GR 10F
The place
The GR®10 crosses the French Pyrenees from ocean to Mediterranean, from Hendaye to Banyuls-sur-Mer, over roughly 850 km and 50 stages. Running entirely on the French side, it follows the Spanish border at mid-height, crossing contrasting landscapes: Basque forests, Béarn grasslands, volcanic massifs of the central Pyrenees, glacial lakes of Ariège and Catalan garrigue. It is the most popular route in the Pyrenees, marked red and white from end to end. The average altitude hovers around 1,500–1,800 m on the central sections. Some stages climb above 2,700 m (Port de Vénasque, Hourquette d'Ancizan). Total cumulative elevation gain is around 48,000 m over the whole route.
Why go
Lakes of Ayous and the Cirque de Lescun (Béarn). Gavarnie and its UNESCO-listed cirque. Lac d'Oô and its waterfalls. Refuge Wallon in the Marcadau valley. Pas de l'Ours and the Eyne valley in Cerdagne. Carlit and the Catalan tarns. The diversity of landscapes — Basque Country, Hautes-Pyrénées, Ariège, Catalonia — is the GR10's great strength.
A bit of history
The GR10 was progressively waymarked by the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre (FFRP) starting in the 1970s, by linking together old pastoral, mining and military paths used since the Middle Ages to cross the Pyrenees. Its official name and complete waymarking were finalised in the 1980s. It is today one of the three great Pyrenean routes, alongside the HRP and the Spanish GR11.
Getting there
Departure from Hendaye: SNCF station (TGV Paris–Hendaye, 5h). Arrival at Banyuls-sur-Mer: TER station (Perpignan–Cerbère). By car, long-term parking is recommended at Hendaye. The full route takes 45 to 55 days; it can also be split into sections accessible by public transport.
Recommended gear
High waterproof hiking boots. Trekking poles. Sleeping bag recommended (some huts are rented or unstaffed). Warm, waterproof clothing (afternoon storms are frequent in summer). IGN 1:25,000 map by massif or FFRP topo-guide ref. 10.
Best season
July to September. Snow in June on the high passes. Early September is ideal (fewer crowds, stable weather). Huts open from late June to late September depending on altitude.