In the summer of 2022, feeling disillusioned with working life in London and in search of an outdoor challenge, Matthew Bowmer set off alone to walk the Grande Randonnée 10, a 900-kilometre footpath through the French Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.

In the first few days it becomes clear this will be no ordinary walk. Each day he navigates the landscape, unsure of where he would sleep, following the path until he wants to stop. The doubt about exactly what he would be confronted with, and the need to improvise on many occasions, is a source of both excitement and apprehension.

From 40-degree heat and a failing tent, to sleeping out under the stars and learning first-hand about the Basque sport of pelota, the immersion within the surroundings brings a rich combination of gifts and challenges. And this is just a sign of things to come.

Ups and Downs is a humorous, in-depth reflection of Matthew’s expedition where he recounts the geography, people, events, and personal battles he encounters along the way.

"A cornucopia of exhilarating adventures, Ups and Downs quarries a Pyrenean landscape very close to my heart. Having lived there on and off for over 35 years this book is so much more than just a travelogue. Matthew Bowmer has dug into it like a wayward archaeologist, excavating both the mundane and the magnificent; the very bond that holds our lives together." Andrew Kötting