The GR5 Trail

Through the French Alps from Lake Geneva to Nice

By Paddy Dillon

An essential guidebook for walking the GR5 trail, 660km from Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) to Nice or Menton, through the French Alps. Includes all the main variant routes as it passes Mont Blanc, then through the Vanoise, the Queyras and the Mercantour National Parks. Includes accommodation, profiles and maps. Suitable for fairly experienced hikers.

Seasons

The GR5 is primarily a summer trek: starting too early or late in the season may lead to problems with snow, and mountain huts may be closed. The French summer holiday runs from mid-July to mid-August: this coincides with the best weather, but accommodation will be busy.

Centres

Geneva; Chamonix; Modane; Briançon; Nice

Difficulty

Despite its length, and despite crossing the Alps, the GR5 is no more than a long mountain walk, paths are well-graded and the route can be varied from 645-725km (400-450 miles)

Must See

One of Europe's best Alpine treks, and becoming increasingly popular Cross the Alps from Lac Leman to Nice 10,000 people walk the route each year, in whole or in part Third edition of this established guide Includes variant routes such as the GR55 through Vanoise National Park, and the GR52 through Mercantour National Park
ISBN
9781852848286
Availability
Published
Published
7 Jan 2016
Edition
Third
Pages
320
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.80cm
Weight
390g
Overview
An essential guidebook for walking the GR5, one of the world's most spectacular long-distance trails. The GR5 makes its way through the Alps from the shores of Lac Léman at Geneva to the Mediterranean at Nice. A route of 674km (420 miles), it can be trekked in a month, or split over a series of summer trips. The GR5 is well within the reach of fit and moderately experienced walkers and backpackers. There is good signposting and waymarking, and accommodation, food and drink are all available at regular intervals. The paths and tracks are generally well graded, while steep climbs are tackled on zigzag paths, so the overall gradient is not so severe. Every summer, thousands of walkers embark on this trek.

This guidebook also describes some scenic variant routes, including the stunning GR55 through the Vanoise National Park and the delightful GR52 that crosses the Mercantour National Park. Full descriptions and maps are provided for these alternatives. The book includes daily stages, timings, ascents and descents, full-colour mapping and gradient profiles, alongside information about facilities and services along the route. The result is an ideal companion to planning and completing your trek.

Two further Cicerone guidebooks cover the remaining sections of the GR5; 'The GR5 Trail - Vosges and Jura', and 'The GR5 Trail - Benelux and Lorraine' which together cover the route from Lac Léman to the Hoek Van Holland.
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Paddy Dillon Cicerone author DILLON

Paddy Dillon

Paddy Dillon is a prolific walker and guidebook writer, with over 100 guidebooks to his name and contributions to 40 other titles. He has written for several outdoor magazines and other publications and has appeared on radio and television.Paddy uses a tablet computer to write as he walks. His descriptions are therefore precise, having been written at the very point at which the reader uses them.Paddy is an indefatigable long-distance walker who has walked all of Britain's National Trails and several European trails. He has also walked in Nepal, Tibet, Korea and the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the US. Paddy is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and President of the Backpackers Club.

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