the end of the journey

Monday 22nd LÉspolla to Llançà 20 kms

It is nice weather and we walk through pleasant rolling countryside. There are only 2 climbs today, not too hard. The area we are walking through was up until recently mainly planted in vineyards and olive plantations with grazing sheep. Today the economy of Spain has changed and the wine industry of old is in crisis as the consumption in Spain has plummeted and no one wants to work as a shepherd any more (though the price of olive oil remains high), as a result most of the plantations of grapes and olives, and all of the grazed land, has been taken over by wilding pines and undergrowth, and the terraced lands built up over generations is slowly eroding. The big danger which constantly threatens is that of fires. Before, with the farmed land being cared for, fires weren´t the problem they are today with dry undergrowth and drying leaves, pine cones etc.

Today we reach the Mediterranean sea though it isnt our last day. Tomorrow is our last day.

We will have to climb up from sea level to St. Pere de Rodas and then down to sea level again to El Port de la Selva, and then across the length of Cap de Creus to the lighthouse at the end. 22kms in total and, as usual with the GR11, none of it easy going.

Unfortunately my cellphone has chosen today to die which means that I wont be able to upload any photos or in fact report our finish when it happens as even though I am now updating the blog from a cybercafe in Llançà, I wont be able to do that at Cap de Creus so it will have to be assumed that as at 6 or 7 pm tomorrow we will have completed the job of walking the GR11.

42 walking days out of a total of 53 days, 900 kilometres (more or less - 12 kilometres more for Chris Bennett because he walked back to get his mattress), 38,000 metres of climb, 38,000 metres of fall, sunshine, snow, rain, freezing cold, adventure, being lost, eating great food, meeting good people, sore feet, extra muscles, lost weight (and put it back on again) broken and lost equipment overcome with kiwi knowhow. All in all an amazing time.



To quote the words of New Zealand´s most respected citizen, Sir Edmund Hillary, "We knocked the bastard off!".



Apart from the people I have already thanked on the blog, I need to thank lots of people here because without help from others we would not have been able to complete this.

I would like to thank the following people:

Montse Baste and Joan Cararach for generously housing Chris´s Bennett and Jackson,

Maria Dolors Masana i Carles Nadal per els missatges de animo,

Ken Martin for sending weather reports and encouragement, and for helping with the Boston business in my absence,

Thanks to the entire Boston crew for keeping the business going, I really appreciate it.

I would also like to thank Hayley for letting CB do this thing so soon after Eve´s arrival,

And also Anna for letting me do the same.

Thanks to my sister Vicki for taking care of Emma and sending messages of support

My brother Tim for setting up this blog, and all of the people who sent in their comments to the blog.

CB says hi to his Mum and loves her very much, and thanks to Hayley´s family for their support and good wishes during the trip, and a big hello to his bro Andrew and wife Keri and their kids, Campbell Jack, Cait, and Zach.

Chris Jackson says hi to his family and all the folks in the Valley.

I personally would also like to thank my two companions on this trip without whom I wouldn´t have been able to complete it, thanks guys!

Sunday 21st La Jonquera to L'Espolla 21 kms

I had always thought that La Jonquera was horrible when I sped past on the motorway en route to France. Turns out there is another Jonquera; the original town and the hills behind it near the border that make for a really good walk. The weather helped, sunshine. We had a 4 km climb which lifted us 600km. Nice views over to Le Perthus and Ceret, also Catalan villages but on the french side of the border. On the way up we passed the 13th century church of Santa Llùcia. As we approached the top we were hit by the Tramuntana, the cold wind from the high Pyrenees. I dig out my snow jacket from the bottom of the pack. Despite the sun the wind was icy. We get to the top of the first climb of the day and are given a fantastic view of the plain of Empordà and the Bay of Roses. We work our way around the high hills to Requesens and stop for a coffee and a view of the 10th century castle. We have a long way to go yet today. Its a good day for views, both where we are going and where have been. Tonight we stay at a 13th century mini castle in L'Espolla. It has been in the possesion of the current owners family since the 16th century. I guess the mortgage is all paid off by now. We have a great dinner in the local community centre while there is an oldies dance going on with live music and Formula One racing on the TV. We drink the local wine and enjoy the ambience. We have only 2 days more of this walk and while the body is screaming out for a break, the mind has already entered into celebration mode. Tomorrow we walk to Llança, and on Tuesday we climb to St. Pere de Rodas then on to Cap de Creus via Port de la Selva.

A surprise in the forest.

In the hills 2kms away from the french border CJ glanced up into the forest and saw this large plane wreck. The tail section was intact but the fusilage was totally wrecked. I was told by the locals that the accident occurred in the late 80's during a large forest fire that was burning on both sides of the border. 4 french firefighters lost their lives. Their families requested that the plane remain.

CB and Requesens Castle

On the way from La Jonquera to L'Espolla

View from hotel window

Look! No mountains.

The view over my shoulder is our 1st view of the Mediterranean.

Saturday 20th Oct Maçanet to La Jonquera 21kms

After last nights dinner with a bottle of rosado del Empordà and rugby game with 2 bottles of Catalan cava, and not a huge amount of sleep due to the church bell tower chiming every 15 minutes, this morning we took things slowly. Back to La Quadra for a big breakfast and then out into the day. After yesterdays marathon pace today went relatively leisurely. We had a hard climb toward the village of La Vajol passing by an old mine that was used during the civil war to store priceless art works from El Prado and about 50 million dollars of gold bullion. Shortly before La Vajol we came up to a high point and had our first real view of the Mediterranean. We could clearly see the Bay of Roses and the rocky hills to the north of it which were our final destination, the Cape de Creus. For us it would be another 3 days walk to reach the end as the GR11 twists around looking for all the hardest tracks to follow, while to get there in a car from where we were would only take a couple of hours. A short stop in the tiny village of La Vajol for a glass of mineral water, Vichy Catalan, and on. Lunch later in a field with views of the Med of the usual white bread (my only complaint about spanish food, most of the bread is not good), cheese, sliced sausage, sardines, biscuits. We arent going to miss the lunch menu. The walk today is fairly boring, just following gravel tracks. We finally hear the hum of traffic. La Jonquera is today a major truck stop on the main motorway from France into Spain. It is full of shops selling cheap alcohol, perfume, tobacco, etc., and the french flock here to buy stuff. Being a major truck stop means there are drivers from all over Europe and I am hoplng that there will be a bar with a tv that is showing the rugby world cup final, a big ask on a saturday night in Catalonia when Barcelona are playng as well. Sure enough every single bar had the tv tuned to football, rugby nada. I managed to convince the owner of the hotel we were in to tune the little tv in the reception area to the french channel (we were only 4 kms from the border) and we watched the Sth Africans beat the English. This time we only drank Vichy Catalan.

Copas en La Quadra

Friday 19th Albanyà to Maçanet de Cabrenys 20 kms

We get away early (8am) from our little cabin at the camping ground at Albanyà. The sun is just coming up. Daylight saving doesnt finish for another week here in Spain. We walk through the village and straight into a vertical climb. Even though we are out of the high peaks the GR11 doesnt let up. The next few days are long distance days but we decide to up the pace. We push through at high speed and dont have a break until El Moli d'En Robert. The guy there says they only open on the weekends this time of the year but I explain that we are doing the GR11 and he brings out 3 beers. You cannot complain about that. The weather is perfect. Sunny but not too hot. We go on and in 30 minutes we arrive at Maçanet de Cabrenys, a beautiful village that dates back to when Adam was a cowboy. Its 2 o'clock and lunch is the first item on the agenda. We go straight to Hostal La Quadra and have nearly the best lunch we have had. Certainly the best dessert and the largest cognacs (Carlos 1). We next had to organise accommodation and thanks to Juan Molina we got in touch with Maria who organised us a great apartment. We go back to La Quadra for dinner and meet Mari and Harry for a drink first. The owner puts on the french tv so we can watch Argentina play France while we eat an amazing dinner. Argentina 34 France 10. Great game. Buenas noches.

Relaxing with a cava at the cabin in Albanyà

Leaving Can Galan in the morning.

Thursday 18th Bassegoda to Albanyà 10 kms

Easy day today. Just a downhill cruise to the village of Albanyà so we sleep in until 8 o'clock. The sun is only just coming up and for the first time, in the distance through a gap in the hills, we can see flat stuff, the Mediterranean sea. We knock off the 10Kms in just over 2 hours dropping 600 metres. At 230 metres above sea level, this is the lowest we have been virtually since the beginning of the walk and it shows in the temperature. From here to the end it will be shorts and t-shirts, the snow gear gets put at the bottom of the pack. We have a lazy afternoon, lunch at the only bar in the village, we rent a little cabin in the camping ground and drink a few beers. After yesterdays exertion we figure we deserve a break.

