The GR10 Trail. Brian Johnson

Pass a waterpoint, turn sharp left at a farm and then down a path to the left of a house. Pass another waterpoint before turning right along a small road, which you follow down to the main road. Go half-left through the car park and right up a path, passing a large fronton, swimming pool and Spar supermarket (new in 2016) to arrive at the church at the centre of Sare (2hr 45min, 70m).

      A fronton is the court for playing pelota – a Basque sport bearing some similarity to the game of squash. There are many variations to pelota, played with a ball using one’s hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, usually played by teams of two.

      Sare is a small village with a tourist office, campground and many small shops. Public toilets and a waterpoint are by the swimming pool. Hotels Arraya and Lastiry are in the centre of the village, with cheaper accommodation further along the GR10. There is a bus service from Sare connecting with the rail network at St-Jean-de-Luz.

      The cobbled path leaving Sare

      Turn right after the church. The road leads to a cobbled lane heading out of the village. Keep straight on up a tarmac road and up some steps to reach a road (3hr). Turn right for the Hôtel Pikassaria and Camping la Petite Rhune, which has a gîte d’étape.

      The GR10 goes sharp left. Ignore several turns and keep straight on down a track, then turn right along a cobbled path. Pass a waterpoint before turning right along the D306. Almost immediately turn left across the river and veer left up a track at the end of the road. Turn right along a minor road and then fork left. Continue until a track forks left at Bordaberriko Borda. Follow this track which becomes a small road. Fork left, then go straight on down a track at a road junction. Turn left at a track junction and follow the border past borderstone 63. Shortcut left down a path, soon to rejoin the track. Cross a stream, then shortly afterwards turn left and follow a path along the stream. The path leaves the stream and crosses the track before joining a major track. Follow this alongside a large stream, cross the D4 road and follow a smaller track. Eventually turn left across a bridge and the track soon becomes a path. The waymarking is a little confusing (in 2015) but ignore right turns and follow the path as it climbs to join a small tarmac road. Ignore a sharp right turn to Dancharia and arrive at Ainhoa. Veer left to reach the tourist office, which is in the mairie, opposite the church (5hr 25min, 120m).

      Ainhoa is a tourist village with three hotels and a campground with gîte d’étape. There are many small shops for the tourist but the only food available is bread, cheese and Basque specialities at tourist prices. There are toilets, with water, just down the lane from the tourist office. There is more accommodation at Dancharia, about 3km SSW of Ainhoa.

      FACILITIES FOR STAGE 2

      Sare

      Tourist office: tel [phone], www.sare.fr

      Hôtel Arraya: tel [phone], www.arraya.com

      Hôtel-restaurant Lastiry: tel [phone], www.hotel-lastiry.com

      Hôtel-restaurant Pikassaria: tel [phone], www.hotel-pikassaria.com

      Camping la Petite Rhune, 300m from the GR10, also has a gîte d’étape. No meals but nearby bar-restaurant: tel [phone], www.lapetiterhune.com

      Ainhoa

      Tourist office: tel [phone], www.ainhoa.fr

      Camping Harazpy also has a gîte d’étape. No meals: tel [phone], www.camping-harazpy.com

      Hôtel la Maison Oppoca: tel [phone], www.oppoca.com

      Hôtel Argi Eder: tel [phone], www.argi-eder.com

      Hôtel Ithurria: tel [phone], www.ithurria.com

STAGE 3

      Ainhoa to Bidarray

Start	Ainhoa
Distance	21km
Total ascent	800m
Total descent	800m
Time	5hr 45min
High point	Col des Trois-Croix (510m), Col de Méhatché (716m)

      Wild camping is possible throughout this stage, which follows exposed grassy ridges typical of the Basque Country. The GR10 contours round most of the summits but, in good weather, you may prefer to take in up to four summits: Errebi, Atxulegi, Mont Bizkayluze and Gorospil. The descent to Bidarray is down an exposed, rocky mountain path that could take a long time for the inexperienced or overladen hiker, especially in bad weather. This is the most difficult descent on the GR10.

      Follow the lane right, E, past the tourist office, veering left and right before turning right at a junction with a waterpoint and forking left up a dirt road. Climb steeply, passing nine large white crosses and a shrine with a waterpoint (running well June 2014 and 2015) before reaching the Chapelle de l’Aubépine (40min, 389m). Here there are multitude of small stone crosses and three large white crosses depicting the crucifiction of Christ. This is not the Col des Trois-Croix! Veer left past the crosses.

      ‘Crucifiction of Christ’ at Chapelle de l’Aubépine

      In good weather you may prefer to take the obvious path over the summit of Errebi (582m), rejoining the GR10 at the Col des Trois-Croix (same timing).

      The GR10 passes old mine workings as it contours round the N slopes of Errebi. Shortly after a right fork, turn right up a path and soon resume contouring, passing a barn and merging with a small track. Climb to a shallow col where you resume contouring on a bigger track before climbing gently to the Col des Trois-Croix (1hr 20min, 510m), which is marked by a single small iron cross!

      You could traverse Atxulegi (617m) (taking about 15min longer) but the GR10 continues along the track round the S slopes, descending gently to an unnamed col with a complex junction. Head SE along the middle of the three tracks to another shallow col and continue on the track that veers right and climbs gently to the Col Zuharreteaco (2hr 10min, 566m) with a spring that was dry in June 2018.

      In good weather it would be preferable to follow the ridge, roughly south, over Mont Bizkayluze (701m) and Gorospil (691m) to reach the border before turning left to regain the GR10 at Ferme Esteben.

      The GR10 follows the track contouring the E side of the ridge. The track has become a path by the time you fork left as the end of the ridge is approached, then descend gently to reach a concrete track. Turn left and pass the back entrance to Ferme Esteben (2hr 50min, 580m), which is a gîte d’étape with a bar-restaurant.

      The GR10 continues down the concrete track and goes straight on along a fence, when the track veers right. This path passes borderstone 77 and soon joins the tarmac access road to Ferme Esteben. Follow this road to a junction at the Col des Veaux (550m). There is a sign to Venta Burkaitz with bar-restaurant and accommodation, in Spain, which is about