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GR10 ➤ Section 7 - Mérens to Vernet les Bains

8 Days / 7 Nights
Very challenging

From Mérens, the big mountains begin to lift and the landscape opens up, offering a wonderful section of the GR10 in the Pyrenees to the Bésines refuge at 2104 metres. Another highlight of this section is the path past the famous Bouillouses Lake, located at an altitude of 2020moh in the Carlit massif. Standing here is a great experience. You cross the high plateau of Capcir towards Pays de Conflent and can enjoy the beautiful views all the way. You pass through pleasant little mountain villages, through the Caranca Gorge and the Mantet and Py nature reserves before finally arriving at Vernet-les-Bains.

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More about the route

The walks follow good footpaths and the terrain is varied and often rocky. The route is marked in most places, but there may be challenges in some places where you will have to follow the material provided by us. To go on this trip we recommend that you are in good shape and have experience of hiking in the mountains.

Itinerary

Here you can see the programme for the week.

You arrive at your first accommodation in Mérens. Depending on when you arrive, you can visit the thermal baths, go for a hike or just relax. In the material you will receive on arrival, there will be route descriptions for two different hiking options in already today.

Hotel (example): Auberge du Nabre

From Mérens, the GR10 leaves Haute-Ariège and you enter the Capcir region. This part of the tour is a classic hike in the Pyrenees with deep valleys and mountain passes. A long climb along the valley and the Nabre river takes you to Porteille de Bésines (2333moh). From there you descend towards the Etang de Bésnes (a pond) and the refuge. From the terrace of the refuge you can see the Pic Pédros peak.

Note: Tonight you will stay in a mountain hut to which luggage cannot be taken. Therefore, you will have to pack the sheet/sleeping bag, toiletries, change of clothes etc. and carry it with you on the hike today. You will only be contacted about your luggage after the hike tomorrow.

Hotel (example): Refuge

From the Bésines refuge, the route crosses the Coume d'Anyell pass (2391moh) before descending to Lake Lanoux at the foot of the Carlit mountains. The lake is the largest in the Pyrenees, with an area of 1.71 km². During the descent to Lac des Bouillouses, through Porteille de la Grave, there is a good chance of encountering mountain goats.

Hotel (example): Auberge du Carlit

Today's hike on the GR10 in the Pyrenees starts from Les Bouillouses and goes through a true water paradise on plateaus, past mountain lakes and through forests. After reaching Bolquère, close to the famous resort of Font Romeu, you cross the vast Cerdagne plateau, where the landscape is unlike anywhere else in the Pyrenees. You finally reach Planès, a stunning village with a unique Romanesque church.

Hotel (example): Orri de Planes

The elevation profile of today's hike is a bit like a rollercoaster, with descents after each mountain pass you cross. Today there are several high points on the route where you can enjoy the good views. These include the Pla de Cédeilles (1911m), the Mitja mountain pass (2367m), from where you can look out over the area, and the Pic du Carlit. The landscape is slowly turning into a Mediterranean landscape.

Note: Tonight you will stay in a mountain hut to which luggage cannot be taken. Therefore you will need to pack your sheet/sleeping bag, toiletries, change of clothes etc. and carry it with you on the hike today. You will only be contacted about your luggage after the hike tomorrow.

Hotel (example): Refuge

Today the GR10 route crosses the Mantet Nature Reserve and ends in Py. You'll cross the Col de Pal (2294m), where you can enjoy magnificent panoramic views. If the weather is good, we recommend a short detour (1½ hours) to the Serre Gallinière mountain peak, from where the views are even better. After walking through the Alemany Valley, you finally reach the village of Py, where you spend the night.

Hotel (example): Casa San Pau

From Py, the Mediterranean atmosphere becomes more and more evident - the landscape in particular is now changing character. You hike on the mountainside across the Rotja Valley to the Goa Tower, which stands on a small natural platform and from where you can enjoy the stunning panoramic views of the Canigou Peak and Haut Conflent. From here you follow the path along the mountainside down through the forest to Vernet les Bains, where this journey ends.

The tour is now over and you will leave the last hotel of the tour during the morning.

Prices and dates

Prices per person in EUR

Price includes

Extras
  • Accommodation upgrade (see more below)
  • Drinks with meals
  • Transportation to/from France
  • Handling fee (€20)

Practical information

Here you can get answers to various questions about the trip
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The price is based upon two people sharing. For safety reasons, this tour cannot be booked for solo travellers. There must be min. be two participants.

On this tour you will be on your own supplied with maps, route descriptions and luggage transfers. That means that your time is your own and you have plenty of time to enjoy the stages in your own pace.

Check the price quickly
You can quickly check the price of your desired trip without having to fill in anything. Here's how:

  1. Choose your desired start date
  2. Click on the green button "See price and reserve your holiday" and go to the booking form
  3. Select number of people, add any optional extras and see the price at the bottom of the page (you don't have to fill in anything on the form).

Get a quote
For example, if you want a flight included or changes to the trip, you can order a quote for this using the "Get a quote" button. Remember to describe in detail what, if anything, you want changed.

The process of your booking
When you book, we will start booking hotels and arranging all the practical details of the trip. This process typically takes 2-5 working days, but some bookings may take longer. If you are arranging your own transport, we recommend that you wait until we have confirmed your booking before arranging this.

