The GR10: the great crossing of the Pyrenees to do with your dog
Hey Wouafer's! I am delighted to meet you again for new adventures. Do you like the mountains? Do you like hiking with your dog? The great adventure of crossing the Pyrenees via the GR10 is one of your dreams? So do it with your dog! Yes, yes, I assure you, cross the Pyrenees (GR10) with your dog, it's possible ! To prove it to you, I interviewed two Wouafer's fans of this hike.
They are Roxanne, Gérard and their three dogs, a jack russell and two huskies. These hiking lovers do not let go of a hair. They do a lot of activities together: canicross, white canicross, ski touring, downhill skiing and especially the cani-rando. Today, they share with us their journey along the great crossing of the Pyrenees, on the GR10, with their three dogs. Let's follow our athletes and discover this hike more closely.
Roxanne and Gérard, it's up to you 🙂
The great crossing of the Pyrenees or the GR10 with your dog
The great crossing of the Pyrenees with our dogs: what a wonderful memory! We had wanted to do this course with our dogs for a long time, but we had run out of time so far. We wanted to make the crossing in one go, so we had to be able to take enough time off to complete this journey. In 2018, we left our salaried jobs to start as entrepreneurs: finally free!
The GR10 is the longest hike we have done with our dogs. We left on July 1, 2018 from Hendaye and we took 39 days to get to Banyuls sur Mer. A lot happened during this trip! We traveled nearly 800km and 52m of positive elevation and as much negative. Attention, it was not possible to do the entire GR000 with our dogs because this route crosses the Pyrenees National Park and Neouvielle Reserve which are forbidden to dogs. We had to organize ourselves in advance and define an alternative route bypassing these areas to be able to do everything on foot and all together.
Our places to bivouac are planned in advance. The ideal is to have water nearby without being too close to it to avoid the ambient humidity, a fairly flat place to avoid slipping all night, far from the herds so as not to disturb them, be disturbed and excite our dogs. A beautiful view is a plus but unfortunately it is not always possible to combine all these criteria because it is sometimes necessary to respect regulations specific to certain places, in particular related to authorized bivouac times, prohibited areas...
Logistically, we planned our supplies in advance and dropped them off at hostels on our route so we could pick them up as we went. It was important to provide their rations of kibble for our dogs and our meals.
We really enjoyed being all 4 and being away from the hassle of everyday life. It's a return to simple things that is so nice. Our most beautiful memory is certainly at the last summit before our arrival in Banyuls sur Mer. We had tears in our eyes, the dogs were tired and took advantage of each break to take a nap but we knew we were at the end of our adventure. It was a magical experience to share together!
The necessary equipment for hiking with your dog
Hiking with your dog cannot be improvised ! Impossible to leave with your hands in your pockets, especially if it is a route like the GR10. You need a few essentials.
As far as we are concerned, we use the same basic material in canicross and in canirando. We each have a harness and energy-absorbing lanyard approximately 2m per dog.
For day hikes like canicross, Jack and Neirock have a XBack harness from Manmat, the equivalent of the Speed Race harness, which allows them to tow in optimal conditions. Texas also has a pulling harness because it is quite powerful!
For roaming hikes, they each have their packsaddle. Texas, our Jack Russel, has a Ruffwear Approach Pack that we had to customize to fit his size. Jack and Neirock, our Huskies, have a Ruffwear Palisades which is very practical because the saddlebags separate from the harness. Thus rid of the panniers, the bag becomes a simple harness, which is very practical because we don't have to provide them with another harness. These two pack bags are a bit expensive to buy but they are definitely worth it because our dogs have never had any irritation or overheating, the bags have always stayed in place and they are very solid in view of the life they lead them!
On hikes, we always have for them:
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of boots in case of injury to the pads
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of treats (what they prefer aha)
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two people lanyards 10m each
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a first aid kit (with disinfectant, saline solution, ticks, bandaging…)
Crossing the Pyrenees, a hike for all dogs?
