Author Topic: Have you walked any or part of French GR routes?  (Read 1682 times)

gunwharfman

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If you have walked all or part of any French GR routes I'd be keen to know if you thought they were good ones and if you could recommend them to people like myself.

I've managed to hike -
The GR128 from Calais and then on to Ypres, Belgium.
The GR10 from Hendaye to Banyuls Su Mere.
The GR70 from Le Puy en Velay to Ales. (The Stevenson Way GR70)
The GR4 from Grasse to Manosque.
The GR65 from Le Puy en Velay to Figeac.
The GR4 from Figeac to Bergerac.
The GR36 from Caen to Thury-Harcourt and back to Caen by a GR36 variant.
The Tour du Mont Blanc.

And in Spain on the GR11 from Irun to Roncevalles, then on the GR65 to Saint Jean Pied du Port and then on the GR10 to Hendaye.

I only recommend the GR138 if you are interested in the First World War battle areas, Ypres is a great destination and a turn around point.
All the rest I highly recommend.

jimbob

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Re: Have you walked any or part of French GR routes?
« Reply #1 on: 15:30:51, 13/01/21 »
I once walked from Lérida to La Vella in Andorra, up the Val d'Urgell, sleeping in school halls and  church hostels, I was 16 at the time and can't remember much, except that we carried thick jumpers and a thick woolen blanket in a roll over one shoulder. Stripping to the waist going up sunny hills and getting dressed and using the blanket as a shawl on the snow covered shadowy descents. Not sure if the bit of the GR between St Jean & Roncesvalles counts but I did that bit as part of the whole CF.
Too little, too late, too bad......

Slowcoach

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Re: Have you walked any or part of French GR routes?
« Reply #2 on: 16:36:35, 13/01/21 »
I ealked part if the GR10 from Hendayes to Bagneres de Luchon. Fantastic.
It's all uphill from here.

vizzavona

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Re: Have you walked any or part of French GR routes?
« Reply #3 on: 18:53:41, 13/01/21 »
The gentleman who initiated this Topic for sure knows his way around France.


Me, I have dipped my toes into a couple of the French mainland routes....The part of the GR5 that after couple of days becomes the variant of that route on the GR55 from Landry down to Modane.  A very pleasant route to walk over a few days with a variety of terrain to enjoy.
Also in France we walked the other variant of the GR5 the GR52 through some fine terrain.
Most of our longer walks have been done on the island of Corsica.
A couple of times walking the GR20 a fine walk down the mountains forming the spine of the island between Calenzana and Conca.
Also on Corse we have walked the four other Grande Randonnee ....multi day walks of between 10 days and 6 days of travel. They don't seem to be graced with a GR number.
The Mare e Monti connecting Calenzana to Cargese.
The Mare a Mare Nord connecting Moriani to Cargese.
The Mare a Mare Centre connecting Ghisonaccia to Porticcio.
The Mare e Monti Sud connecting Porticcio to Propriano.
The Mare a Mare Sud Propriano to Porto Vecchio.


Days of mostly sunshine and meetings with folks from all parts of Europe and beyond.....my wife who is French so these days were a real treat for her.

archaeoroutes

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Re: Have you walked any or part of French GR routes?
« Reply #4 on: 19:00:13, 13/01/21 »
GR5 from Lake Geneva to Chamonix. Loved it. Up in the mountains for about 3 days at a time then down into a village to resupply before reascending. Nice chalets if you fancy lunch making for you (only did that once as we couldn't afford it as teenagers).
Sections of the GR34 round the Brittany coast. Very different but also lovely.
Walking routes visiting ancient sites in Britain's uplands: http://www.archaeoroutes.co.uk

Jac

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Re: Have you walked any or part of French GR routes?
« Reply #5 on: 21:02:37, 13/01/21 »
GR70 Robert Louis Stevenson Way
Le Puy en Velay to St Jean du Gard


Love every minute. Great scenery, excellent food, cheeses to die for, beautiful Beaux Villages, many pichets of excellent wine, starting with a cathedral and lentils and ending with olives and a steam train.


Great trip O0
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

gunwharfman

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Re: Have you walked any or part of French GR routes?
« Reply #6 on: 21:24:28, 13/01/21 »
Yes, a great trip indeed and at one point a real embarrassment to me. I was camping and walked to a restaurant which was on the first floor of a modern, mostly wood, restaurant/hotel, with its own donkey paddock on the side. I had a couple of beers whilst sat in the late afternoon sun on the hotel lawn under a 'dubonnet' umbrella. I then wandered up the external wooden stairs to the dining area. The 'Madame' a tall middle-aged lady, stood behind a lectern to welcome everyone in and she was dressed to 'kill,' long flowing dress, bangles etc. I explained in my poor French that I'd like a table for one and she readily agreed "Oui Monsieur" and then I sealed my fate! I told her I was a vegetarian. Her mood instantly changed and she just pointed to the door and asked me to leave! What could I do, I ended up wandering down to a little sandwich bar takeaway down the road. I've never forgotten that lady!

vizzavona

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Re: Have you walked any or part of French GR routes?
« Reply #7 on: 10:50:07, 14/01/21 »
Very rude Madame in the restaurant of your choice.   My wife is a veggie I eat a whole range of stuff. We mostly use the tent on our trips so we generally cook our own....mostly Muesli and dried fruit for breakfast and Pasta as the base for our main meal with whatever we can purchase from the Refuge or cheese from the Bergeries en route.
I did become aware of the difference in what was available on e.g. the GR20 during my second trip seven years after the first one in the range of products to suit the non meat eaters. I think that this will reflect the changes that folks have made to their eating selections. On the Mare e Monti, where the route ends up at sea level on two stages, freshly caught fish was available a least twice on that trip.

pdstsp

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Re: Have you walked any or part of French GR routes?
« Reply #8 on: 17:08:17, 14/01/21 »
I have walked the same section of the GR5 as archeoroutes above and I too loved it.  I have my eye on another long distance path in France, but not decided which one yet.


(I have also left a restaurant because of anti-vegi issues - in my case we were skiing and the only thing approaching vegetarian food in our chosen lunch spot was a ham omelette.  We asked if chef could do a plain omelette for my vegi daughter, but he refused.  There were 12 of us, so we all left, but they didn't seem to care.)

 

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