GR 5

GR 5 (GR5) is a Europe-wide long-distance walking trail that runs from the Netherlands down to the Mediterranean coast in Nice (or Menton). It’s also part of the European long-distance walking route E2.

In France, the best-known section is the Grande Traversée des Alpes, the north-to-south alpine crossing commonly hiked as a month-long thru-hike from the Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) area to Nice or Menton.

The route is tracked as a GR footpath, and the trail is waymarked with the standard GR red-and-white markings, so long-distance navigation is mostly about keeping your pace and staying on the correct variant.

For experienced thru-hikers, the main challenge is the sustained alpine workload: typical days involve large total ascent and descent while you cross multiple passes and valleys as the route drops from the Alps toward the Mediterranean.

GR 5 is a multi-day route planned around accommodation on route—mountain refuges and gîtes d’étape in villages, plus small hotels—so you’re usually resupplying where the GR passes through towns.

In the Alps and especially along popular high sections, bivouacking rules can be more restrictive than elsewhere; planning your overnight strategy around refuges is a practical move for peak summer schedules.

More information: Wikipedia, Walking the GR5 Trail: Be In It - UTracks, The GR 5 is a long moderate to difficult hike through several ...