Reader's story - Spring 2001

Walking in the Pyrenees
After surgery in 1994 for a ruptured disc, BackCare Trustee Angela Thomas was determined to keep fit and active. A keen walker for many years, she has continued to get out and about as often as she can and, as her story shows, she's not averse to the odd challenge!
	Angela bringing up the rear of a steep climb through the woods

Last spring I joined a group of 11 friends to walk in the foothiIIs of the Pyrenees. We wanted to do something connected with the Millennium so we chose to walk apart of the Pilgrim's Way.

This was the second time that I had joined the group. in 1998 we had walked around the Isle of Wight, completing 72 miles in six days. This time, the distances were much less, an average of 10 to 12 kilometres a day, but across very different terrain.

I was the only person in the group with a back problem and I made sure that I was as fit as possible beforehand by joining a local gym and making good use of the treadmill. It certainly helped.

The day of departure arrived and we took Hayling School's second best mini bus from Portsmouth to Le Havre on an overnight ferry crossing. Having booked cabins, we arrived feeling fairly fresh and ready to start the 1000 kilometre journey to a small farmhouse near Ostabat in the Basque region of France. The journey was quite comfortable and it helped that our drivers gave us frequent stops for the necessary stretching of legs and backs. We arrived at the farmhouse at about 9.30 pm and certainly needed the welcome we received. A manager, a cordon bleu cook, a bottle washer and a walk guide staffed the house and a wonderful buffet meal made from local cheeses, meats and vegetables awaited us.

The walking started on Sunday when we covered about 13 kilometres of the GR65, the pilgrimage route, which goes to Santiago de Compostela. The scenery was beautiful and the walk pace sufficient to allow time to stop and admire the vultures, kites and other magnificent birds using the thermals. On each day we walked, we took our packed lunch and water with us, stopping to eat at places with magnificent panoramic views. There was a considerable amount of uphill and downhill walking, some of which was on shale. I was pleased to find that I could cope with this and the only concession I made to my back was a trekking pole for stability.

The weather for the entire week was lovely. Neither jumper nor waterproof was necessary, despite the fact that we were well above cloud level. Each day we were taken, with our walk guide, by mini bus to the start point and collected at the end of the walk. On returning to the farmhouse we were greeted with a good cup of tea and home made cake followed by an equally welcome shower and dinner.

We had a day off on Thursday and saw the market in Sailies de Beam and enjoyed the spa baths which are said to cure everything. Well, I certainly felt relaxed and had no stiffness after my dip - but then I was fairly fit before I went in.

During our stay we visited St Palais and St Jean Pied de Port, both of which are Basque towns on the pilgrimage route. The latter is close to the border with Spain. The holiday was a physical challenge made all the more enjoyable by good food, company and scenery. Now I'm looking forward to our next group walk in 2002 - length and destination yet to be decided!