. Dry trails🙃 What a difference the weather and trail state can make. Even the shoes got dry🥳The lush greenery made place for epic views of the high Pyrenees. We’ve been re-meeting fellow hikers which adds life to the trail.A herd of cows chased us. That was a first time! And raised the heartbeat as much as hiking uphill. Letting Wingo of the leash saved us from a cow incident 🙏Wingo 🐕 is the best guardian. He checks in on us hiking and guards at night. It only has come at the cost of our sleep and the tent. He needs to be in the tent for a peaceful night but it’s too small. A second tent pole broke and we reinvented a shelter setup with the hiking poles 🤓 Luckily the weather has been on our side 🙏 Last night Wingo & I exchanged spots. Me outside, him inside. So we all managed to sleep a few hours.Let’s see if it’s still fixable🏕️🤞600 kms to go 😅Grateful to have shared the first trail section with Ro. After 10 days & 153km 💃💃🐕🏕️ on the trail together we each continue our own path. Proud of Ro & Wingo to have made it so far🏆The time has come to start my solo hike. I’m excited for all the unknown to come.1st goal now is to manage shelter wise until new trail angels arrive in a few days with repair items. The forecast is with me🤞Question! What to do when a herd of cows comes after you?📸 of me by Ro

⛰️ 42° 59’ 19” N, 1° 19’ 49.9 W💃🐕💃
Stage 3 &4 GR11 across the Pyrenees
Kms hiked: 97/ 840
Rain 18 Degrees
ascent: 1090 (3)+ 765 (4)
descent: 385 (3) 780 (4)
🏕️Day 7
😋Wild food: blackberrys
💫Highlights: Breakfast in fairy tale land. We made it to the end of mudparty. Wingo happiest.
🤪Challenges: rain, mud, wet everything, wind, cold, slug invasion 🐌
Broken: tent pole again
Fixed: the above 🤓 for now…
Highest ⛰️ : 1213 m
Spirit: still high
Trail tip: Bring a waterproof proven rainjacket/ poncho. Rainjacket doesn’t mean rainproof.Wet. Muddy. Wild. But we made it through without tears and too much trouble. We knew it was going to rain in the morning, a few buckets around 11. We figured we would find some sort of shelter by then. We did not. Not a single roof. Rain was full on all morning turning the trail into streams and mud. Full acceptance mode ON. Our rainjackets did not pass the waterproof test. Wingo 🐕 loved it. Fishing pools all over.There were a few refugios/ shelters marked on the map where we aimed for for shelter and to make ourselves a cup of chai tea. All locked 🤷‍♀️ We set up camp in the frontyard. It was flat, water available ☕️and hooks to hang out soaked everything. And an invasion 🐌 slugs. I was on slug watch the rest of afternoon. The homemade chai tea finally came out and warmed us🙃Stage 3 we didn’t see much besides rain, rivers and our feet. Stage 4 was very beautiful with lots of greenery, views, rivers and birds. An hour of sunshine dried all gear🙏 Except for the socks & shoes. No rain but strong and cold wind gusts.
We arrived in town ready for supermarket and camp out of town but it’s a public holiday and we found ourselves in the middle of the happening eating the only thing available: A rediculous expensive Oetker pizza✌️Today felt like the easiest trail day so far, but I feel the sorest. Bedtime. Manana we charge, I post this, resupply and off to etapa 5 🥳. In the town of Burguete also the Camino the Santiago passes. It’s full of hikers here. We met a few characters hiking the full GR11. It’s a thing and adds coolness to the trail. Hikers high is ON. We forget about the 🌍 Life is here and now.#gr11

