Fastpacking in the Pyrenees: six kilos, three times from sea to sea

For me, fastpacking isn't a discipline with fixed rules but a way of moving through the mountains: faster than a classic hiker, without the performance pressure of an ultrarun. Long days, controlled pace. Running, hiking, climbing, descending.

The plan is called the Pyrenean Triple Crown Adventure: three complete coast-to-coast crossings of the Pyrenees, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean. No straight lines, but high ridges, remote passes and deep valleys.

The pack weighs six kilos at most and is still complete:
- a running pack such as the Rab Veil XP 20L or 30L (the latter filled to 25 litres at most)
- an ultralight Rab Ridge Raider Bivi as shelter
- for the night, a Mythic Ultra 120 Modular with an Ultrasphere 4.5 sleeping mat
- an insulating base layer, windstopper and waterproof, windproof running jacket
- water in soft flasks, refilled from mountain streams
- for emergencies, a first aid kit, headlamp, emergency bivy and phone

The most important principle: lightweight, but never careless. In the Pyrenees you can get scorching sun on bare rock slabs and cold on a windy col in the same day. A wet body, wind at altitude and fatigue together are a dangerous combination, so being able to stay warm and dry isn't comfort but necessity.

Villages and refuges are anchor points, but never certainties: opening times change and supplies run out. Self-reliance stays the rule. And the real work starts at home, studying contour lines and thinking through scenarios: where can I descend, where can I take shelter?

The less I carry, the more I experience. It sounds like a cliché, but every trip confirms it again.

Source: Geert van Nispen