Vercors National Park, France

• 2000_06 - 7 days

A spectacular and challenging hike. I would even call it life changing. Both physically and mentally it was the most demanding hike ever. There are no towns or shops up there, and we depending heavily on the sparse water sources for a couple of days. I've never been so well prepared, I trained and learned and practised. This was the time before GPS and smartphones, skill with maps, compas and altimeter was crucial. I blew up my knee on the very first day, because we did the 1200m climb to fast. I could hardly walk, and certainly not descend the same way, so I struggled and suffered for a week in that remote landscape. The scenery was sometimes awe inspiring, like being in a secret world in the sky. The encounters with the wildlife and fellow men were so impressive that they had lasting effects on me. it was one of those hikes where I pushed the envelope, where learned about myself. I am writing this intro 20 years later. I returned 3 more times, and I can now say that this first hike onto the Vercors high plateau was indeed life changing. (and I plan to return for a 5th time, at least).