My longest hike ever

Preamble

In the year 2024 from October 11 to November 24, I lived on a small horse farm in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains in France. On my last full day before leaving I summited the nearby Canigou mountain. I had been fixing to hike it during my stay, but it wasn’t until the last day that both the weather and my confidence aligned and I finally gave it a shot.

A photo of the Canigou from the top of the farm’s hill on a day prior to my hike. Canigou peak is the one most on the right, with only a white horizontal strip of it visible. Despite the deception, it is taller than the peaks in front of it, those are the ones in the center of the picture.

The day hike ended up being my longest so far, totaling 28.4 miles (45.7 km). I began early in the morning in order to finish before sundown. In total, it took me 12 hours and 53 minutes to complete. Here is a sequence of photos I took which illustrate the endeavor.

Hiking Pic du Canigou

Setting out. 4:10 A.M.

It’s pitch black outside. From the farm I head east, following a dirt road to the top of the hill. On the other side, I take a trail towards Valmanya, the village where the real trail begins.

I get over the foothill and arrive at Valmanya. There is no movement or noise from the village as I walk through. After a short walk up another road I get on the actual trail, which begins in a wooded area. It is still dark at this point.

The sun rises, I feel calmer.

View facing west.

7:30 A.M. What a look.

Maybe you can spot the deer on the right side of the hill.

Beautiful banana. View facing east towards the Mediterranean sea.

Arriving at the Refuge des Cortalets, where some hikers sleep overnight.

Très sale.

Great spot for a sit and snack.

9:15 A.M.

View towards Canigou. The trail follows the back side of this ridge.

Getting closer, shark brain activates.

Snowy scramble.

Summit.

A monument to the Catalan people. There is an annual tradition where locals summit the Canigou with torches.

In the distance one makes out the sea.

Translation of sign:

“What one century build, the next destroys, but God’s monument remains, and storms, gusts of wind, hatred and war cannot damage the Canigou or insult the high Pyrenees.

We come from the north, we come from the south, from inland and from beyond the seas, and we don’t believe in borders”

11:10 A.M. Ecstatic.

Descent. On the way down I encounter two American hikers, and I chat excitedly with them.

Near the bottom of the trail. This was my least favorite part of the hike. In the morning it was hard to see and I slipped on damp leaves a few times.

On the road again, little guardians who follow me as I walk past.

3:22 P.M. Different and same.

I follow the main road to approach the farm from a different direction. I’m listening to Björk at this point.

Local beef?

Looking northeast.

5:03 P.M. I pass a flock of sheep and get barked at by a Patou for the last time. My host at the farm picks me up in his truck and we go have a beer with a neighbor.

The end.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, consider signing up for my email list, where I alert readers of any new blog posts I’ve shared.