Two years ago, GP Pip Hayes hiked 520 miles through the Spanish Pyrenees Mountains, to raise funds for Hospiscare.
Working on the NHS frontline, and seeing the hospice in action, inspired her to take on the GR11 Trek and raise more than £2,000.
Two years later, she’s returned to the other side of the mountains – this time to hike 570 miles of the GR10 Trek, spanning the entire French Pyrenees, from Hendaye on the Atlantic coast to Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean.
Through blistering heat, and thousands of metres of ascent, Pip has now passed the halfway mark and is currently heading towards Andorra.
Along the way, she’s met vultures, pine martens, red squirrels, kingfishers, a marmot, and other hikers including camino pilgrims on their way to Santiago.
Pip said: “It’s wonderful to be up in the Pyrenees again. My favourite days so far were those near Vignemalle – I camped beneath it one very cold and windy night and heard bits of its glacier crashing down through the night.
“I was particularly thrilled to pass one of the caves used by the eccentric explorer Henry Russell on his expeditions, and I’m meeting really interesting hikers.”
Pip also shared how she was befriended by four young Singaporean trail runners – who saved her from going the wrong way on what turned into a day of storms.
She added: “I arrived in Bagnères de Luchon completely drenched so enjoyed taking the next day off to mark the halfway point, soaking in the thermal baths.”
Unfortunately, the heat and dangerous wildfire situation in France and Spain is making Pip “a bit nervous” – and she’s facing potential diversions, and a possibility that the end of the trail may be blocked, as she approaches the Mediterranean.
Pip in training
Pip became a GP in 1986 and worked at Exeter’s St Leonard’s Practice for 16 years, until she retired from daytime practice in 2015. She continues to work as a self-employed out of hours GP at weekends, including home visits for patients nearing the end of their lives.
“While at St Leonard’s, and as an out-of-hours doctor, I’ve seen the fantastic work Hospiscare does through many of my patients,” she said.
“Their service is invaluable to people with end-of-life conditions, but they’re spread too thinly over quite a large area and in dire need of more funding, which is why I’m back in the mountains and hoping to raise money for them again, two years on.”
Last time, for the GR11, she walked with a friend. Three days before the end, Pip slipped in a gully, tearing her shoulder muscles and walking in considerable pain at the end.
Now fully rehabilitated, Pip is walking solo this time. Prior to her two treks in the Pyrenees, Pip’s also raised money for Hospiscare by running in the London and Paris marathons and the Great West Run.
She added: “Hospiscare is such a worthy cause. They support adults with life-limiting illnesses and currently help at least 2,000 people every year across the heart of Devon.
“I see the fantastic work they do close-up, with their specialist ward in Exeter and out in the community. They provide a super service and there’s always an on-call hospice consultant that the out-of-hours GPs can talk to, which is really useful.”
To sponsor Pip, please visit her fundraising page JustGiving.
Inspired by Pip’s story? Find out about taking on a challenge of your own for your local hospice charity.
