GR 5 Trail Information:
When to go, When to Walk,
Accomodations
Planning your Route
Meeting People
By David May
Copyright 2004 - 2007, All rights Reserved
When to GoFor the GR5 Alpine crossing, the normal and best time to go is in July, August, and September. There are two reasons that an Alpine crossing should begin no earlier in the year than July. First, most alpine refuges (huts) don't open until June 15th and many don't open until June 21st, or a few days later depending on the year. The Dent D'Oche refuge near Lake Geneva is only open on weekends in June. Many high mountain refuges close on September 18th, give or take a few days. In general in 2005 gîtes and refuges are open from June 15 until September 22. High mountain refuges generally open a week later. See the information under accommodations below, for checking opening and closing dates. You may, however, begin a few days earlier from Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) (please double check all lodgings). Hotel Gai Soleil is open as of June 1. The Dent d'Oche refuge is open in June on the weekends. The Chalets de Bise open around June 1. You will find hotel lodging in Chapelle d'Abondance and gîte or hotel space in Samoëns. You will need to find someplace(s) to stay in between Chapelle d'Abondance and Samoëns, perhaps in a valley hotel, if you start your trip before June 10. The second reason to hike in the summer is that in an average year, the snow is not off the highest passes of the Vanoise and Mercantour until early July. (In a very heavy-snow year, it may linger at the highest passes until the end of July. Check conditions when you make reservations in a nearby lodging, such as the Dent D'Oche, reguge Moëde near Chamonix, a refuge in the southern Vanoise, or the Gîte de Larche.) If going early in the season, for occasional crossing of snow patches (niéve) be sure you are carring walking sticks; for deeper snow, carry an ice ax and crampons, and know how to use them. Do not assume that the southern Alps can be hiked early or late in the season. In some passes some years snow may linger as late as July. The huts on the GR 56 (at about 7,000 feet)are open from approximately the 14th June to the 28th September. If you are doing the entire GR 5 starting in Holland, you could start as early as April, reaching the Alps by early July. However, it would be more pleasant to start in early May, reaching the Alps in August. In Holland and Belgium average April daily temperatures range from 41F to 56F; in May they range from 47F to 65F. How much time to allow Rain is said to fall some 30% of the summer days in Northern Europe. Leave a few days extra for rain if you can. Unfortunately thedays of rain can be sequential, and spoil a trip, so if you are in Europe and have flexibility, wait to leave for a good "meteo" (weather report). In my experience, during the 1990's and early 2000's, rain in the Alps was less frequent than the 30% ratio. When in the day to Walk While hiking the GR5, try to arrive at your destination before 3:00 PM French time (equivalent to about 1:30 pm sundial time). In the northern Alps clear mornings often turn to middays with cumulous clouds obscuring the high peaks, followed by afternoon and early evening storms. In the Southern Alps, from Briançon south, where rain is rare, the midday sun shines very intensely. Early morning starts (i.e., 6 or 7 AM) are recommended for longer hiking days, so that you can hike in the shade of the mountain lower down, and be across the inevitable pass or passes before the strongest sunlight at noon, and the heat of the day. AccommodationsAccommodations can be classified into these categories: Tents, hotels, refuges (huts), and gîtes d'étape. Tents: Because group accommodations, such as Refuges and Gîtes d'étape are inexpensive hikers on the GR5 seldom use tents. Tents are banned in the Vanoise National Park, except if space is available on the grounds of certain huts and only during July and August (I suggest calling ahead). In the Mercantour Park, "camping" is not allowed, but "bivouac" is allowed between 7 PM and 9AM if 1 hour from any border of the park or any road (and perhaps around some of the huts). A few campgrounds can be found near the major towns along the GR5 route. Hotels: Below: Fancy two star Hotel Les Gentiannettes in La Chapelle d'Abondance.
Hotel dinner at the Gentiannettes. Refuges Refuges are communal lodgings at altitude, and people sleep side by side, although occasional refuges may have some private sleeping rooms. Showers (if any) and toilets are communal. Some refuges serve family style meals; most allow you to order from a limited menu. A few have do not prepare meals at all. Refuges may or may not have stoves and cooking equipment available for hikers use, and if so, may charge a minimal fee for their use. Refuges are roughly comparable to the huts in the Sierras and in the New Hampshire White Mountains. Above the Entre-les-Lacs Refuge in the northern Vanoise Park
Most nights, people go to sleep at a reasonable hour, without disturbing their neighbors. However, if you sleep lightly, snoring can be problem.. If this describes you, bring ear plugs. Sheets and towels are typically are not available for rent, so if you don't want to sleep directly under the provided wool blankets (in your clothes?) you will need to bring a sac or sheet. I recommend buying a long piece of lightweight polyester (or other synthetic) fabric and folding it into a double sheet; in my opinion, the cotton sacs sold for youth hostels are too heavy and moisture retentive. The following Internet site has a listing of all of the gîtes and refuges in Savoie and Haute Savoie (the northern Alps and pre-Alps) and wonderful photos of the region besides: http://www.destination-savoies.com/dyn/doc/doc_56_brochure_refuges.pdf The Site covers, which covers some hotels as well, lists the period of opening of each facility, from Lac Lehman to Modane, including as well some gites and huts in Switzerland. Many refuges are under the management of the CAF, the Club Alpin Français. (The individual chapters of the club actually run the refuges in their area.) Information on these refuges is available on-line at http://www.clubalpin.com/fr/presrefuge.html. So called "private refuges" are also plentiful, and they can be found on lists of the local tourist offices or parks, or in the Topo Guides. They usually have a higher standard of amenity than the Club Alpin ones, and cost a bit more. Some, however, are very poor. The following Web Site complies a list of all (?) refuges in the Alps: http://www.alpimages.net/refugesalpfr1.php. The following annoying site—filled with advertsements, pop-ups and loop-backs—has a list of all refuges and gîtes d'étape in France: http://www.gites-refuges.com/. After reading about the site in English, click on "4,000 Hébergements at the top of the page, click on free consultation, and on the subsequent page click on the bar for a search by the French department you are interested in. Click on the map. Gîtes d'Étape. There are two types of gîtes: gîtes d'étape and gîtes rural. We can disregard the second type, which are for long-term vacations in agricultural settings. Gites d'étape are very similar to "refuges", except that they are located along roads, in villages or in the countryside. The obligatory dormitory is sometimes supplemented by private rooms, but usually the toilet and shower facilities are normally common. Sleeping matresses in the Gîte d'étape of Larche.
