GR5: Lake Geneva to Menton
725km over 33 days in August / September 2022 EPIC
This is a wonderful traverse of the Alps. It definitely was not crowded. I was lucky with the weather. The weather had been terrible up to the day I started that summer. I dipped my hand in Lake Geneva with the full intention of dipping my hand in the Mediterranean to finish. I found it very tough going to start. My speed was all wrong and I suffered physically by day two with my legs turning to jelly on descent but like a lot of these trips you find your legs and get fit on trail. The most wonderful part of this hike is that you cross Europe through villages rarely seen, passing Shepards and sheep, remote landscape and isolated huts. I loved it and would highly recommend it.
The stages
Day 1 - 8.08.21: Saint Gingolph to Novel - 3.8 km - 1h:32 min - Ascent 551m Descent 0m Avg Speed 2.4km/h Stay: Les Chemins des Leman - Rooms ok Dinner Fun. 5/10
I like starting thru hikes with short days. It helps sort out your pack when you arrive at destination early. We started late in the day . 100 meters west of the start there is a great lunch restaurant right on the water. This hike has two different starting points. This was the easier of the two. Quite difficult to find way out of village and it is just a short grind higher to Novel.
Day 2 - 9.09.21: Novel to La Chapelle d'Abondance - 14.04 km 7h:42 min - Ascent 1264m Descent 1200m Avg Speed 1.8km/h Stay: La ferme de Chateau - Rooms nice - Breakfast nice - right in the centre - Owner English 7/10
I don't know if I caught a bug but I struggled on this day like no other. Legs went to jelly as I climbed over my first Col. The descent killed me and it was a long up and down day but finished in a nice village.
Day 3 - 10.08.21: La Chapelle d'Abondance to Refuge de Chesery - 18.63 km - 9h:00 min Ascent 1415m Descent 504m Avg Speed 2.1 km/h Stay: Refuge de Chesery . Beautiful setting- Rooms crowded and tight. Food very good 8/10
Long day started with a walk along a river. The ascent was very boggy in places and at times hard to follow when not on the forest road. Nice restaurant to stop for near the end of the day with panoramic views.
Day 4 - 11.08.21 Refuge de Chesery to Samones Stay: Les Glaciers. Great Village very touristy. We had great pizza just outside the town. Has a pharmacy and anything else you may need. Hotel very nice very good breakfast and major plus a swimming pool 8/10
Not much to say tough day but possible to walk faster than previous days. It was over 30°.
Day 5 - 12.08.21 Samones to Refuge de Moede Anterne 21.18 km 9h:21min Ascent 1720m Descent 527m Avg Speed 2.3km/h Stay Refuge de Moede Anterne - Great location. Rooms just about ok. Very crowded. Dinner was poor and staff were lets say unfriendly. Major storm overnight knocked out toilets and water supplies did not help . some nice stale bread for breakfast 4/10
Very nice stage . A lot of people around doing day hikes as close to Chamonix.
Day 6 - 13.08.21 - Refuge de Moede Anterne to Les Houches 8.3 km 4h:31min Ascent 99m Descent 1246m Avg speed 1.9km/h Stay Chalet Hotel du Bois Super hotel great spa area and rooms. Ate a nice curry nearby.
This was not the way we were supposed to go but stormy weather and my companion needed to get on a train back to Frankfurt made us take this deviation to Servoz. Pretty steep down with exposure and ladders - to be avoided if this is an issue. Needed to get a train to get back to the GR5
Day 7 - 14.08.21 - Les Houches to Les Contamines 20.7 km 7h:02min Ascent 1064m Descent 898m Avg Speed 3km/h Stay: Le Christiania Very nice hotel with Pool with a very good breakfast 8/10
Very enjoyable day hiking beautiful weather under Mont Blanc. Early morning climb followed by a part road descent and then a walk along a river. Got lost and took the wrong variant signs are confusing
Day 8 - 15.08.21 Les Contamines to Refuge de la croix du Bonhomme 12.87 km 4h:36min Ascent 1304m Descent 81m Avg Speed 2.8km/h Stay: Refuge de la croix du Bonhomme Place was packed with people from TMB. Outside really nice views but canteen feel food so so 5/10
Straight up day with loads of day walkers and TMB people. The Col at the top was really nice and worth the climb.
Day 9 - 16.08.21 Refuge de la croix du Bonhomme to Refuge de Presset 12.00 km 5h:06min Ascent 939m Descent 868m Avg Speed 2.3km/h Stay: Refuge de Presset. very modern beautiful refuge food and staff great highly recommend 8.5/10
Took the alternate route as the weather was poor. A good bit of road walking and then very boggy up by a stream and then over a difficult col with snow and loose rocks to a beautiful lake and refuge.
Day 10 - 17.08.21 Refuge de Presset to Landry 15.4 km 5h:47min Ascent 117m Descent 1829m Avg Speed 2.7km/h Stay Hotel L'Alpin . Very very nice great food and service from the hotel well worth a visit 8/10
Just descending all day left very early beautifully above the clouds very isolated but easy enough walking through villages but difficult end with a heavy traffic road.
