Team Jeff n Rach: The Pyrenees Coast to Coast: 1. Beginnings

Rach has always had a dream of walking across the Pyrenees. She had first heard about the GR10 from friends she met years ago, while backpacking in Kenya. They had described this perfect trail where you walk every day in the high mountain ranges of the Pyrenees and descend each evening to a French village where you could enjoy the bounty of Southern France: cheese, baguettes, pate not to mention the product of the French vineyards. Perfect for an enthusiastic trekker and trencherman like Mme. Rachael.

In 2012, when returning from the Camino de Santiago on the Camino Norte route, she had travelled briefly through the edge of the Pyrenees as she made her way north, glimpsing for the first time, some of the romance and beauty of this region.

Rach's only problem was who would carry all the gear she would need. Given her romantic nature, she had always said that she would rather like to do this trip with a partner who, she quite reasonably expected, would be good at heavy lifting.

When she met me and we were subsequently married in Zambia in 2004, Rach had solved her problem: she would walk the Pyrenees with moi! Enthusiastic trekker, fond of food, good at heavy lifting and a bovine acceptance of the Dictates of Life (AKA Rachael).

However, after ten years of marriage Rach was getting impatient to start this intrepid journey. While we had discussed this venture on a number of occasions, she advised me that she would prefer to do this with her First Husband!

Problem solved, we HAD to go!

Organisation

The next matter to resolve was when?

With our assignments in Timor coming to end after 6 years; our impending retirement from full-time employment; and the incipient onset of decriptude and decomposition; we decided August 2014 was the best time to start. We could reasonably expect the trip to take 2 months so late summer, early Autumn would be perfect.

Much of the equipment we already had as a result of a frequent trekking and climbing trips to Nepal and our cycling adventures. A review of this revealed a need to purchase new all-weather jackets, a lightweight tent and a new (very large) pack for Jeff (remember the Heavy Lifting). This was soon resolved on-line through Macpac in New Zealand. The stuff all being sent to Rach's Mum's place in Matamata.

Navigation was potentially an issue so a GPS would be useful. The ability to book accommodation, check weather, emailing people and (dare I say) a further navigation tool would also be necessary. This was solved by an exchange of anniversary presents:

a Garmin GPS for me; and
an I-phone for Rach.

Finally, where to go? While we had agreed to "walk across the Pyrenees", there were 2 potential routes:

the GR 10 which involved walking daily in the mountains and descending each evening to a village to sample the largesse of France (including restaurant menus, the local bounty not to mention the vin d'pays);
or the more austere and challenging HPR (Haute Pyrenees Route) involving a high traverse of the range, living in a tent and descending periodically to reprovision with suitable stocks of dried food, pasta and noodles.

This issue would remain unresolved until we actually commenced the walk, which is discussed later, however let me say that common sense prevailed in the end!

Mobilisation

After a wonderful trip in Ireland with our friends from Timor, Tony and Wendy, we flew to London in early August where we stayed with our friends Lundi and John to complete our final preparations. While in London we took advantage of Lundi and John's generous hospitality to visit museums, see some live theatre and to attend a number of BBC Proms Concerts. Finally, in mid-August we were ready to go.

On the 14th of August, we flew from Standsted Airport, just out of London to Biarirtz where we checked in to a hotel near by. We caught the bus in to the town centre that afternoon and, after walking around the town centre found our way to Le Pim'pi, the number 1 rated restaurant (out of 218) in Biarritz.

It truly lived up to it's reputation: the owner was friendly, the service excellent and the food was a delight. We both had the menu: Rach having foie gras, entrecote and profiteroles (best she has ever had); I had the squid casserole, the kidneys and the tarte tatin. We finished with coffee and were given a "taster" of the other deserts. A lovely meal.

The following day we deployed (as our friend Brad might say). We caught the bus to Hendaye, where we were dropped on the outskirts of town and walked to the beach, specifically the Casino, a large old building on the beachfront from which the guidebook told us to: "turn your back on the Atlantic and start walking east".