The cani-rando is an activity open to all dogs regardless of their size. The proof we hike over long distances with a Jack Russell and Huskies ! However, as for us humans, it is necessary to go in stages and gradually. In order not to “disgust” the dog – like the master – it is better to start with short hikes, without too many elevation changes, and increase all this little by little. If your dog is not athletic, give up the idea of a hike like that with him! He will suffer very quickly and it will quickly be a real ordeal for him.
Our dogs have been used to hiking with us forever. Despite everything, during our crossing of the Pyrenees, after a very big stage of 35km and more than 3000m of negative elevation, Texas had aches and could not move forward... We then redid our bags to make room for him in the one of them and she thus made 2 stages while resting.
Tips for crossing the Pyrenees with your dog
Before embarking on long roaming, it is best to do a few hikes with your dog over several days to gain experience and be comfortable managing the effort and the equipment. And this is valid for both humans and dogs! For the comfort of the dog-human couple, it is preferable that the dog knows at least the basic orders, ie the directions and the “stop”. Then try to always check your route before departure to be sure that the dog will be able to do it in full: no prohibition or too difficult passage. Ropes, ladders, rope bridges... are obstacles that are often very difficult to pass or even impassable.
To make the GR10, summer remains the best period because the snow has generally melted all along. It is a very demanding route from the first stages and requires good physical condition and knowledge of roaming. The GR10 topo guide normally provides 55 stages. It is also necessary to know the mountain well because the climatic conditions, even in the middle of summer, can vary from one extreme to the other in a few minutes: a radiant sun, a few clouds, a gale and a violent storm falls on your heads...
Be careful during slightly aerial passages, on the side of ridges, especially if the dog is detached, this can be dangerous because dogs have no concept of emptiness.
Respect the environment in which you operate. Whether in the mountains or in the countryside, there is a flora and fauna present that must be respected. Therefore, it is preferable to keep your dog attached, unless the latter has an excellent recall. The goal is not to disturb the wild or farmed animals that are on your route as well as the other hikers. It is unfortunately because of a lot of disrespectful behavior that dogs are now banned from certain places such as national parks, nature reserves... and frowned upon in many other places.
My last piece of advice concerns the presence of patous… We often encountered patous and sheepdogs. And in this case, either it passes or it breaks! Everything depends on the education received by the patou. We always endeavor to circumvent the herds, we leave the paths so as not to disturb them and go as far as possible. Some patous quickly understand that we are not a danger and bark away without more. While others have already charged us, putting us in awkward situations. This has also happened to us when we did not have our dogs… The best thing in these cases is to hold the dogs as short as possible, generally we hold them to the harness to leave them no room for maneuver and continue to move forward until the patou leaves us alone. There is no miracle solution unfortunately… It does its job.
Our favorite stages during the GR10 with our dogs
We really liked the entire route, the landscapes change according to the departments and each have their own particularities. Our favorite stages were:
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Our 1st stage is the moment when we left everything behind. Our friends Claire and Simon came to support us for the occasion. After the last goodbye, we rushed towards the mountains from Hendaye. We quickly left the city and took the first Basque paths until we arrived at the foot of the Rhune, while always having the Atlantic Ocean behind us.
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Our 12th stage, which took us to Lake Gentau, where we slept facing the Pic du Midi d'Ossau to below the Col d'Ausseilla. Once past the village of east, we literally leave any civilized space and we no longer met human beings for 24 hours! We went up the Corniche des Alhas which is quite dizzying and then we entered the valley of Soussouéou. It is a very wild space, in its raw state. Only a few sheep spend the summer here.
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Our 39th and last stage: we finally saw the Mediterranean! Everyone had told us that we would see it from the top of Canigou, but it was foggy that day so we had no visibility. This stage was very emotional for the 4 of us. We knew it was the end and we were trying to make Texas and Jack understand. Our dogs were rather tired and took the opportunity to take a nap every time we took a break. Since the last summit, the Puig de Sallfort, we could see Banyuls sur Mer, our arrival. A long descent followed, through low vegetation and then through the vineyards.