Day 11 - 18.08.21 Landry to Refuge d'Entre-le-lac 16.2 km 6h:56min Ascent 1502m Descent 139m Avg Speed 2.3km/h Stay Refuge d'Entre-le-lac Strange place very beautiful setting but quality of accommodation big dorm very old plus food very poor 5/10
Only an up day. Hit a beautiful village after a couple of hours with good resupply. On the way to the refuge a lot people around going to the lakes on the way . Beautiful waterfalls and refuge area very pretty.
Day 12 - 19.08.21 Refuge d'Entre-le-lac to Refuge d'entre Deux Eaux 24.6 km 9h:07min Ascent 1226m Descent 1243m Avg Speed 2.7km/h Stay: Refuge d'entre Deux Eaux. beautiful setting loads of marmots and eagles. Beautiful to sit outside. It was very packed and dorm was very loud. Dinner was very good as was breakfast and owners were nice 7/10
Fantastic start very early with hiking above the clouds versus couple of hours all up and then over a col down very steeply to tinges. great resupply, then an extremely long up to a high altitude I got a headache and then a meander along a river down to the very nice refuge.
Day 13 - 20.08.21 Refuge d'entre Deux Eaux to Val Cenis 15.07 km 5h:30min Ascent 562m Descent 1371m Avg Speed 2.7km/h Stay: L'Outa Hotel Beautiful Hotel very high standard but expensive 8/10
Took the alternative easy route down out of the mountains , easy flat walk to start followed by a hike down to a valley through a forest. Easy day beautiful weather and really enjoyable loads of butterflies and crickets on the path. Superb.
Day 14 - 21.08.21 Val Cenis to Modane 20.3 km 5h:30min Ascent 422m Descent 653m Avg Speed 3.7km Stay Hotel Le Commerce Its a dump right by the train station avoid 2/10
easy but boring walk along the valley through villages and then finally confusing to find way into Modane. the best thing about Modane was leaving it the next day
Day 15 22.08.21 Modane to Refuge du Thabor 12.3 km 5h:29min Ascent 1502m Desent 98m Avg Speed 2.2km/h Stay: Refuge du Thabor beautiful setting quite a climb to get it and slightly off track. Packed hot refuge Dinner and breakfast were good . Staff not so accommodating.
Tough up day 5 hours straight up. But beautiful scenery started in forest but then opened to the wonderful mount Thabor
Day 16 23.08.21 Refuge du Thabor to Plampinet 17.6 km 6h:01min Ascent 486m Descent 1452m Avg Speed 2.9km/h Stay: Auberge La Cleida Beautiful garden. Dinner so so and breakfast was poor and water was not warm 5/10
Mainly downhill . very cold and foggy . Then a climb to a small lake and then a steep walk down into the valley.
Day 17- 24.08.21 Plampinet to Briancon 25.6km 8h:10min Ascent 1164m Descent 1420m Avg Speed 3.1km/h Stay: Hotel Vauban Briancon Serre Chevalier Briancon is a good place to take a rest day hotel in the middle of a big town . It was ok and food was not great and no atmosphere 6/10
Very long stage and I found it very tough. I had to move quickly as a storm was coming. First off very difficult climb out of Plampinet and then through a skiing area and then down to the ski resort for lunch then quite hard to find the route to Briancon which went on for a long time and route difficult just before arrival. Taking a rest day half way through.
Day 19 - 26.08.21 Briancon to Brunissard 19.1 km 7h:26min Ascent 1338m Descent 841m Avg Speed 2.6km/h Stay: Hotel & Spa la Ferme de L'Izoard Fantastic place with a lovely swimming pool and great dinner and breakfast 8/10
Difficult to find route out of town. After a couple of hours nice place to stop for a coffee. then long climb to a col and then beautiful walk down to a great accommodation
Day 20 - 27.08.21 Brunissard to Ceillac 20km 7h:59min Ascent 1274m Descent 1313m Avg Speed 2.5km/h Stay: Les Baladins nice village. place was ok staff not so nice had dinner across the road which was very good. Had my own room though 5/10
Ridge walk which was slightly difficult to start and then descended to a castle before a very tiring steep uphill. Over a col with some exposure issues and then easy stroll down to celiac.
Day 21 - 28.08.21 Ceillac to La barge 13.5 km 5h:44min Ascent 1151m Descent 903m Avg Speed 2.3km/h Stay: Gites Auberge de la Cure Longeron Lovely place in the middle of nowhere family run. no network needed to wait until late afternoon to open food was good Lovely garden 8/10
Slow start with a valley walk and then a steep uphill, then top out to two beautiful lakes . Then a vey high and steep and exposed col and steep descent which was difficult to follow and needed to double back to the refuge.
