Self Guided Hut to Hut in the French Pyrenees

This 7 night high level ‘Hut to Hut’ route crosses five valleys in six days, following sections of the famous long-distance GR10 walking trail, and all within the French Pyrenees National Park. It is a tour encompassing some of the most spectacular and challenging scenery in the French Pyrenees. You have the freedom and flexibility that a self-guided route allows and are able to stay high in the mountains after the day walkers have left.

With our comprehensive route notes and area map, you will cover a rich variety of terrain, encountering high level lakes and dramatic cirques, long and deep pastoral valleys, as well as high plateaus and rocky passes with glimpses of glaciers. The route offers two opportunities to summit two high peaks: Petite Vignemale (3032m) and Piméné (2801m).

With a mix of remote mountain refuges and more comfortable gite and auberge accommodation, you get to experience the best of both worlds. Some of the huts along the route are simple and rustic, with no shower facilities nor hot water, but the itinerary is balanced with stays in gites, auberges, and also en suite rooms at the start and end of the week. Mid-week you return to civilisation when passing through the village of Gavarnie, with its renowned cirque backdrop and allowing you to stock up on supplies and phone signal. All of the route is done on foot, with no use of buses and just the one cable car used on day one (which can be avoided), which makes for a satisfying and complete ‘end to end trek’.

At the beginning, you make your way to the town of Lourdes. From here we will collect you and transfer you to your Gite accommodation for the first night in the small spa town of Cauterets. On arrival, you will sit down with one of our local hosts, Sandrine or Sian, and talk through each day’s stage, logistics and any questions you may have. At the end of the week, your final night is spent in the town of Luz Saint Sauveur, before your own independent travel the following morning. It is possible to return to Lourdes by public bus or we can organise a private taxi for you

• Factsheet – Self-Guided Hut to Hut in the French Pyrenees – The GR10 & Grand Cirques – Hard-Long

This Hut to Hut route is available between July 13th and September 21st 2019. We especially recommend July and September being periods when the huts and walks are generally quieter. The earlier you book, the easier it is for us to guarantee your accommodation and confirm your arrangements.

If you would like us to check availability in the accommodation along the route, please contact Kelly to talk through the itinerary and to let her know your specific travel dates. We ask you not to book flights until we have confirmed all the accommodation for your trip.

NOTE: Each stage involves up to 1020m of ascent, up to 1586m of descent and up to 18.8km of walking, so this particular holiday is for experienced walkers with a good level of fitness. It has a Collett’s grading of hard and long. See the factsheet link below for further details and day by day stages.

The GR10 & Grand Cirques

Hard-Long Grade

This is a linear route, walking point to point. You start out from the spa town of Cauterets, and ascend into the Gaube Valley underneath the Vignemale; the highest mountain in the French Pyrenees at 3298m. You ascend to the neighbouring peak, Petit Vignemale (3032m) and stay overnight to Refuge de Baysselance; the highest refuge in the French Pyrenees at 2651m. A long descent to the village of Gavarnie down the Ossoue Valley is followed by three days discovering the three magnificent glacial cirques and valleys of the high central Pyrenees, including the impressive Cirque du Gavarnie and its towering ridge of frontier peaks, recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

• Factsheet – Self-Guided Hut to Hut in the French Pyrenees – The GR10 & Grand Cirques – Hard-Long

Accommodation in a French Refuge

Remote huts and French Gites that range from the basic to the surprisingly comfortable

The 7 nights accommodation along the route is a mix of mountain Refuges and also Gites and an Auberge, offering a great balance between a true mountain hut experience and a little more comfort and amenities. On nights 1 and 4 you have the option to upgrade, from Gite accommodation to a Hotel in a private en suite room.

Nights 2, 3 and 5 are spent in mountain refuges, perched high, and at fantastic vantage points to watch the sun go down behind the surrounding peaks. Due to their altitude and remoteness, they are simple in their facilities and have no shower facilities or hot water, but have toilets and wash basins. Lockable rooms with sinks allow you to have a wash and give you some privacy. You sleep in mixed-sex dormitories, in bunk beds or in some cases, on sleeping platforms with mattresses in a row alongside one another. There is not the option to upgrade to private rooms in these refuges, but it makes for a true hut experience, and the atmosphere is convivial and warm, with great camaraderie amongst fellow walkers.

