The GR5 Trail - Trekking through the French Alps

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Published

Cover

Paperback - PVC

Published

11 Apr 2008

Edition

First

ISBN

9781852845339

ISBN (10)

1852845333

Size

17.2 x 11.6 x 1.5cm

Weight

410g

Pages

320

Originally Published

11 Apr 2008

The GR5 Trail

Through the French Alps: Lake Geneva to Nice by Paddy Dillon

Guidebook to walking the GR5 trek from France's 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. More...

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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, Read More... St Etienne-de Tinée, Nice

Difficulty

A solid 4-week trek through high alpine terrain. Needs stamina and mountain sense. Paths and Read More... waymarkings are good.

Must See

One of the great treks - great days, constantly changing mountain views, huts, alpine pastures and Read More... valleys.

September 2009

Changes to Day 30 on the GR52

At L'Authion, the fort, on page 269, the GR52 has changed and GR markers have been greyed out. While the book describes the route to turn left at the junction (towards the fort), it now turns right (away from the fort), level along a grassy track. Marking is present, but not clear at all. Some ruins are reached on the right and the GR goes down the hill along a path to a memorial at a road bend. Then GR52 turns left at the road, with the valley on the right-hand side to meet up with the road bend that is described in the book. Note that there are no GR markers on this stretch of road.
A little further on, on page 270, the book describes the access track towards a Vacherie that leads down a path through a pasture to reach a road, where water may be available. Note that all markers have been greyed out here and no water is available. I suspect the idea is to follow the road to the road bend, instead of to detour through the pasture where there is no water anyway.
A little further on, also on page 270, the route contours “round the slopes of Mangiabo”. This is no longer true. Signposts direct the walker to the top of the Mangiabo, where the route turns sharply left to follow the rigde. Further along, the route turns sharply right to join up to the “old” GR52. The idea is to make this entire section a ridge walk.
Just a few meters further along, the route has changed again. The path along the “pleasant grassy shoulder” has become a steep descent across a meadow, probably as a result of a landslide.