Late in the afternoon, we entered the cute town of Saint Dalmas Valdeblore (1,209 meters). This town has an interesting ancient walled core and a boring newer bit outside by the river (anything later than 1900 is 'new' there). The camping was a long way out of town, so we stopped in a gite in the middle of the old town, run by a retired guide. One suspects the campgrounds are deliberately placed outside the towns, a long way from the shops...
Once we had dropped our packs, we went food shopping for the forthcoming GR52 stage and got some nice hard cheese from the local cheese-maker. Their cows, their cheeses. The owner of the cheese shop assured us it would be cooler up top the next day. We didn't believe her.
It had indeed been a hot day, and instead of the normal tureen of hot soup as first course, the owner of the gite served a huge bowl of ice-cold cooked green beans and tomato slices, which we thought was rather good for this weather. The bowl was emptied with enthusiasm - not a bean was left.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Tuesday 24 July 2007
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Companion forum thread to:
Track Notes for the GR52 in France
Roger, while your GR52 trip was interesting, I prefer your trips that involve you coming close to dying, such as "When Things Go Wrong." Please try to include death-defying close calls in all your future trips. Don't get too close, though, we don't want to lose you or your wife.
> death-defying close calls
Choke!
I'm thinking about making a small part of this trip with my wife. We're planning on doing 5-6 days on the trail, but still deciding on which portion of the GR-5 and/or GR-52 to do- somewhere between Larche and Menton.
We're experienced hikers in our small corner of the Eastern US. But our hikes are in the rolling hills of Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee- certainly not Alpine terrain!
I have a question for anyone who has experience on this trail. Our general rule of thumb is to avoid hikes where a false step or slip will lead to a serious fall, injury, or death. Are there points on this trail that fit this description? Are there certain stretches that are less perilous than others? We're young and fit, and have no problems with strenuous hiking. But we like to have our feet on a firm trail, with room for error or trips.
Thanks!
Hi Aaron
The French GR routes are highlights of the trails network. They are used a lot. By and large, the tracks are well-maintained and will present no problems at all to any experienced walker. Or to any fit active kid either.
There were one or two spots on the GR52 where the track did have a lot of gravel on the surface as it went downhill. I remember commenting about it to my wife – but I don't think either of us slowed down much there.
I also remember one stretch of the GR5 where the guide book mentioned there was an exposed and technical section, which caused my wife some concern beforehand. We got to the next junction and my wife asked with some confusion or amusement where the difficult bit was.
Now, Menton. That is on the coast (the Med) and it was stinking hot there. I don't think many people do the last couple of days S of the Val de Merveilles. That bit of the track was a bit rougher too. My suggestion would be that if you only have 6 days, stay further N up in the mountains. You will definitely enjoy that more. The Parc National de Vanois is nice.
Cheers
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