The GR11 Trail. Brian Johnson
the Basque Country and Navarre have a reputation for mist and spells of gentle rain, but the author has known temperatures approaching 40°C.
The weather in the Central Pyrenees is often hot and dry, but these are high mountains and can be subject to terrific thunderstorms. Thunderstorms in high mountains are usually thought of as being an afternoon phenomenon, but in the Pyrenees the storms are often slow to build up and can arrive in the evening or even in the middle of the night! As the Mediterranean is approached you are reaching an arid region and can expect hot sunny weather.
Vignemale from Barranco deros Batans in July 2012 (top), and then in July 2013 (Stage 14)
Summer snowfall is unusual, but the author has experienced snow as low as 1500m on the GR11 in August. In 2012 there was hardly any snow on the high passes when the author through-hiked the GR11 with a mid-June start, and there would have been no problem starting in early June. However, a mid-June start in 2013 was a serious mountaineering expedition and there was still significant snow on the high passes well into August. Snow conditions vary tremendously from year to year. The inexperienced would be advised to wait for late June or July before setting off from Irún.
The best months to walk the GR11 are July, August and September, but if you are only intending to walk the lower sections of the GR11 in the Basque Country, Navarre or Catalonia, you may prefer May, June or October when the weather will be cooler.
Wildlife
You are bound to see – or hear – a marmot!
The Pyrenees are very popular with birdwatchers. The mountains act as a big barrier to migrating birds and in the spring and autumn they funnel birds along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines and through the lower passes. The casual birdwatcher will be most impressed with the large number of birds of prey.
The massive Griffon vulture, with a wingspan of about 2.5m, will frequently be seen soaring on the high ridges, while the smaller Egyptian vulture, which is distinctively coloured with a white body and black-and-white wings, is also likely to be seen. You may also see Europe’s largest and rarest vulture, the lammergeier, which has a wingspan of up to 2.8m. The lammergeier feeds mainly on bone marrow, which it gets at by dropping bones from a great height to smash on the rocks below. Golden, booted, short-toed and Bonelli’s eagles may be seen, too. Arguably, the most beautiful bird you will see is the red kite, with its deeply forked tail. You can also expect to see black kites, buzzards and honey buzzards as well as smaller birds of prey such as the kestrel, peregrine falcon, sparrowhawk and rarer birds such as the goshawk and even a migrating osprey.
One species which seems to be thriving is the alpine chough, which you will see in large flocks. This member of the crow family is all black except for a yellow bill and red legs. Rarer small birds to look out for are the wallcreeper, crossbill, crested tit, red-backed shrike, bullfinch and alpine accentor.
You are much less likely to see some of the rare mammals which used to frequent the Pyrenees. There are no Pyrenean brown bears left on the Spanish side of the border and the Pyrenean Ibex seems to be extinct. Fortunately, you will have frequent sightings of the chamois (isard/izard) which was hunted to near extinction for the production of chamois leather, but has now made a remarkable recovery with numbers increasing to about 25,000. Other mammals you will see include marmot, several species of deer, fox, red squirrel and the reintroduced mouflon. There are badgers and wild boar, although these are less likely to be seen.
The most notable of these are the marmots, which are large ground squirrels that live in burrows. You will certainly know they are present when you hear their alarm signal, a loud whistle which sends them scurrying back into their burrows.
You are likely to see many reptiles and amphibians including several species of snake, lizard, toad, frog and the dramatic fire salamander.
Clockwise from top L to centre: Edelweiss, Anemone narcissiflora, Gentian, White Asphodel, Martagon Lily, Great Yellow Gentian, Aquilegia vulgaris, Androsace villosa, Bracket fungus
Pyrenean plant life is very diverse with at least 160 species of flower endemic to the Pyrenees, as well as many species, such as edelweiss, which will be familiar to those visiting the Alps.
Getting to the start
Access to the GR11 will be by car, coach, train or plane. (Useful websites are given in Appendix D.)
By car
You could to drive down to Irún through France or from Bilbao or Santander (by ferry from Portsmouth or Plymouth with Brittany Ferries) in northern Spain. You will need to find somewhere to leave your car and at the end of your walk you could return to Irún by rail.
By coach
It is possible to reach the Pyrenees by overnight coach from London (Victoria Coach Station). National Express run links to London and then Eurolines run coaches throughout Europe. The most convenient destinations for those walking the GR11 are Irún and Figueras. Eurolines also operate services to Bayonne, Orthez, Pau, Tarbes, San-Gaudens, Toulouse and Perpignan in northern France.
By rail
Paris can be reached by Eurostar. From here SNCF run high-speed trains to a variety of destinations including Hendaye, Pau, Toulouse and Perpignan. Although the GR11 is in Spain you will probably find the rail links on the French side of the Pyrenees are more useful for those wanting to hike sections of the GR11. You can connect with the GR11 using SNCF services to Hendaye, Candanchú (Col du Somport), Latour-de-Carol or Cerbère.
Hendaye is the French border town adjacent to Irún. From Pau you can take a train to Bedous then SNCF bus to Candanchú. From Toulouse there are trains to Latour-de-Carol which is only an hour’s walk from the GR11 at Puigcerdà. There are trains from Perpignan to Cerbère and then frequent trains crossing the border from Cerbère to Llançà, on the GR11. There is also a useful rail link from Perpignan to Villefranche and on by narrow-gauge railway (Train Jaune) to Latour-de-Carol or a direct bus link from Perpignan to Latour-de-Carol.
The main west–east line joins Hendaye, Pau, Toulouse and Perpignan.
By plane
At the time of writing, Ryanair fly from Stansted and some regional airports in the UK to Biarritz, Lourdes, Carcassonne, Perpignan, Gerona and Barcelona. British Airways fly direct to Toulouse and Barcelona. Air France have flights from London to Pau and a big choice of destinations if you fly via Paris. Easyjet fly from London to Biarritz and Bristol or London to Toulouse.
Getting home
There is no public transport from Cap de Creus. Your main option is to walk, take a taxi or hitch a lift to Cadaqués, which has now developed as a holiday resort. There is a 'tourist train' from Cap de Creus to Cadaques at about 1pm in the main holiday season.
From Cadaqués there are frequent buses to Figueras from where you can get trains to Cerbère to connect to the French rail network. There are also buses to Barcelona and Barcelona Airport. From Barcelona you could connect with the French rail network by taking a train to Puigcerdà (Latour-de-Carol).
If you have time to spare, the author would recommend walking back to Port de la Selva, exploring some of the beaches on the Cap de Creus peninsular, and then follow part of the coastal path, the GR92, to Llançà or even to Cerbère.
Equipment
GR11 hikers at Coll de Tudela (Stage 29)
This is a serious expedition so you should have previous experience of backpacking or long-distance walks before attempting this fantastic route. A few general points are made on equipment here.
Keep