The GR5 Trail - Through the French Alps

Map key

Mountain safety

Overview profile/staging options

Route summary tables

Introduction

Walking the GR5

Alpine Traverses

Who Walks the GR5?

Route Outline

North–South/South–North

Timings

Waymarking

GR5 Geology

Alpine Flowers

Alpine Wildlife

Alpine Farming

Pastous

Language

Travel to the Alps

Travel Around the Alps

Services on the GR5

Accommodation

Food and Drink

Telephones

Path Conditions

Alpine Weather

When to Walk the GR5

Kit Check

Maps

Currency and Costs

Emergencies

Key Points

Section 1 Lac Léman to Les Houches

Stage 1           St-Gingolph to La Chapelle-d’Abondance (direct route)

Stage 1a         Thonon-les-Bains to Vinzier (alternative Day 1)

Stage 1b         Vinzier to La Chapelle-d’Abondance (alternative Day 2)

Stage 2           La Chapelle-d’Abondance to Chésery

Stage 3           Chésery to Samoëns

Stage 4           Samoëns to Refuge Moëde Anterne

Stage 5           Refuge Moëde Anterne to Les Houches

Section 2 Les Houches to Landry

Stage 6           Les Houches to Les Contamines

Stage 6a         Les Houches to Les Contamines (via Col de Tricot)

Stage 7           Les Contamines to Plan de la Lai

Stage 8           Plan de la Lai to Landry

Section 3 Landry to Modane

GR5 Main route

Stage 9           Landry to Refuge d’Entre-le-Lac

Stage 10         Refuge d’Entre-le-Lac to Val d’Isère

Stage 11         Val d’Isère to Bessans (via Col de l’Iseran)

Stage 11a       Val d’Isère to Bessans (via Col des Fours)

Stage 12         Bessans to Refuge du Plan du Lac    

Stage 13         Refuge du Plan du Lac to le Montana

Stage 14         Le Montana to Modane/Fourneaux

GR55 High-level route (Refuge d’Entre-le-Lac to Modane)

Stage 1           Refuge d’Entre-le-Lac to Refuge d’Entre Deux Eaux

Stage 2           Refuge d’Entre Deux Eaux to Roc de la Pêche

Stage 3           Roc de la Pêche to Modane/Fourneaux

GR5E Low-level route (Bonneval-sur-Arc to Modane)

Stage 1           Bonneval-sur-Arc to Termignon

Stage 2           Termignon to Modane/Fourneaux

Section 4 Modane to Ceillac

Stage 15         Modane/Fourneaux to Refuge du Mont Thabor

Stage 16         Refuge du Mont Thabor to Roubion

Stage 17         Roubion to Briançon

Stage 18         Briançon to Brunissard

Stage 19         Brunissard to Ceillac

Section 5 Ceillac to St-Dalmas

Stage 20         Ceillac to La Barge/Maljasset

Stage 21         La Barge/Maljasset to Larche

Stage 22         Larche to Bousieyas

Stage 23         Bousieyas to Auron

Stage 24         Auron to Refuge de Longon

Stage 25         Refuge de Longon to St-Dalmas

Section 6 St-Dalmas to Nice or Garavan/Menton

GR5 Main route

Stage 26         St-Dalmas to Utelle

Stage 27         Utelle to Aspremont

Stage 28         Aspremont to Nice

GR52 route to Garavan/Menton

Stage 1           St-Dalmas to Le Boréon

Stage 2           Le Boréon to Refuge de Nice

Stage 3           Refuge de Nice to Refuge des Merveilles

Stage 4           Refuge des Merveilles to Camp d’Argent

Stage 5           Camp d’Argent to Sospel

Stage 6           Sospel to Garavan/Menton

Appendix A     Accommodation listings

Appendix B     Basic French for the GR5

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