43° 08’ 54.2” N, 1° 31’ 01.9” W Stage 2

43° 08’ 54.2” N, 1° 31’ 01.9” W
Stage 2 GR11 across the Pyrenees ⛰️
Kms hiked: 62 / 840
Weather: drizzling, rain & a ray of sunshine +/- 22🌡️
ascent: 1270
descent: 1120
Highest point: 795 m
🏕️Nights camped: 4
😋Wild food: chamomile for tea & lots of blackberries. The fresh water springs are also a treasure 💦
Animals: a snake, beautiful horses and lots of sheep, cows & goats.
🤪Challenges: Missed a water source, twice. Period. 11mm rain/ hour and thunder on the forecast, Roline lost a shoe.
💫Highlights: waterproof proven tent, flowers & greenery, Menú del Día. Roline found her shoe.
Broken: hole in tent
Fixed: the hole🤓
Spirit: high
Trail tip: time town with ‘menu del dia’ hours (+/- 13.00/16.00) for a good value superpower mealWe made it happy and safe to the next stage. Etapa 2/47✅ done.It’s raining & I can hear the thunder in the mountains. We did well staying in town. With Albergues being booked out weeks in advance, our shelter today is the tent under the local market roof🙏 I love being (almost) self sufficient on this trail. You carry more but can go with the flow, weather and feelings. Last night the tent passed the rain test but we didn’t want to go for the bucket test tonight. The forecast said lots of rain and the last hours it proved to be right. 🌧️The only things we need to source are water, food & power which is doable but also a big part of the tasks on trail. And happiness 🥳This stage, Bera to Elizondo, is beautiful! Lots of trees and greenery, views, small soft paths and a fresh water spring here and there. It felt like hiking in the tropics.So far the trail has been a dry luxury but that’s about to change with the buckets of rain falling out of the sky right now. Bye dry socks! Hello mud slides? Vamos a ver!We’re settling into the trail, get fitter each day and eat our heart out. With fast changing weather forecasts we also level up our mountain navigation, weather reading and planning skills. I’m proud of our decision making so far! We’re safe and dry under a roof. The weather is not to play with.It’s way less hot & Wingo has been thriving last days on his longest dog walk ever 🐕🙃Photos of me by Rolini

⛰️43°16’53.3”N, 1°41’29.6”W💃🐕💃
End of stage 1 GR11 across the Pyrenees
Kms hiked: 32 / 840
Total ascent: 830m
Total descent: 820m
🏕️Nights camped: 2
😋Wild food: blackberries, wild strawberries & mint.
💫Highlights: sharing this with Roline & Wingo. Delicious pincha de tortilla, an apple,shady riverbed to survive the hottest day of the year, black berry season is starting!
🤪Challenges: battery empties fast, it’s hot, especially for Wingo, mosquitos at night, lices fall from trees, a random dog just ate our dinner.
Broken: zipper of the tent, tent pole & sunglasses
Fixed: all the above 🤓
Blisters: 0
Highest point: 448 m
Spirit: highI’m writing this from the best camp spot ever next to the river, in the shade with a view over 100 shades of green.
So far the trail has been lovely. It’s green, often shady, a spectacular view now and then, some ups and downs to train the legs but nothing crazy. It’s really nice to start the trail with Roline and share this adventure. We’re tuning into nature, fixing our set up, sweating A Lot 🥳 and finding a flow. We’ve come across about 12 other hikers of which most do a section of the GR11. Water sourcing has been easy with lots of running streams and fountains. Wingo 🐕 is doing well. We need to go slow and easy for him. He can handle a lot but needs more rest than us humans.Last evening we made it to the town of Bera, where we could charge, eat, and figure out the best plan for today which was easy, we stay here.Today the forecast says +40 degrees. We find ourselves on a river beach where we can swim, stay cool, plan ahead and make friends with the domingueros.
The next days the forecast says rain and thunder so let’s see what sensible and safe plan we can come up with. We’re not in a rush, there’s no deadline. We let the weather and Wingo 🐕decide.We feel good. A little bit sore but not nearly as sore as on previous hikes I did. I think a different better fitting backpack and drinking electrolytes make a huge difference here.I’m super proud of Roline, Wingo & me💃🐕💃.Let’s see what the next days bring!Photos of me by Rolini 💃#gr11 #transpirenaica #pyrenees #visitnavarra #dogswhohike

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