across the alps on foot

In August 2018, I solo-hiked across the French Alps, some 600 kilometres from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea in Nice.

Known as the Grand Traverse of the Alps, part of the longer GR5, it’s often considered one of the most beautiful long-distance hikes in the world. After 25 days on the trail, I wouldn’t disagree. Think snow-capped peaks and glaciers, idyllic green pastures, flowery meadows, and charming hamlets… eventually giving way to wild lavender, colourful villages, and the turquoise sea. Mountain huts, called refuges, dot the trail regularly, offering rustic accommodation and even hot meals. There is plenty of wild camping too, for folks like myself who enjoy the tent life.

Climbing legs certainly come in handy — as does the plethora of fresh bread, cheese, and local delicacies — with 30,000 meters of ascent and descent and 40 mountain passes to be traversed.

Despite the challenge of it, I’d still consider this a very doable adventure, one I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. The gorgeous scenery is just part of the experience, made infinitely richer by the people you meet, the purpose and simplicity of trail life, and the pride in traversing such a vast mountain range on foot.