• Factsheet – Self-Guided Hut to Hut in the French Pyrenees – The GR10 & Grand Cirques – Hard-Long

Food in the Mountains

Meals are provided during the week on a full-board basis. You receive breakfast each morning and a 3 course meal each evening. On every walk day a packed lunch is provided in the morning.
Breakfasts vary depending on the refuge, but can be buffet style or served as a set plate. A normal refuge breakfast is continental and can be quite simple, including bread, cake, cereal, jam/honey, tea and coffee. Evening meals in the refuges are taken at a set time in the early evening and people sit altogether around the same table, with drinking water provided. The menu is fixed, but you will be surprised how well you will eat when somewhere so remote. Food tends to be hearty and plentiful, and is typical local cuisine, ideal for those long days out on the mountain. Expect big soups, stews and a sweet dessert. For vegetarians, meals will have much less variation. All supplies to the huts are airlifted in just a few times throughout the summer and so there are very limited supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables. Vegetarians might feel less heartily fed than non-vegetarians.

On four of the nights you are staying in gite, auberge and guesthouse type accommodation, which are in towns or have road access, and so there is much more variety and freshness to the ingredients used, and you will eat very well.
Drinks and snacks are not included in the accommodation, but can be purchased and added to your own tab.

• Factsheet – Self-Guided Hut to Hut in the French Pyrenees – The GR10 & Grand Cirques – Hard-Long

Further information & prices

Choose your dates between: 13th July to 21st September, August has more limited availability when the refuges and gites are particularly busy. September is a lovely time to visit when the huts and trails are quieter.

£775 per person with Inbound Transfer (from Lourdes)

Minimum of 2 people (No solo person bookings). Arrive on the day of your choice.
Please note that all bookings are subject to availability – please do not book any travel arrangements until we have confirmed your accommodation arrangements.

Accommodation in dormitory rooms for 5 nights and private double/twin room for 2 nights.
NOTE: There are no shower facilities on night 2, 3 and 5 – communal toilets and washbasins only.
NOTE: Some dormitories are sleeping platform bed arrangements, sleeping side by side in a row.
All dorms are mixed sex and vary in size from refuge to refuge.
Cauterets and Gavarnie have the option to upgrade to a private en suite room in a Hotel, rather than Gite accommodation – this is subject to availability and a supplement of £25 per person per night.

No single supplements apply for dormitory accommodation but are applied to private rooms in the Hotels/Gites.
You must supply your own sleeping bag liners for all dormitory accommodation.
Towels are not provided in any refuge/gite accommodation – please bring your own.

What’s Included

• Inbound transfer from Lourdes (airport or train station) to Cauterets.
• 7 nights’ accommodation in gites/refuges/guesthouse.
• Full board – Breakfast and 3-course dinner each day, plus 6 packed lunches for walk days.
• A meet and greet with a member of our staff in Cauterets on your arrival.
• Detailed route laminates and revelvant maps
• Detailed pre-departure information including packing suggestions

What’s Not Included

• Flights
• Insurance
• Drinks/snacks and any other purchases in the accommodation
• Homebound transfer from Luz St Sauveur at end of week. Private taxi can be arranged or local buses used.

At Your Own Risk

Your self guided hut to hut itineraries will be spent entirely at your own risk and it is important that you understand that whilst these routes are accurate at the time of writing, the situation on the ground may change and the itineraries rely on your sound judgement and decision making throughout.

Our self-guided hut to hut itineraries are put together on a basis of goodwill so that you might enjoy a route you may not otherwise have discovered having organised the itinerary yourself. It represents nothing more than the opportunity to go out on a beautiful walk in a part of this wonderful walking area, with the support of knowing that many of the logistics have been arranged for you.

It is a fact that mountains, mountainous areas and activities undertaken in them are associated with personal injury and death. By coming to such areas, you are exposing yourself and your party to the possibility of personal injury or even death. In such an event, Collett’s Mountain Holidays will not be held responsible for your interest in mountainous areas and your involvement in mountain pursuits, which can occasionally have tragic consequences.

It is important that you understand that these routes are put together using our extensive knowledge of the area, to provide a route which we believe will be enjoyable and realistic for people who decide that they have the appropriate level of fitness and ability in order to complete the itinerary safely. The information provided uses only marked paths which are in use at the time of writing, however, it is your responsibility to continually assess the suitability and safety of the route throughout the walk and to undertake any action necessary to avoid any terrain which each or any member of the group is not comfortable with. The route choice also assumes an ability to read maps and navigate competently.

It is the responsibility of each individual in the group to make an assessment of the information provided, and to make an informed decision about whether the itinerary is suitable for them.

Finally, during your holiday with Collett’s Mountain Holidays you act at your own risk on any ideas, information and opinions included in any material prepared by us to help you get the most from the area.

• Factsheet – Self-Guided Hut to Hut in the French Pyrenees – The GR10 & Grand Cirques – Hard-Long