The Hairy Hikers

July 1, 2013
LeVay, a children's therapist and university lecturer, charts the seven weeks he and his buddy Rob spent walking the GR10, a trail from the Atlantic coast of France to the picturesque town of Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean. They are not world-class hikers, but they substitute a determined and lighthearted attitude for getting themselves across plateaus, woods, and mountains. Nights include stops at French hostels where the two eat well, meet intriguing co-walkers and townspeople and, despite crises, adhere to a demanding schedule. The pair's "dormitory hell" is described as "a bunkhouse with a raised platform upon which we line up in our sleeping bags like little larvae, waiting for the light of morning before we hatch out." A whimsical list, "What I Learned in the Mountains", results from LeVay's phone call to his mother, who asks him if he has learned anything about himself during the trip. It's all fast-moving and funny, and despite physical and mental challengesâeverything from mood swings to excessive snoring to broken toesâthey remain upbeat.