Three places particularly marked us:
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Le Aussilla pass. During our 13th stage, we passed the Col d'Ausseilla which is located on the border between the Pyrénées Atlantiques and the Hautes Pyrénées at sunrise. We were on an unmarked trail, the colors were sublime. We could see where we were coming from and where we were going. There were still a few snowfields, it was like being on another planet!
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La Artigue hut (Upper Garonne). This is certainly the biggest luxury we had during our crossing. We had been walking in the rain and fog for 48 hours… And in this hut, we were able to make ourselves a fire to dry all our belongings, warm ourselves and sleep in the shelter without worrying about the night to come. This cabin is really rustic but in these conditions, it offers unparalleled comfort!
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La Canigou chimney. We climbed at sunrise to the top of Canigou during our 35th stage. We left the Arago hut where we had spent the night. We came across herds of izards that were barely a few dozen meters from us during our ascent. We took the Canigou “chimney” and the dogs behaved very well despite the difficulty and listened to us all the time.
Hikes to do with your dog in the Pyrenees
Here are a few lines that we tell you about the GR10 but there are many other wonderful hikes to do in the Pyrenees. Our favorite hikes to do with your dog are:
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le Cabaliros – Hautes Pyrénées: this is a very easy hike that starts above the village of Sireix. It takes less than 2 hours to reach the top and the views are stunning up there on a clear day. We have often bivouacked there because the sunset and the sunrise are really beautiful and offer a magnificent view of the entire Pyrenees chain. It is a route that can also be done on snowshoes or skis in winter and by canitrail in summer. Be careful, however, to provide enough water because there is none at all on the course.
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la Canigou – Pyrénées Orientales: with such a name, it is predestined to go hiking there with your dog! Haha! It is possible to climb to the summit for the day by the normal route from the Cortalets refuge, it is a fairly easy hike, you just need to bring water because there is none on the route and a good windproof because it often blows at the top. But it is also possible to go around the massif over several days including the summit (Arago hut, barbet ridge, chimney…) The view at the top is sublime over the Mediterranean and all around the massif there are different environments: forest, scree….
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le Lake Aussilla – Hautes-Pyrénées: this is a little-known hike but it gives access to a small preserved lake far from the crowds. It is a hike to be done for the day or over 2 days, bivouacking at the lake when it is hot in summer. There is indeed water practically all along the route. We go up a small valley from the lake of Teich above Arrens-Marsous, there is generally only one herd of cows which do not pose a problem at the level of the Bouleste hut and we continue straight on a path which is unmarked and follows the creek. It's a fairly sporty hike because the difference in altitude is significant over a short distance but the lake is very little frequented so it's calm guaranteed!
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Le Pic du Midi d'Ossau – Pyrénées Atlantiques: this is a very popular hike and rightly so because the sunrise behind the Ossau is truly magnificent. It's a hike that can be done in the day but the bivouac by the lake is very nice. On the other hand, it is to be avoided in summer because there are far too many people, it remains a very easy hike (1h30 walk only from the car park…) so very accessible.
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Come on! Let's go ! Direction the Pyrenees 🙂 I hope this article will have made you want to test the crossing of the Pyrenees with your dog, but you will have understood: be careful! Going on such a long hike with your dog is something you have to be prepared for. You have to be sure of your level, your dog's abilities and know the mountain and its dangers well.
Thanks again to Roxanne, Gérard and their dogs for sharing their Too W'ouf experience with us. Want to know more about their story? Discover their portrait Wouafement Bien and for those who wish to follow their Canadian adventures, you can find them on their facebook page and their Youtube account.
Pssssst: do you want to try new activities with your dog? Take a look at these articles: “The top 10 traction sports to share with your dog"; "The top 5 summer activities to do with your dog"And"Camping with your dog” . Psssssst: other articles are coming very soon on the Mag' of EmmèneTonChien.com ! Stay connected and listen and listen! !
In the meantime, for more info, holiday advice and dog-friendly tips, follow EmmèneTonChien.com on our facebook page et our instagram account : )