Kilometres walked: 22km / Total distance: 584km / Elevation gain: 1380m / Elevation loss: 876m / Time walked: 6h18min Okay, Andorra has redeemed itself on the way out. The last section before leaving the country, from Lac de Engolasters to Refugio d’Illa is absolutely stunning. But first the descent into town (Encamp) from our campsite on the col. We’re there in a bit over an hour and head straight for the café/bakery where I order…
Kilometres walked: 23km / Total distance: 562km / Elevation gain: 1583m / Elevation loss: 1639m / Time walked: 7h12min There, I said it. I was curious about Andorra, but so far I’m not loving it. I left the hut this morning together with a Spanish girl who is also hiking the GR11. We walk down to the town, Arinsal, where I order a coffee, she makes fun of my caffeine addiction, we charge our electronics…
Kilometres walked: 21km / Total distance: 539km / Elevation gain: 1588m / Elevation loss: 806m / Time walked: 6h58min I’m in Andorra! I walked all the way here, can you believe it? I’ve never been in Andorra before. But let’s back up a little. I wasn’t supposed to be in Andorra yet (according to my own arbitrary planning, at least). This morning I left the camping in Areu early after a rainy night. I was…
Kilometres walked: 14km / Total distance: 518km / Elevation gain: 810m / Elevation loss: 1045m / Time walked: 4h10min If I’ve been thinking much?, a friend asks me via text. Implying, probably with a hint of sarcasm, that I’m on a journey of self discovery, or out here to answer some bigger question. “Not really”, I write back. And it’s true, I haven’t been thinking much. The trail is a bad place to think. Most…
Kilometres walked: 18km / Total distance: 504km / Elevation gain: 1126m/ Elevation loss: 1090m / Time walked: 5h45min Just before midnight I wake up with a jolt. Snorting near my feet. Loud, heavy snorting. A pig? It must be a wild boar. Shit. These are not friendly animals. Instinctively, I lay still. It snorts again. I can hear it stomping around, moving towards the other side of the tent. I slowly exhale. The foil inside…
Kilometres walked: 21km / Total distance: 486km / Elevation gain: 1463m/ Elevation loss: 1316m / Time walked: 6h30min [I still have to write a wrap-up of the Carros de Foc loop I did with Antonio, but in the meantime I’ll continue with the regular programme of GR11 blogs. Photos are included via links] I wave goodbye to Espot. It’s a nice town, but after two days being ‘stuck’ there because of a stomach bug (or…
Kilometres walked: 20km / Total distance: 465km / Elevation gain: 579m/ Elevation loss: 1327m / Time walked: 5h10min Today I get to town! And tomorrow I’ll take the bus to pick up Antonio! After missing him for almost a month, I am very excited about this. I’m not sure if it is because of that or because the trail is beautiful or because I got my hiker legs or because I had extra coffee this…
Kilometres walked: 14km / Total distance: 445km / Elevation gain: 973m/ Elevation loss: 848m / Time walked: 4h46min I say goodbye to Ernesto & Jan in front of the refugio. My two adoptive fathers, we joke. Another trail goodbye, we are taking different routes today. I’ll follow the official GR11, which is longer, less pretty, and with more elevation change. They take a shorter, more scenic, and flatter variant. One last photo with my trailfathers…
Kilometres walked: 12km / Total distance: 431km / Elevation gain: 949m/ Elevation loss: 520m / Time walked: 4h31min It rained late into the night yesterday. Retreating was the right thing to do. But still, it messed with my planning and even though it’s part of the game that you can’t ‘plan’ these kind of things, I don’t like my plans being messed with. More specifically, I’m not happy about the logistical consequences. We’re about to…
Kilometres walked: 14km / Total distance: 419km / Elevation gain: 303m/ Elevation loss: 1153m / Time walked: 5h18min Breakfast at the refugio. Café con leche from a thermos, toast with mini packages of jam and Nutella (of which I steal one to snack on later), little dry muffins wrapped in plastic, and some undefined fruit juice without actual juice. My hiker hunger has finally kicked in and I eat it all. A tiny climb to…