The GR5 Trail - Trekking through the French Alps
The GR5 runs from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean at Nice through the whole of the French alpine chain. 660km (400 miles) and takes about a month. Crosses the Chabalais, Mont Blanc region, Vanoise, skirts the Ecrins, through the Queyras, southern alps and Alpes Maritime.
The GR5 Trail
Through the French Alps: Lake Geneva to Nice
Author
Cover
Paperback - PVC
Edition
Second
ISBN_13
9781852845339
Availability
Published
Price
£14.00
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Seasons
Mid-June to mid-September, when huts will close.
Centres
Thonon, Evian and St Gingolph on Lake Léman (Geneva), Chamonix, Landry, Modane, Briançon, Ceillac, St Etienne-de Tinée, Nice
Difficulty
A solid 4-week trek through high alpine terrain. Needs stamina and mountain sense. Paths and waymarkings are good.
Must See
One of the great treks - great days, constantly changing mountain views, huts, alpine pastures and valleys.
There are a few walkers, mainly French, who are happy to walk the whole of the GR5 without maps, relying entirely on the red/white route markers and signposts. Many French walkers rely on maps in the FFRP Topoguide series (www.ffrandonnee.fr) that are printed at a scale of 1:50,000, but this means carrying four guidebooks to cover the whole route.
The best maps are the IGN 1:25,000 Serie Bleu, and 21 of these cover the route, numbers 3548 ET, 3528 ET, 3530 ET, 3531 ET, 3531 OT, 3532 OT, 3633 ET, 3534 OT, 3532 ET, 3634 OT, 3535 OT, 3536 OT, 3537 ET, 3637 OT, 3538 ET, 3639 OT, 3640 OT, 3641 ET, 3741 ET, 3742 OT, 3741 OT. These are available along the route, where they can be purchased one at a time, used as required, then posted home at intervals. Alternatively, they can be ordered in advance, either direct from the IGN in France (www.ign.fr) or from British suppliers such as: Stanfords (12–14 Long Acre, London WC2E 9BR, tel 0207 836 1321, www.stanfords.co.uk), The Map Shop (15 High Street, Upton-upon-Severn WR8 0HJ, tel 01684 593146, www.themapshop.co.uk) or Cordee (3a De Montford Street, Leicester LE1 7HD, tel 0116 254 3579, www.cordee.co.uk).
Those who prefer to customise maps on their computers can get IGN 1:25,000 maps of the French Alps on DVD from Memory Map, www.memory-map.co.uk. Google Earth offers detailed aerial
The 1:50,000 Rando Éditions maps of the Tour du Mont Blanc and Vanoise are useful on the earlier stages of the route. Maps at a scale of 1:60,000 are published by Libris (www.libris.fr) but these omit the southern stages around Nice and Menton. Beyond these alternatives, the IGN publish a 1:100,000 series that shows the GR5 on four sheets, and with care these could be used for navigation, but they are more useful to gain an overview of the route.
The best maps are the IGN 1:25,000 Serie Bleu, and 21 of these cover the route, numbers 3548 ET, 3528 ET, 3530 ET, 3531 ET, 3531 OT, 3532 OT, 3633 ET, 3534 OT, 3532 ET, 3634 OT, 3535 OT, 3536 OT, 3537 ET, 3637 OT, 3538 ET, 3639 OT, 3640 OT, 3641 ET, 3741 ET, 3742 OT, 3741 OT. These are available along the route, where they can be purchased one at a time, used as required, then posted home at intervals. Alternatively, they can be ordered in advance, either direct from the IGN in France (www.ign.fr) or from British suppliers such as: Stanfords (12–14 Long Acre, London WC2E 9BR, tel 0207 836 1321, www.stanfords.co.uk), The Map Shop (15 High Street, Upton-upon-Severn WR8 0HJ, tel 01684 593146, www.themapshop.co.uk) or Cordee (3a De Montford Street, Leicester LE1 7HD, tel 0116 254 3579, www.cordee.co.uk).
Those who prefer to customise maps on their computers can get IGN 1:25,000 maps of the French Alps on DVD from Memory Map, www.memory-map.co.uk. Google Earth offers detailed aerial
The 1:50,000 Rando Éditions maps of the Tour du Mont Blanc and Vanoise are useful on the earlier stages of the route. Maps at a scale of 1:60,000 are published by Libris (www.libris.fr) but these omit the southern stages around Nice and Menton. Beyond these alternatives, the IGN publish a 1:100,000 series that shows the GR5 on four sheets, and with care these could be used for navigation, but they are more useful to gain an overview of the route.
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