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Pyrenees are ideal for mountains hiking. Many trails, topographical maps and guides are available to the public with little regard for basic safety rules and protective nature. Nevertheless, the practice of hiking in all its forms, especially in the Pyrenees (France and Spain) obeys certain rules that should be known.

Hiking is probably the most popular activity. To look easy and safe in this activity is nevertheless found the most accidents. Near tourism and often presented as a form of tourism in rural said “green” tourism, practitioners such as tourism players forget too quickly that it is a physical activity sometimes hostile environment that obeys the rules and make a sport whose learning and training are critical.

Hiking with donkey

In the Pyrenees, the mountain hike accompanied by a donkey or a lama is becoming more popular.
The donkey, contrary to what can be said, is an intelligent animal. He eats and drinks little. It does not present special hazards and can be given to “non-specialists, unlike the horse. It can be used as a donkey for transportation of baggage but also to transport children tired during the hike.

Children like donkeys. Their company can be an attraction to teach children to walk and the mountain.
The lama is also a pleasant and docile with children. But there is no question to go above and carries lighter loads. It is nice for day trips or half day.

In many valleys of the Pyrenees, it is possible to hire donkeys on predetermined routes where it can be received in a house with a park for the night of the donkey, sometimes with food supplements.

Professionals in Pyrenees Mountains

It is recommended not to venture into the mountains without knowledge and skill. That is why it is desirable to form for self or hire a professional mountain that will lead you in the best possible conditions. If you want to discover the country, the valleys with their culture, traditions, history, ask a local guide.

Hiking shoes

Good shoes are essential for mountain hiking.  Today there are many types of shoes tailored to different terrains. Walking shoes made for short trips, one to two hours on trails and with favorable weather conditions. In this case, you can just light and breathable shoes with a rising stem for the ankle and ankle protection.

Located south of Grenoble, Vercors massif is the largest pre-Alpine. If today its name immediately conjures up the practice of outdoor sports, it was of course not always the case and the massive underground was better known there was little to be one of the great bastions of resistance during the War World.

Did you know that the word “Vercors” originated as a Celtic people settled in the region, Vertacomicorii. Vercors was actually a small country around the Chapel until the nineteenth century. Only at the beginning of the twentieth century, geographers gave the name to massive.

Extremely complex geographically, Vercors massif is a karst varied. It is on the high plateau of Vercors, largely at the heart of the nature reserve. You have three days to walk. Traveler originally planned to leave Corrençon in Vercors, go south and then return via the balcony after being mounted in the Grand Veymont. Well, might as well say at once, the weather decided otherwise.

The sources are rare on the high plateau of the Vercors and the flow is random. Before you hike, you’d better have full water bottles and have identified the source locations on the map, or better know their GPS coordinates. The highlands of Vercors are usually in fog. You have to stay on trails if it were to rise.

Mountain equipment

The following mountain equipment is required and recommends to be accompanied for hiker:

Walking sticks.
Walking sticks are more accessories that add style to the hiker.
It reduces the pressure on the knees, ankles and hips during climbs and descents.
They reduce the risk of injury or accident. Opt for telescopic batons. They let you adjust their height to the ground or the person. However, they are a bit more fragile than the bats in a single tube.

Head protection.
Thermal protection of the head should not be overlooked. The skull, ears, neck are sensitive.
The apron will protect you against small ears wind rises.
The cap protects primarily from the sun.
The balaclava, supplemented by the use of a mask completely covers the head to cold weather conditions.
The helmet protects from fall of rocks or ice.
In the mountains, there are many circumstances where it is necessary to light up hands-free, headlamp will help you see in the dark.

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Equipment and materials allow the hiker to live comfortably in the mountains at high altitude and possibly survive being stranded in emergencies caused by unpredictable factors such as sudden storms, and other objective dangers (falling rocks, fog, cold).

For many years the statistics of the National Mountain Rescue Corps show that many mountain accidents are caused by their lack of equipment and inadequate clothing.

It stands to reason that the personal equipment of every hiker must pay considerable attention that extended to the groups together; it means a priority concern for the passenger on everything related equipment and clothing of each group member.

Without entering on the type of clothing and their characteristics, which best can deduce one of the many specialized works on the subject; you can just say that the clothing must be:

- HOT: both to prevent heat loss and to protect from the cold;

- Light: for obvious reasons related to the total weight to bring your backpack;

- Solids: many artificial fibers now made highly resistant to abrasion;

- Convenient: easy to attach and remove, making this dress in layers useful to all units;

- Functional: to move well on any terrain.

It is also very important that they are waterproof and will dry out too quickly.

We must not underestimate the routes that take place in small proportion or no climbing difficulties: the storm is always lurking, even in the clearest days and then the trouble you can try for a long exposure. A small setback can take precious time and in the mountains, even in August, is not pleasant to remain in their undershirts after sunset. Therefore we must still provide light clothing as well as a good sweater (preferably synthetic fiber) and a waterproof jacket, to wear the bottom of the bag even in summer.

Glasses and hat for sun protection cream antisolar or tools such as compass, altimeter and the map, never abandoned the pocket of the backpack.

Even at fifteen hundred feet a sudden change in weather can bring down the temperature quickly, so a wool hat and a pair of gloves will come back will certainly be useful. A lightweight nylon rain cape as well as shelter from the weather, if necessary can be used for many other purposes.

Needless to recommend that move well in the mountains and not suffer needlessly should have decent shoulders a backpack and a pair of boots like Regatta Shoes. For a trip like a pair of hiking boots review hiking is fine, but the choice of these and other things will automatically become part of the wealth of personal knowledge, having done a bit  of experience, otherwise it will use the usually more experienced friend .

As for the rest of the equipment, are important water bottle and a small flashlight  will be helpful as well with the darkness of night, and may serve to throw light signals in an emergency or to light a cave. ER minimized, usually accompanied with tours is part of the accompanying baggage, and may contain just a few patches, gauze, disinfectant, cotton wool and a bandage.

What are the most important things to know in advance or check at time of purchase, before buying a pair of hiking sandals?

The market always tries to convince us that we need a thousand different objects, the other a more specialized: you really need a pair of shoes specifically designed and advertised to go to forests, streams, rocks and mountains.

A pair of sandals that you must reach their destination without damage even when the only road is a mule track or trail on the rock must obviously have a sole pad to take hold, and strong enough to not be consumed after a few days of use . Fortunately, if indeed you need it, today there are also shoes with Vibram soles, or other materials more or less equivalent. One thing to watch in these cases, in addition to the outlet in question is whether the soles leave mark on floors, boats and other sensitive surfaces: if so better avoid it, unless the sandal does not really serve only outdoors on lawns, sidewalks or paths.

The fact that the sole is Vibram hyper or any other material is a necessary condition for no slip, but not enough. In some cases the incisions may be ineffective for the sole up or down with a backpack on steep slopes.

Protection and support of the foot

If you plan to walk along with sandals uphill, downhill and on uneven ground, there are models such as Keen Sandals that have a minimum of headset support for the heel side and upward, to prevent the foot from sliding in different directions to forcing a considerable effort just to keep the foot within the sandal itself.

To prevent the toes are immediately in contact with rocks, thorns and similar amenities can be a useful form of sandal that leave a minimum clearance between the front edge and tips of fingers or a raised front edge.

A good filling of the plant is also valuable, especially if the sandals over there you only you, but also quite a heavy backpack.  The insoles are best with a minimum of embossed designs on which the foot can be taken even when sweating.

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