GR 11 (Spain)

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GR 11
The Portella de Baiau, between Andorra and Spain, on the GR11 footpath
Length	840 km
Location	Pyrenees
Designation	GR footpath
Trailheads	Hondarribia, Cap de Creus
Use	Hiking
Elevation Change	38 km

The GR 11 is part of the extensive GR footpath network of paths, tracks and trails. It runs through the Spanish Pyrenees, passing briefly into France on a few occasions.

From west to east, the trail starts at the Bay of Biscay (Hondarribia near Irún) and finishes at Cap de Creus (near Cadaqués.) Its exact distance is difficult to measure, roughly 840 km and climbs a staggering 38,000 m. The route is separated into 45 sections for convenience. At the end of each section there is normally a useful stopping point (camping spot, town, hostel, refuge,...) but in general, supplies have to be carried for 3-4 days. Because most rivers flow perpendicular to the trail, the GR 11 passes over many valleys affording beautiful vistas but also many ascents and descents - some days as much as 1600 m ascent (with equivalent descent).

The trail can be walked in either direction - the deciding factors being where you are from (Catalans and Basque people prefer walking homeward) and, in summer, high daytime temperatures. Starting in Catalonia, where days are hot, can prove physically challenging, especially for individuals who are less fit. The heat is much better tackled when the body has acclimated and physical conditioning has improved toward the end of the trip.

Although some people have been known to complete it in 24 days (or perhaps a bit less), fit walkers normally manage to complete it in about 44 days. Others don't manage to finish at all.

The GR 10 is a similar route but on the French side of the border while the Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne (HRP) follows a generally higher route through the Pyrenees, from mountaintop to mountaintop, frequently crossing the border.