This blog is a summary of 9 days of walking the French GR10 long distance coast to coast walking trail from Banyuls-sur-Mar to Canigou. I had a tent with me and camped most nights.
Transport - getting to Banyuls-sur-Mar:
I got an early EuroStar train from London to Banysuls (2 easy changes avoiding Paris) leaving around 7am and arriving around 5pm for about £50. Get good information about train travel here: http://www.seat61.com/France-trains.htm
Accommodation in Banyuls:
I camped at the municipal camp site (€9) which is 10mins from the centre of town and only a few mins off the GR10 path. Hot showers and a plug to charge my phone over the sinks in the toilet block - toilet paper NOT provided!
Maps: the supermarket opposite the municipal camp site is large and had a pretty good range of maps including the 1 in 25,000 range, though NOT the 1 in 50,000 range. I was as able to buy a torch and watch as well as trail food. There is a newsagents in town, just off the GR10 route, 2 mins from the start of the trail, that has a good range of maps.
Walking East to West:
Why?: I wanted to walk East to West to get better weather earlier in the season and because I have family living in Hendaye and wanted to end my walking with a few days there.
Problems:
1) walking East to West in the second half of the day the red and white painted trail marks are in the shadow of whatever they are painted on making them a bit difficult to see sometimes.
2) in the evening the sun is in your eyes. However, I found this gave a really lovely magical feeling to my afternoon walking. Especially walking through the grand Oaks of the high woodlands.
3) the guide book i had gave instructions and walking times for walking West to East which made following the directions difficult and the times pretty useless. However, the map and trail markers meant i didn't need the guided directions.
Day 1 - Banyuls to Font Tanyareda:
This was a hard day but once on the ridge in the high woodlands it was like walking in heaven with the gods. Pure bliss. I started walking from Banyuls at 11am and got as far as the Font Tanyareda by 7pm. Admittedly my bag (rucksack) was far too heavy - 20-25kg and I was out of shape! And started out with 5 liters of water - which I had finished by the end of the day. I always find that I drink a lot, and sweat a lot, for the first 2-3 days of a hiking trip and then my body settles into a rhythm and my water in-take goes right down to a normal amount. It's like my body is flushing toxins for the first few days.
The walk from Banyuls to the first font on the trail was easy and the water from the font seemed good.
The climb up to Pic de Sailfort was like hitting a wall - it broke me for the rest of the day
The lovely flat camp site under huge oak trees, with picnic tables, at Font Tanyareda was perfect. I used the water from the Font for cooking, after i had put it through my water filter.
Day 2 - Font Tanyareda to the Roman Ruines outside Perthus:
The main thing to note is just how much shopping potential there is at Perthus - 4 supermarkets and lots of other shops and cafes. There is a tourist office (which is on the GR10) - i was able to leave my bag there and put my phone on to charge and go into the town to buy food. I got knee braces and a head torch from up stairs in the second (orange) supermarket.
There is a safe drinking water font directly opposite the tourist office and another in the little square with seats on the left as you head down the main street into town.
My camping spot at the large stone tower just before the Roman ruins was just what i needed.
Day 3 - Roman Ruines to Las Illas:
