Walking the GR10

3. Places to Stay and Eat

The choice of places to stay on the GR10 is quite limited, especially if, like me, you chose not to carry a tent. Having said that, I stayed in some excellent places and ate some very good food. In fact, I cannot recall any really bad places. In the low country and valleys one tends to stay at gite d'étapes which are privately run and can vary from being a converted cowshed to part of an hotel. Refuges are found high up in the mountains and give the possibility of a hot meal and even a glass of wine in the middle of nowhere. Occasionally I chose to stay at hotels, either for a bit of luxury or a lack of choice. Other options I didn't use were carrying a tent or staying at the non-garded cabanes or abris.

Gite d'Etapes
Although all Gite d'Etapes have the same name they are privately owned and managed and hence they vary according to their location and whims of their owner. Typically they are very friendly and provide the opportunity to sample excellent home coooked, regional cuisine and meet fellow walkers and cyclists. Costs are about 25 to 30 Euros a night per person for half board (dinner, bed and breakfast). One sleeps in either a small dorm or a two-bed room with blankets provided so just a light sleeping bag is required. All gites provide hot showers and basic cooking facilities for walkers. I tended to book the gites a few days before arrival to ensure that they knew I was coming and would have a hot meal on the table, although in actuality they were rarely full. My favorite gites were the ones where everyone sat down together and shared a meal.

The gite at Ste Engrace - one of the best

Refuges
Refuges tend to be more homogeneous than gites, indeed occasionally you can forget which one you are in which can be embarassing in the middle of the night. They are usually sited high up in the mountains with no road access and owned by walking organisations (such as CAF) or local communes. A guardian manages the refuge on a contract basis and the personality of the guardian determines the style of the refuge. Often the guardians are keen walkers or climbers who run the refuge so they can have immediate year round access to the mountains - rather than because they have a vocation as a hotelier. All the guarded refuges offer the choice of half board though the remoteness of the refuges restricts the menu (often the food is helicoptered in) but the meals are always substantial and usually excellent. Also gas and electricity is limited so showers cost extra and lights are solar powered, if they exist at all. Costs are silimar to gites but accommodation is usually in dorms, though some of the more modern refuges are beginning to offer private rooms. Basic cooking facilities for walkers is available though this is often spartan (a bench and a sink for example) and there may be a charge for the use of gas. I found many of the refuges in the Haute Pyrénées (étape 3) very old and basic whereas those in the Ariege were more modern.

The refuges at Marialles and Lac d'Oule - both managed to create a convivial atmosphere

Hotels
Hotels are not that much more expensive than gites or refuges, especially if you are travelling as a couple. Recommended for the occasional blast of luxury or to catch up with the cricket scores. On a couple of occasions they were the only option available.

Camping
Despite owning three tents, I never camped on the GR10, mainly to avoid having to carry the additional weight (tent, sleeping mat, full sleeping bag, cooker, gas, food, water etc.) Also, I was keen to practice my French and sitting alone in a tent in the evening would not have been a good start. Definitely a cheap option but finding suitable supplies in the remoter areas can be difficult.

Cabanes and abris
Varaible - can be anything from a pile of rocks in the vague shape of a building through to well kept shelters such as the ones in Andorra. On certain sections of the GR10, especially in Ariege, there are few options other than staying in a cabane or abri but be prepared for a cold and sleepless night. I have included some photos of the interior of the cabane at Pla Guillem, near the Pic du Canigou which I would consider as a typical cabane.

	Refuges Refuges tend to be more homogeneous than gites, indeed occasionally you can forget which one you are in which can be embarassing in the middle of the night. They are usually sited high up in the mountains with no road access and owned by walking organisations (such as CAF) or local communes. A guardian manages the refuge on a contract basis and the personality of the guardian determines the style of the refuge. Often the guardians are keen walkers or climbers who run the refuge so they can have immediate year round access to the mountains - rather than because they have a vocation as a hotelier. All the guarded refuges offer the choice of half board though the remoteness of the refuges restricts the menu (often the food is helicoptered in) but the meals are always substantial and usually excellent. Also gas and electricity is limited so showers cost extra and lights are solar powered, if they exist at all. Costs are silimar to gites but accommodation is usually in dorms, though some of the more modern refuges are beginning to offer private rooms. Basic cooking facilities for walkers is available though this is often spartan (a bench and a sink for example) and there may be a charge for the use of gas. I found many of the refuges in the Haute Pyrénées (étape 3) very old and basic whereas those in the Ariege were more modern.
The refuges at Marialles and Lac d'Oule - both managed to create a convivial atmosphere