Dates
If you can select the date in the tour calendar at the top of this page, this is a possible start date. We continually update the tours with sold-out dates, after which those dates will turn red and cannot be selected.

The flights to/from Barcelona in Spain or Toulouse or Montpellier in France are not included in the price. You can easily find a suitable flight via a flight booking engine such as Momondo or Skyscanner.

Notice: we recommend that you book with us and wait for the confirmation before you book your flights.

It works like this:

  1. You book your chosen holiday with us
  2. We confirm your holiday (usually within 5-8 business days)
  3. You arrange your transportation

Getting there
Here is a link for the perfect tool which will help you get an overview of how to get to the starting point of the tour: Rome2Rio

From the airport to Mérens
Getting from the airport to Mérens is easy. Get an overview of the options here:

From Toulouse: Rome2Rio
From Montpellier: Rome2Rio
From Barcelona: Rome2Rio

Return from Vernet les Bains to Mérens
If you need to return to Mérens after the tour, we may be able to arrange a transfer for you. Please contact us if you would like a price for this. It is also possible to take public transport, which you can find out about here:

Vernet les Bains to Mérens: Rome2Rio

Return from Vernet les Bains to the airport
Here's how to get from Mérens to the airport:

To Toulouse: Rome2Rio
To Montpellier: Rome2Rio
To Barcelona: Rome2Rio

On this trip you will stay as follows:

  • 2 nights in mountain hut in dormitory (day 2 and 5)
  • 4 nights in hostel in dormitory (days 1, 3, 4 and 6)
  • 1 night in hotel (day 7)

 

If you wish to upgrade to the Comfort version of the tour, you will stay as follows:

COMFORT

  • 2 nights in guesthouse in private rooms (day 1 and 6)
  • 2 nights in room in 2 star hotel (day 4 and 7)
  • 1 night in mountain hotel in private room (day 3)
  • 2 nights in mountain huts in dormitories (days 2 and 5)

Note: Sleeping in dormitory is included in both versions of the tour and therefore it is necessary to bring a sheet/sleeping bag on the tour. You will be provided with blankets at all accommodations, so the sleeping bag will be sufficient.

On this trip, breakfast and dinner are included throughout the trip.

Included meals
Breakfast is standard "continental breakfast" with tea, coffee, milk, bread, butter, jam etc.
Evening meals consist of 3-course menus with starter, main course and dessert.
Please note that drinks for the evening meals are not included in the price.

Lunch
Lunch is not included but can be purchased at the accommodation. It will typically be in the form of a picnic lunch that you take with you on the tour.

Luggage transfer is included on days 3, 4, 6 and 7. The way it works is that on arrival at the first hotel you will receive your luggage tag in the welcome pack.  You fill in the luggage tags and put them on your bag, where it will stay for the whole trip.

The luggage is collected around 9am each morning and arrives at the next hotel by 6pm (usually well before). If there are any special exceptions to the luggage transfer, you will be informed of this on arrival.

One bag can be transported per guest and bags must not weigh more than 15kg.

IMPORTANT / NOTE: On this trip there are days when luggage cannot be transported and therefore on those days you will need to pack and carry all necessary equipment on the hike (including a sheet- or sleeping bag). These are days 2 and 5, when you will have to carry necessities for the nights, as you will be without your luggage on those nights.

On this tour, you will receive the following documents:

Upon booking
Immediately after booking this trip, you'll recieve a pre-booking-email where you can get a complete overview of your booking. Once the tour is confirmed you get a confirmation email from us along with practical information about the tour.

One month before departure
You will receive a hotel list and final travel documents.

Upon arrival at the first hotel
You'll receive the welcome pack, which contains everything you need for the trip. There will be route descriptions, maps, luggage tags and specific local vouchers. The documents are in English.
Notice: On some tours it is necessary to either print the documents yourself or to bring them electronically.

This trip has a difficulty level of 3-4, which means that most hiking days on the tour are level 3 and a few are level 4.

Grade 3
Hiking in mountainous terrain with longer ascents and descents. You will hike 5-7 hours a day. Requires generally good fitness and health, but no special technical skills or prior experience. Requires good shoes, such as trekking or mountain boots.

Grade 4
Demanding hiking with daily marches of 6-8 hours, often in difficult terrain at higher altitudes. There can be longer ascents of up to 1,000 meters. Requires good physical condition, endurance, and knees and ankles capable of enduring prolonged descents. You need to be in good health and preferably have hiking experience. Requires good hiking boots and regular outdoor clothing. There can be significant temperature differences.

Read more about our grading system here.

Here you can get an overview of the entire route and the elevation profile for each day. The data shows the data from the GPX-files related to the tour. Notice that the routes are sometimes updated, which means that there might be small variations.

See a map of the whole route

See the elevation profile

Colors
Blue routes: The route as normal
Red routes: Variations/options (such as shortened or extended routes)

After booking this trip, you get access to various discount schemes.

We recommend taking out travel insurance that covers at least illness, accident, repatriation, lost holiday, luggage and liability. As a customer, you are responsible for taking out the necessary travel insurance to cover these costs.

Before taking out insurance, you should check whether you are already covered by travel or cancellation insurance through your home insurance company, credit card or similar - please note that there may be differences in insurance coverage.

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