Running

Attempting the Fastest-Known-Time (FKT) on the Haute Route Pyrenees (HRP)

[July 10th 2018. In the tradition of the FKT, I am announcing my attempt here before I start.]

Follow live (the page will track my location during my attempt) and on Instagram.

On July 14th 2018, I will be attempting to set the (self-supported) FKT for the Haute Route Pyrenees (HRP) starting in Hendaye on the Atlantic coast and finishing in Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean. I will be following the HRP route as described in the 2nd edition of Ton Joosten’s book which has total distance of approximately 500 mi (800 km) and an estimated elevation change of 183,000 ft (55,800 m). Unlike the GR 10 and GR 11 that follow the lower routes and mountain passes on the French and Spanish sides of the border, the HRP follows the highest walkable route along the French and Spanish border.

About the route

It is important to note that there is not one single HRP route (just like with the Great Himalayan Trail), but many variants exist and hikers often switch between the high-route and lower alternatives on the GR 10/GR 11. The original HRP route was devised by Georges Véron in 1968 and later adapted and popularised by Ton Joosten’s (TJ) guidebook Pyrenean Haute Route.

In my mind, the HRP compares more to the Sierra High Route (SHR) than to the John Muir Trail (JMT). While the JMT might be runnable, I would not say the same about the SHR. I think, the same comparison applies to the Pyrenees, the GR 10/11 might be runnable for some - there is even an organized stage race(!) - the HRP is arguably more difficult to run - obviously depending on what you are used to. Note that the HRP has around 80 m of elevation gain per kilometer distance traveled, that's almost double of what you find on the SHR (~41 m).

What is the current FKT?

It is possible that I am not aware of an existing FKT for the TJ HRP. If you know of any effort that I have failed to mention here, please let me know. Among other noteworthy Pyrenees traverses are:

• Kilian Jornet (supported, June 2010) run in 7 days a west-east travers of the Pyrenees - as far as I can tell from the video documentation - following pretty much his own route along mountain ridges. Kilian’s traverse also has it’s own entry on the FKT proboard. Note that this travers has some overlap with the GR 10 and the GR 11, but not so much with the HRP. Bad weather conditions forced Kilian to re-route.
• Chris Upson (self-supported, July 2011) hiked the HRP from west-to-east in 24 days. I reached out to Chris and his detailed blog was incredibly helpful for planning my own attempt. Chris’ effort really stands out to me, because the HRP is rarely finished in under 36 days and because of his detailed documentation. Chris did not follow the entire TJ HRP route, but took some alternatives on the lower GR 10 and GR 11 (also described in TJ’s guidebook).
• Guillaume Arthus (self-supported, October 2017) run a 14-day east-west travers of the Pyrenees following the HRP for the first days but later re-routing to the GR 11. Guillaume’s impressive journey is documented on his youtube channel and really fun to watch. He had to switch to the GR 11 because the steep ascent up to Col de Mullers between Refugi de Vielha and Refugio de la Renclusa had too much snow (Guillaume took a fast & light approach with no ice tools etc). Between Parzan and Gavarnie he left the HRP to follow the GR 11 along the famous Ordesa Canyon.

My FKT attempt

My goal is to finish TJ’s HRP route in less than 22 days. The track of my route is available here. Please note that for "Day 34" (in TJ's book) the route reverts back to the 1st edition (i.e., Cabana Sorda - Refugi de Jucla - l'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre). This will also be the route in the upcoming 3rd edition again. The rest of the route strictly follows TJ's 2nd edition).

I will be going for a “fastpacking style”, carrying a tent, ice tools, and food supplies for multiple days (a total of about 9 kg); and resupply at six points along the way, in Lescun (FR), Gavarnie (FR), Parzan (ES), Salardu (ES), L’Hospital d’Andorra (FR), Bolquere (FR).

Why not going out in lightweight running gear and rely on mountain huts only? I would love to do that, but based on my previous experience in the Pyrenees, I give myself a greater chance of success with the "fastpacking style". I experienced snow and hail for multiple days in the Pyrenees - in the middle of summer. Going “ultra-runner style” might happen some day for me, I’m very excited about it, but then everything has to come together perfectly. There are so many things that I will learn on this trip, hopefully I can apply them one day to go lighter, faster and with more confidence.

Let me also say that I am a complete back-of-the-pack-runner and that it feels a bit odd to make such an ambitious announcement. For me personally, averaging a distance of 39 km and 2800 m vertical for a total duration of 22 days is probably be the most challenging thing that I have ever tried.

Animated flyover

You can watch a (quickly and most amateurly) assembled flyover of the HRP route that I made using Google Earth. The other sections of the HRP are available on my youtube channel. I spent hours looking at maps, these videos helped me to visualize and memorize the route.

Documentation

I’ll be documenting my attempt using a phone camera and will also be carrying a Inreach satellite tracker, so you can follow me live. I might also post short updates from my Instagram.

Planning ressources

In case you are planning your own HRP, I found these links useful:

• Topo Pirineos: Free Garmin compatible topo-maps including a lot of up-to-date information. However, note that the HRP in these maps in not the TJ variant. I created the gps track manually in Garmin Basecamp using Opentopomap maps and Topo Pirineos.
• hrpguide.org: Useful updates for the TJ guide by Peter Forrest