In June 2019 Big Adventure Trips embarked on an exploratory trip to the mountain ranges of France. We wanted to learn more about the outdoor recreation opportunities  in the beautiful Pyrenees and the dramatic Alps.

 

We began in the southwest region near the Pyrenees  and ended our trip in the heart of the French Alps. In the first two weeks, we stayed with our hosts Tony and Lynn Clark in the Aquataine region near the village of Araujuzon. The Clark's are this really amazing English couple working to rehabilitate and convert a 200 year old farm house and dirt floor bakery to a chambre d' hote. In exchange for meals and lodging we worked side by side with the Clarks on projects in and around the home and barn.

 

One of our goals , was to explore the Pyrenees Haute Route (high trail) that runs along the entire Pyrenees range. It's a long distance hiking trail spanning 497 miles that follows the mountainous divide along the French-Spanish border. It starts at the Atlantic Ocean and ends at the Mediterranean Sea. It typically takes 45-50 days to complete. We took a few days off from the Clark home to check out the HRP. We camped in a nearby village and hiked in a bit from the stage two trailhead just outside the village Lescun. We learned that not only is the hike doable for older hikers but could be an amazing Big Adventure Trip. We think with the Clark's involved, BAT can offer a fully fantastic French experience to those who may want to join us in 2021. After a wonderful couple of weeks, we packed up and said our goodbyes. We had no idea how sad we'd be to go ... in such a short time... perhaps, we found a few kindred spirits. To find out more about this part of our trip click the "southwest France" button.

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On June 28th we took a plane to Geneva, Switzerland. We met our youngest son in the city of Lausanne, and spent a few days with old friends. After a few days, we packed up and rode a couple of buses to the village of Chamonix, one of the coolest skiing and mountaineering towns on the planet. A really amazing place that we've wanted to visit for nearly 20 years.  We camped for 3 nights and 4 days near Chamonix in the village of Argentiere. We explored the Haute Route (high trail) from Chamonix to Zermatt for yet another future Big Adventure Trip. To find out more about this part of our trip, click the "Chamonix-Mont Blanc" button.

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