GR10

The GR10 is the French side of the great Pyrenean traverse — 900 km from the Atlantic at Hendaye to the Mediterranean at Banyuls-sur-Mer, crossing the full breadth of the French Pyrenees through Basque country, Béarn, Bigorre, the Couserans, Ariège, and finally Roussillon. The trail climbs roughly 55,000 m of cumulative elevation across some 50 stages, making it one of Europe's longer and tougher GR routes alongside its Spanish sibling the GR11.

The route is conventionally walked west-to-east. The Basque opening (Hendaye to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port) eases you into the mountains with rolling green hills and farmhouse gîtes. The central Pyrenees from Lescun to Luchon are the trail's high mountains — Cirque de Gavarnie's 1,500 m wall, the Néouvielle lake plateau, the Vignemale and Mont Perdu massifs visible to the south, and most of the cumulative climbing. East of Andorra the trail traces the Ariège peaks down through Mérens and into Catalonia, finally tumbling onto the dry Mediterranean schist hills above Banyuls. Most thru-hikers take 50–60 days; the route splits naturally into seven regional sections that hikers often tackle one summer at a time.

Walking season is mid-June to mid-September — outside, the high passes hold snow and the refuges shut. No permit, no fee; the trail is publicly walkable, and gîtes d'étape (€20–35 with breakfast) plus CAF refuges (€25–40 with half-board) provide cover for nearly every night. Free wild camping is permitted above the treeline in most sections. The trail is well-marked with the red-and-white GR stripes. Resupply is easy in valley towns; daily distances of 15–20 km with 1,000–1,500 m of climb are standard. Cicerone's two-volume guidebook is the English-language reference; the French FFRandonnée Topo-guide is the canonical authority.