The Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne (HRP) is a high-level

long-distance trail A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking, cycling, equestrianism or cross-country skiing. They exist on all continents exc ...

in the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...

joining the Atlantic and Mediterranean. It approximately follows the French and Spanish border and passes through Andorra. Like the GR 10 and the GR 11, the path travels the length of the Pyrenees from coast to coast. However, where the GR 10 and GR 11 stick mainly to lower routes and mountain passes on the French and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

sides of the border respectively, the HRP follows a high course through the mountains and cols, frequently crossing the border to follow the highest walkable route. It is mostly an unmarked trail although the typical paths are sometimes marked by cairns of stones or small red and white painted marks. It is usually done from west to east, which takes about 45 days to complete for an experienced hiker. It crosses the Parc National des Pyrenées and the Parc nacional d'Aigüestortes i Sant Maurici. Many variations on the original route proposed by Georges Veron are possible and described in the guidebook, as well as some easy summits (

Aneto Aneto is the highest mountain in the Pyrenees and in Aragon, Spain's third-highest mountain, reaching a height of . It is in the Spanish province of Huesca, the northernmost of three Aragonese provinces, south of the France–Spain border. I ...

, Vignemale). There are some popular and crowded places on the trail, but also very remote areas, where it can take a day before you see someone. In these areas it can be several days between huts, so it is necessary to carry a tent. The HRP crosses the Way of St. James (''El Camino de Santiago'') on the Col d'Ibañeta, near Roncevaux. Like the GR 10, the HRP begins at

Hendaye Hendaye (; Basque: ''Hendaia'',HENDAIA
Banyuls-sur-Mer Banyuls-sur-Mer (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales Departments of France, department in southern France. Geography Location Banyuls-sur-Mer is located in the canton of La Côte Vermeille and in the arrondissemen ...

on the Mediterranean. The HRP was devised by Georges Véron in 1968. Joosten's published version of the route deviates substantially from Véron's and both offer variants to their main itineraries. A digital (gpx) version of Joosten's guide, improved and expanded, can be obtained from www.hrpguide.org with all proceeds going to a Himalayan earthquake relief fund. In 2020, Louis-Philippe Loncke used the HRP to cross the Pyrenees without resupply or external assistance.

References

*Georges Véron, ''Pyrenees: High Level Route'', Goring, West Col Productions, 1991. *Ton Joosten, ''Pyrenean Haute Route'', Cicerone Press, 2004. *Ton Joosten, ''Pyrenean Haute Route, Second Edition'', Cicerone Press, 2009.

External links

hrp2011.blogspot.com
– Chronicles a full HRP hike in 24 days, including photos and Google maps.
A detailed trip report of a thru-hike on the HRP including a GPX file of the route.All information about the HRP described by the hiking community.
Hiking trails in France Pyrenees Hiking trails in Spain Tourist attractions in Pyrénées-Orientales Tourist attractions in Pyrénées-Atlantiques {{PyrénéesAtlantiques-geo-stub