Andorra - The GRP - Gear List
The following is the gear list for this trip. It is posted after the fact so I have decided to post it before the actual trip report as it might provide some context for what I’ll write about the fastpack thereafter.
The gear I selected for the trip was based on the principle that my pack would be my aircraft 10kg carry-on and that I would not have a base in Andorra until after I completed the GRP fastpack. Thus, I needed to pack and carry all the kit necessary for a mountain fastpack during which I would bivy, as well as having enough basics to see me through the entirety of the trip thereafter. This is pretty much what I did on both my GR20 and the GR70 fastpacks, so it is a tried and tested concept.
The pack is the Raidlight Ultra Legend 30. Along with the older Ultra Raid 30 and its little brother (or sister or it could be non-binary, who the f*!k knows!) the Ultra Legend 20, this is in my opinion the best overall fastpack that you could ever lay your hands on. It has everything you could possibly want from a running fastpack, including supreme comfort and stability.
I went light and compact on the sleeping system, taking the Thermarest Hyperion 32 sleeping bag which compresses to a ridiculously small size considering it is a genuine zero-degree bag. I would need it if bivying at higher altitude.
I took a range of clothing layers for a wide variation in temperatures, from zero to mid-twenties. Like many alpine environments, the region is prone to afternoon rain or thunderstorms, so a decent waterproof is essential as well as good drybags and a pack cover to keep everything as dry as possible. I would be able to wash stuff once the GRP is done and I had accommodation for the rest of the trip. I would acquire toiletries, cheap T-shirt etc once in town.
In terms of food, I would be able to supplement the calories I was carrying with meals, snacks etc from the staffed refuges and from the odd small grocery shop I would pass at one or more of the road crossings.
- Raidlight Ultra Legend 30L pack
- 2 x Salomon 500ml soft flasks with Salomon XA filter (I forgot to photograph!)
- UD waistbelt pouch
- Thermarest Hyperion 32 sleeping bag
- Silk sleeping bag liner
- Dyneema drybag for sleeping bag and liner
- Nemo Tensor Elite Ultralight sleeping mat
- Alpkit Drift pillow
- Alpkit Kloke bivy bag
- Sea to Summit 5L Evac drybag containing Montane Ultra Pull-on, Craft thermal tights, X-Bionic short-sleeve top, Craft sleeveless top, OMM Kamleika waterproof shorts, spare underwear, spare pair of socks, buff, beanie
- Montbell Tachyon wind jacket
- Gloves
- Pack cover
- 20L Drybag
- OMM Aether Dyneema waterproof jacket
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- First Aid kit including compass and Petzl e-lite
- Waterproof pouch containing passport, cash, bank cards and insurance cover card
- Plastic tripod
- Garmin 67i handheld satellite device
- 10,000 mah power bank with 3-in-1 cable and Garmin charging cable
- Petzl RL Swift head torch with spare battery
- Euro adapter plug with USB ports
- Andorra hiking map
- Dyneema repair cord
- Exped padded bag to contain all electronics
- Food bag, contents listed separately
- Wipes
- Mobile Phone
I would travel in a set of running clothing which would be supplemental to the items listed above.
Food items are itemised below. Once I arrived, I would re-distribute some of the running calories to other outer pockets of my pack for ready access. The plastic gel flask was to enable me to purchase and carry other gels for any subsequent runs to the GRP fastpack. I always pre-dispense single gels prior to any run. It enables a little water to be added to ease ingestion and avoids the inevitable hand stickiness which comes from handling open gels on the move. Also, no sticky mess to dispose of.
Total Pack Weight, with flasks but excluding water – 6.6 kg
(The food and electronics alone weigh a shade over 2kg, so I think it was not too bad a weight overall, considering what I needed to pack for.)
