It’s summer and time to hike. I leave for Europe Saturday June 24th! I have 3 great hikes planned. And life always goes according to plan. Right?

After a few days in Paris I’ll head to Hendaye, France. The Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne (HRP) starts here. It is a 500 mile (800K) route from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean which mostly follows the border of Spain and France and also crosses Andorra.  2 other more established trails also cross the Pyrenees… the GR10 in France and the GR11 in Spain. Depending on weather, snow, my body and unknown factors I may decide to switch over to one of these for part of the hike. I spent 5 days in the Pyrenees in 2010 hiking in Aigüestortes National Park. I hiked a circular route called the Carros de Foc and loved it. I’ve wanted to go back and spend more time there ever since. Coincidentally, my friend Wired is also hiking the HRP and starting a few days after me. Hopefully we will see each other as she passes me!  Wired has been extremely helpful in sharing all her research, maps and contacts.

Next up will be the Alpine Pass Route in Switzerland.  I heard about this trail from my good friend Cam Honan who has details on his website.  The Alpine Pass Route is part of the Via Alpina European trail and is known as the Green Route. It is 211 miles (340 km) and crosses 16 high mountain passes.

The finale will be the GR20 in Corsica. I’ve wanted to do this for several years. Some say it is the hardest of the GR trails in Europe. It’s 112 miles (180 km) and crosses the island north to south.

Other details….. No, I don’t speak or understand French, Spanish, Basque, Catalon, German or Swiss German. Yes, I’ll be bringing my inReach device and you should be able to see where I am by clicking on the “Where’s Why Not!?” tab. And yes, I have a travel buddy, Jim Beatty. He also only speaks English

photo credit Sharell Katibah