Track Notes: Part 1…GR5 in France

Sorry guys – a slight scheduling problem at my end means the gallery is not fully functional just yet. Just give us a few hours for some sleep …

Now fixed.

Cheers
Roger

Roger,

great walk! As I am starting on 23 june on the GR5 I really appreciate your pictures and notes as an appetizer.
Hopefully the weather will be better for me!
Looking forward for the 2nd part.
Sabine

edit: afaik for the TGV you need a reservation obligatory.

> French shops are mostly shut down between 1:00 pm
> and 4:00 pm for a siesta. Don't ask me why. This
> strange and annoying custom made food shopping
> difficult at times.

Not strange and annoying for the shopkeepers, though, I'll bet!

Reading your account has brought back lots of memories! In 2000, my husband and I hiked the GR 5 from Holland to Nice. The trail goes through Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and into France. In Belgium, we were in the Ardennes and before we got to the Alps we hiked in the Vosges and Jura (foothills to the Alps). It was one of most fantastic experiences of our lives — exciting, gorgeous nad challenging. Anyway, thanks!

Sue coyne

Excellent report. You proved that you could handle bad weather with your light gear.

LOL => only us foreigners go walking in this kind of weather; the locals stay home

reservation in tgv is not obligatory, but if you don't it's most expensive and it's not sure for you to have a place, it's like plane. Siestas 1 pm to 4, I can't believe that, or it's a very little shop, in a very small village. In France the médium lenght of working in more important than in USA…et nous sommes beaucoup plus productive que vous….cocorico…

Hi George

> You proved that you could handle bad weather with your light gear.
That was the interesting bit. I keep hearing how heavy-weight walkers claim that UL walkers risk their lives and the lives of other people rescuing them. But it just isn't true that we run any more risks than the heavies – fewer imho.

I think our custom ponchos were a huge factor in handling the bad weather.

Cheers

Roger,
did you have any luck with the weather on your TMB. I remember the refuge du col de la croix de bonhomme since we stayed there for two nights. The weather we had looked pretty similar to what you experienced: rain, snow, … I don't think I could have convinced my wife to stay outside in the snow. Staying there for two nights appeared to be a good choice afterwards because we were able to take a higher route and had ten continuous days with nearly perfect weather.

I'm looking forward to the rest of your report. I've done parts of the GR5 further south in the Queyras and the Mercantour and I've also walked parts of the GR52.

Hi Tom

> I don't think I could have convinced my wife to stay outside in the snow.
The biggest problem was that we didn't have any snow pegs!
Our sleeping bags weigh only 550 g (19.4 oz) each, and they would have been marginal, but we were succeeding with them by layering them one on the other. Very close snuggles!

> did you have any luck with the weather on your TMB.
Part 2 coming. But briefly, the day we reached Modane the weather flipped. After that day we never wore our ponchos again. Near the Med it got very hot and dry.

Cheers

Hi Roger,

Great report! I did the TMB 4 years ago, a very good memory!

Just to be precise : the summit on picture 10 is not Le Mont Blanc (which is not in sight on the picture) but L'Aiguille du Goûter.
We can see it on the main picture at te top of the page : it is what's look like a big rocky wall on the right part of the picture with, above, the Dôme du Goûter and finally, in the clouds, Le Mont Blanc.

Hi Guillaume

You are probably right. The weather was terrible at the time and that was the best pic I was able to get.

Thanks
Roger

>A bill of sale for the chalets from the 17th century referenced the original title from 1443 – only slightly older than me.

Haha! Thanks for a great report, Roger. I enjoyed the simple, journal format and hope it will continue in further installments.