~ Stage6 ~
St-Etienne-de Baigorry to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
~ Food ~
Food ~ supposed to be glorious food ~ but the area that probably gave me greatest trouble on the walk. As a touring cyclist, I had mastered the subject and ate very well on my 3,000km rides, ~ but walking ~ I carried too much ~ shopped badly ~ had poor appetite, ~ and didn't usually eat well except in Gites.
- You probably need 4-5,000 calories per day ~ much more than during a usually sedentary life!
- As such it can be a good opportunity to loose excess fat ~ I lost 4kg in 3 weeks walking.
- A good breakfast is important ~ I managed porridge and milk powder for the first week ~ then musli and Nestle milk ~ fruit and yoghurt are allways nice but difficult to carry. However as I lost appatite breakfast tended to ge less and less.
- Coffee is an essential for me. Breakfast ~ with sugar to restore me just after I stop for the evening ~ and again at 8ish as an evening pick me up. You could drink tea.
- I always ate when I take a short break every hour ~ a musli-bar or buscuits ~ a chocolate bar ~ some fruit ~ snacks and nibbles are a reasonable delight and easy to obtain.
- Lunch I found to be a good idea. After 5-6 hrs walking an hour's rest achieves wonders and allows another few hours march. My appatite tended to be gone ~ but more snacks ~ cheese ~ sausage ~ boiled eggs ~ the opportunities are endless and give you something to think about.
- I like to cook in the evening ~ well reheat ~ I don't cook with fat ~ 1. because I dont like to carry it ~ 2. because I can't clean the pans. Cassoulet was a staple.
- I started to eat-out when possible along the route ~ a small meal like an omlett ~ good for appatite and a rest. Gite food was usually excellent and I will talk about Gites in part 2.
- My greatest problem was loss of appatite ~ probably caused by heat and the stress of trecking up and down mountains ~ I need another walk to suss that one out.
- Shopping worked out for me ~ just enough along the route I took ~ it is supposed to be a problem in the middle section of the GR10. I always carried too much. My portable supermarket I called it. I suspect I need more confidence to carry less ~ and I needed to be fitter to have a better appatite! ~ Still I managed!
The days stage
Cloud and drizzle had descended overnight ~ so it was waterproofs on for the first time. The path was easy to follow at first as I entered the foggy clouds ~ compass to the ready. I had hoped to climb Monhoa (1021m) but because of the visibility took a variente and regained the marked route shortly after the sommet. Route finding was very tricky as there was no clear path, a variety of animal tracks ~ and the mist enveloped the red and white waymarks. Still eventually I came out of the cloud ~ and by mid-day when I reached St-Jean it was almost sunny.
It was market day and I stopped for lunch ~ I even met other walkers on the GR65, which comes through town. Actually hordes of them ~ I had met none so far on the GR10. There were tales of long boring road sections ~ savage dog bites ~ the heat of course ~ overdemand on the accomodation ~ but a tremendous camarederi amongst the walkers.
I then headed for the hills to find a quiet spot to camp for the night.
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Page created: 23rd July 1988.
Last modified: 26th July 1998.
John Scholefield
coldfish@itl.net