the climb up to Bassegoda

12th century romanic church of St. Christopher in Beget

Wednesday 17th Beget to Bassegoda 22 kms

The forecast was for bad weather and we had a dilemma. We had a 2 day walk from here to the village of Albanyà with no confirmed place to stay on the route. We have found it really difficult to get information about the GR11, even from the villages that are right on the route so it makes it hard to make decisions. Some people have compared our trip to the Camino de Santiago but as CJ put it very aptly today: the Camino de Santiago is a walk, the GR11 is an adventure, and part of that adventure is not knowing where you will be sleeping that night. The actual day's walk as planned by the published GR11 map is around 14 kms and stops at Sant Aniol d'Aguja. However, there is nowhere to sleep at Sant Aniol so our only choice was to continue further on to Bassegoda where there was a refuge though we didnt know what condition it would be in or even if we could get into it. The days walk would take us over 22 kms with 3 climbs totalling 1400 mtrs so we knew that we would be arriving near nightfall. If we couldn't stay at the refuge the nearest town, Albanyà, was another 3 hours away and would be a walk in the dark. We set off from Beget the day being a little cloudy but no rain. Nice. We climbed up to an old abandoned farm, Las Feixanes, and stopped to look at the impressive view down the valley. The area we were in, La Garrotxa, was forested with beech and oak making for really pleasant walking. We walked past some rivers with clear water and trout. Waterfalls pouring down narrow gaps carved out of the rock. The valleys were steep sided with sheer limestone cliffs showing through the forest cover. At the top of the 2nd climb we stopped for lunch near the old romanic church of St. Martì de Talaixà and the small Refugi d'En Rodri de Talaixà. It was a quick lunch cut even shorter when it started to rain. We headed off towards Sant Aniol walking along mule tracks made centuries ago. We walked through the abandoned village of Talaixà taking note of the terraced hills supported by drystone walls which would have taken generations to build. Originally built for farming, the forest has now taken them over. Like many of the remote villages in the Pyrenees without roads, only as little as 2 generations ago the younger people moved off the land to the cities and little by little the villages died after being inhabited for hundreds of years. We arrive at Sant Aniol. It was a monastery built in this remote valley in 859. Virtually nothing remains except the church built a 1000 years ago. For me Sant Aniol has a special significance; it was here 15 years ago that I found out about the GR11 walk. Now we had the tough climb up to the Coll de Bassegoda. CB as usual taking the lead with me as tail end charlie. The walk is magnificent, stunning views. By the time I get to the top the sun is setting and I still have 2 kilometres to go down through the forest. Meanwhile CB has arrived at the refuge to find it locked. Fortunately there is notice written in several languages including english advising that a key is available at a nearby farmhouse. By the time I get down there night has just fallen and CJ has the dinner cooking. The refuge is at 820 mtrs altitude and tonight will be our last night in the wilds. With only 6 walking days to go we will be staying in small towns from here to the finish. After dinner we go outside to look at the stars and in the sky above the hills on the horizon in the distance, the reflection of the glow of lights of a city can be seen. Something we havent seen since we set out on this trip.

A dedication to Austin Holden and Laurie Bell Tuesday 16th

We had a 20 km day today and the weather looked good. After an excellent breakfast at L'Esquella we filled up our water bottles from the spring in the main square in Setcases and set off. In the first 3kms we had to climb 600 metres to a high meadow. We were able to look back at the mountains that we had crossed yesterday before the downhill walk to the village of Molló. We stopped for lunch there before starting the 10km trek to my favourite Catalan village, Beget. I have been to Beget a few times before but this was the first time on foot and it was interesting to follow the old original track that was the only way to get to the village up to 40 years ago. Beget has an important historical building, the church that was built in the 12th century and is the church of Saint Christopher the patron saint of travellers. So, apart from being a 4th Chris, he was the guy to ask for good things to happen to us on the rest of the trip. Also I thought it appropriate to light a candle for a couple of old friends who are no longer with us; my good friend Laurie Bell who died in an accident nearly 20 years ago and our mutual friend Austin Holden who passed away only a week ago. They say only the good die young, particularly true with Laurie and Austin. The world is a better place for them having lived in it.

Refugi d'Ull de Ter

Lunch outside the refuge which is set amidst the ski fields of Setcases. Ull de Ter in Catalan literally means "Eye of the Earth" but it refers to a mountain spring. The water we got from the spring just below the refuge was superb.

Blue skies, big mountains

Our last day of snow and altitudes of 2800 mtrs. From now to the end we would still be climbing through steep hilly country but apart from crossing Bassegoda (1124 mtrs) it would all be under 1000 mtrs altitude.