Prices Prices are discussed here. Reservations To make them or not—a perennial question. My answer: call and find out whether they are essential. If they are, how far ahead: a month or a day? Will the town or the refuge be full if you arrive without reservations? Is this refuge the only one (or the only nice one) in the area? Most lodgings will have someone who can speak English. Begin your telephone conversation with the hotel, refuge or gîte by asking, "Can you speak English please?" Very little is worse than to arrive at a hotel, gîte d'étape or refuge after an exhausting, long day, and find out you have no place to sleep, save perhaps on the floor of the dining room. It is almost as bad to find out that your trip will be "ruined" because you can't reserve a space for the day after tomorrow in a key location along the trail. So plan ahead! On the other hand, you don't want to hike for several days in the pouring rain, so don't plan farther ahead than need be, and call to try to change your reservations; often you will be able to. Deposits and Payments Depending upon their own policies, hotels, gîtes and refuges may well require a deposit ("arrhes" in French) to hold a reservation. Some hotels will accept credit cards to hold reservations; others will require you to send checks. Most gîtes and refuges will require checks. Those without access to Euro checks should ask about sending checks in their own currency (dollars, pounds, etc.). Such checks will probably not be deposited unless you don't show. Some refuges and gîtes will make an exception to their deposit rules, rather than having to deal with foreign currency. Some will waive the rules if your reservation is within the week. In the worst case, your bank can prepare a Euro draft for an exorbitant fee. Planning your RouteYou need to carefully plan some parts of the GR5 route. In these sections accommodations are spaced far apart, and walking times each day can be long. Where you chose to stay one night, can greatly affect where you can stay the next, and what you can see and do. Use guidebooks and maps to do so. In many cases, you need to weigh the pros and cons of alternative routes and of side-trips. In the "Route Recommendations" section of this site, I examine some of these alternatives, and express an opinion if I have one. That is not to say that you cannot just get on the trail and play it by ear. But if you do, you are likely to have a few unexpected detours and hardships—shall we call them adventures?—Yes, if you are young!—along the way. Meeting PeopleFew British and fewer Americans hike the GR5. You are more likely to meet the French, Dutch and Germans, perhaps also some Swiss and Italians. Around Chamonix the mix changes: Mount Blanc draws enthusiasts of all nations, so don't be surprised to meet Japanese and Chinese walkers—out for an excursion to one or two refuges. Typically Europeans are reticent to strike up conversations, both on the trail and in refuges and gîtes, but I have found that it is easy to break the ice at dinner (or on the trail), simply by asking people where they come from. Once the ice is broken, conversation flows easily for hours. Europeans will find it intriguing that you are an American (or English or whatever), and will want to talk. Many walkers speak English. In the author's experience, political differences will not be held against you, but can lead to discussion if you desire. The entire staff of mountain hotels, refuges and gîtes usually doesn't speak English, but someone working there will, and when necessary will happily translate to those in charge. Guardians of refuges and owners of gîtes can help make reservations at future destinations, and can provide information on local conditions. Most will be only too happy to aide with any needs you may have. Politeness and patience are called for: Most of these people work hard at their many responsibilities. They will respect and help you if you respect them. The chances of beginning a long-term friendship or a romantic liason on a trek are not high, but it can happen. For one thing, few women hike without male companionship. For another, the hiking speeds, styles and destinations of various individuals are unlikely to be matched. For a third, everyone is physically tired out. None the less, several individuals that I personally met on the trail or at dinner have later become very good long-term friends. In each case I followed up the initial contact. |
A
hotel is, well, a hotel. In France the government ranks them with
stars according to amenities provided (these are not the same stars
as those in the Michelin red guides). A one star hotel will not
have an elevator, for example, but a one star hotel can be quite
clean and nice. It is best to go on-line or write hotels in advance
to get an idea of their pricing and features. Some one and two star
hotels have rooms that share baths. Some also have a dormitory ("dortoir")
with shared accommodation like a refuge or gîte d'étape.
Hotels may or may not serve meals.
Hotel
guides in book form are too heavy to carry. You can find hotel lists
by searching on the Internet with the town name. The "Office
de Tourism" or "Syndicat d'Initiative"
maintains lists for the town. "Hébergement"
is the most usual word meaning accommodations. Some Regions maintain
lists, for example 
Depending
upon the elevation of the refuge and the difficulty of access, the
amenity of the sleeping rooms and toilets, and the quality of the
food can vary greatly. Some cater primarily to hikers, others to
Alpinists who will arise and depart before dawn. A typical layout
of the dormitory is mattresses placed side by side on two levels
on both sides of the room.
Gîites
d'étape typically serve better food than refuges, and have
better amenities. The dormitories are frequently split up into smaller
rooms. The gîtes d'étape are listed by tourist offices,
and may sometimes be found by name on the Web. See the URL two paragraphs
above. Remember, also, that most refuges and gîtes d'étape
(but not hotels) along the GR5 and GR52 are listed in your Topo
Guide or guide book (which I recommend you buy and carry).