Walking holiday

On a recent trek through the Pyrenees Cauterets to Gavarnie it became apparent how much harder I had made my trip by the amount of weight I was humping up and down those beautiful hills.

Now being some what older than my nephew Simon who was taking the insane pleasure of trekking up and down these mountain passes with us (Us being my elder brother and his friend Martin) I was starting to feel the strain on the ascents, so as soon as Simon offered to swap rucksacks .I leapt at the opportunity. His pack was obviously lighter, one could tell that just by looking at it and the ease with which he would ascend the hills really irritated me (me thinking I was fit and all).

Once I had his pack on my back , boy was it easier, it struck me that I had not put much thought into the preparation of what I was putting in my rucksack and the gear I was using. On my return I decided there was only one way to go on my next trek and that was extra light.

Never having done this trip before we where not sure whether to take crampons and ice axe . However we did which of course added to the weight. Most of the trip these where not needed but on a number of occasions I was glad I had them as there where one or two tricky areas to cross. To see the idiots crossing snow and ice without a crampon, rope or ice axe between them was quite scary. One slip and it was a heck of a long way down. If your not sure best be prepared and take the gear.

So, how to achieve a reduction in weight on my back? On my return from France I found myself back there within a week on a shopping trip with the wife and daughter and bought a light weight jacket for about £80 which was about half the price of a Berghaus and which used the Novadry system for waterproofing and just as lightweight as the Bergahus from the huge sports store called Decathlon in Nantes, (You can find them all over France) plus a couple of lightweight breathable vests, a fantastic Petzel headlight so light you forget it's on your head.

I ditched the heavy weight binoculars and got a lightweight hand help monocular. Some decent lightweight Scarpa boots and a Golight rucksack and what a difference all these changes have made I've gone from humping 20kgs to less than 10kgs  and I can tell you it's a heck of a lot easier.

Precautionary Approach

Think it through depending on what type of trip your doing you have to take the right gear. Walking through the Pyrenees from hut to hut makes it possible to go extreme lightweight as your not carrying supplies of food. If you're not in reach of a refugee you must take the precautionary approach and take what you need.