Route: GR 10 (France)

Hello,

Last July 23rd 2020, I completed the GR 10 self-supported in 12 days 5 hours and 22 minutes. This is a new time reference as self-supported, as I am the first to do so in such conditions. This time is also at the moment the second fastest time overall.

Here are some details about my adventure if anyone is curious about it:

- I carried myself my own gear from start to finish, beside making a detour at Vignec to buy a new pair of hiking poles (because one broke at Lac D'Oo).

- I managed myself my nutrition: I made some detours to go to some supermarket, to make my own grocery shopping, and ate some food in some "refuge" or restaurant when there was nothing else.

- I managed my rest time and my sleep: carrying a thermarest neoair, and a sleeping bag, I was sleeping on the trail. Without a tent, twice when it rained I had to pack my stuff and continue walking for one hour, before finding a hut, or a rock wall where I could find 50cm dry to lay down in poor conditions.

- I managed my navigation: following by myself the red and white GR10 marks, using my watch when I was lost, or trusting myself when my watch died 3 hours before the finish. I lost between 5h and 6 hours total in this adventure, because using the wrong trail, and coming back to the GR10, several times.

- I managed myself everything else, going to the pharmacy store to buy things for my ankle, finding water when there were none (drinking bad water without a filter or pills, I took some risk but I was fine in the end), I managed my own pace, and etc.

This adventure was not recognized as a FKT, because some family and friends came to meet me along the way, which is not part of the FKT guidelines as self-supported. When they came, I made sure to lead the way, orienting myself, I obviously did not accept any food, solar cream, water, or anything from them, I was pacing myself with them following me behind. The only thing is that they obviously made me smile and gave me motivation, because seeing them and sharing some time with them is always precious.

Overall, I am totally fine to not have the official FKT as self-supported on the website, because I respect so much the effort put into this website, and without guidelines, some people could easily take some support, and referencing would not be as consistent. Despite that, because I know what I have been through and the condition, I still claim my adventure as the new reference for anyone that would want to go self-supported.

More than all this, this adventure was great, visiting amazing places, with a lot of up and downs physically and mentally, in the mountains where I live and where I am originally from. And I found a lot of happiness seeing that my family and friends were very happy to be part of this project by following online, by meeting me on the trail or by following me for couple of miles. This is something I am looking forward to do again in the future.

For anyone that would need more details, you can find information or contact me on social network, instagram or facebook.

Thanks again to the FKT website for the hard work and the inspiration,

Cheers, aurelien