Day 22 - 29.08.21 La Barge to Larche 21.2 km 6h:39min Ascent 904m Descent 1365m Avg Speed 3.1km/h Stay: Au Relais d'Italie Pretty old and dusty was all alone here food and breakfast were fine direct in the village 6/10
One of the nicest days first a hike along valley floor to a beautiful bridge then long uphill past a village and then to a col where the scenery was beautiful as I walked on a plateau and came to a World War Two fort before a final steep climb to another col and a long downhill to larch
Day 23 - 30.08.21 Larche to Bousieyas 18.9 km 6h:34min Ascent 1258m Descent 1076 Avg Speed 2.9km/h Stay: Le Cafe a Marius. Was staying somewhere else but nobody around so stayed here instead. Dorm rooms and showers basic but food very good 7/10
This is the toughest days hiking with a steep col after a long slow walk through a valley and then exposure on the way down from the col. Some beautiful views as you come down from the col before a steep climb to a World War Two battlement then a quick down to a small village to stay overnight.
Day 24 - 31.08.21 Bousieyas to St Etienne de Tinee 14.7 km 5h:20min Ascent 671m Descent 1402m Avg Speed 2.7km/h Stay: Chaleureux petit appt Great airbnb in the middle of the village beautiful place to stay in an old building highly recommend 8/10
Hardest day to remember there was an initial climb and then a hairy ridge down to St Dallas and then another climb which I do not remember and col and then a long down to St Etienne de Tines.
Day 25 - 1.09.21 St Etienne de Tinee to Roya 11.7 km 4h:33min Ascent 1003m Descent 657m Avg Speed 2.6km/h Stay: Gite d'etape de roya Beautiful place to stay fantastic hosts and food was superb 8.5/10
Was supposed to be an easy day but did not feel that way . very hard climb into a ski resort which was really ugly and the climb was not nice then a traverse which was very nice and then down into a very beautiful isolated village.
Day 26 - 2.09.21 Roya to Roubion 25.7 km 8h:32min Ascent 1399m Descent 1814m Avg Speed 3km/h Stay: Auberge Quintessence - Give this a miss beautiful mountain village but it was a hotel pretending to be something it was not . Great views but totally overpriced 4/10
Long long day first ever blister on my walks. Tough long hike to start the day with Shepards and sheep all around . difficult to find col and difficult terrain. then stony path down with eagles all around. Then slightly hairy climb to an open expanse and then past a closed refuge then a forest path not well maintained at the start and finally into the mountain village.
Day 27 - 03.09.21 Roubion to St Dalmas 15.8 km 4h:44min Ascent 981m Descent 792m Avg Speed 3.3km/h Stay: Chalet anduebis Very nice stay with a lovely evening meal and breakfast 7/10
Easy walk through villages with mainly a ridge forest road with great views and in places quite urban walking by peoples backgardens
Day 28 - 04.09.21 St Dalmas to le Boreon 19.74 km 8h:57min Ascent 1392m Descent 1140m Avg Speed 2.2km/h Stay: Hotel Restaurant le Boreon If this is the place it was poor rooms not good and food was terrible 3/10
There had been some terrible storms through here and had washed away big parts of the end of the walk. It was a long day through forests in bad weather one to forget.
Day 29 - 05.09.21 Le Boreon to Refuge de Nice 13,33 km 9h:14min Ascent 1490m Descent 864m Avg Speed 1.4km/h Stay Refuge de Nice beautiful setting isolated refuge good hearty food showers and rooms packed and not the best 6/10
Given the storm damage we needed to go an alternate route first along the valley and then a very steep climb to a col with breathtaking views as we walked a long a difficult ridge then down to a refuge and a difficult milder clim to a very steep and narrow col difficult bolder field down and then a walk around a lake and up to the refuge
Day 30 06.09.21 Refuge de Nice to Refuge des Merveilles 9.68 km 6h:55min Ascent 690m Descent 802m Avg Speed 1.4km/h Refuge des Merveilles another beautiful refuge in an isolated spot but rooms very not great but dinner and breakfast were hearty 7/10
Weather was bad which made the boulder fields slippy and difficult to navigate. Saw some goats with big horns on the first descent then another steep up to a col and then down through the valley marseilles and the rock art and finally around a lake to the refuge. Tough going all the same.
Day 31 - 07.08.21 Refuge des Merveilles to Camp d'Argent 12.2 km 6h:06min Ascent 637m Descent 1746m Avg Speed 2km/h Stay: L'Estive gites d'etape Pretty ropey place staying in basement food ok opened late checkin had to sit around give it a miss 4/10
Ridge walking day with beautiful views stopped in a lovely place for picnic ended in a ski area not the best
Day 32 - 08.09.21 Camp d'Argent to Sospel 19.2 km 8h:11min Ascent 457m Descent 1831m Avg Speed 2.3km/h Stay: Auberge du pont vieux Beautiful village loads of places to eat worth a stop over hotel was fine with a good breakfast 7/10
A lovely forest ridge walk to start. But difficult to follow the route very confusing. Lunch on the high point of the day was lovely then down in very arid conditions to Sospel
Day 33 - 09.09.21 Sospel to Menton 16.6 km 8h:52min Ascent 1136m Descent 1457m Avg Speed 1.9km/h Stay: Stayed with friends a wonderful end to a fantastic thru hike
A forested climb which went on for a long time and then it flattened out and we saw the first views of the Mediterranean . Then it was dirt roads down followed by a steep final climb and then a very steep and difficult walk down to Menton and a stony slippery surface. Difficult to find the way to the beach to dip the hand and finish. What a fantastic trip