GR5: Days 57–63 from before Bessans to past Saint Antoine | Hiking from Holland to Nice
The final stretch is getting closer, and I’m working hard to catch up with the schedule. This week is full of mountain views, rocky descents, long climbs and a few well-earned stops at refuges. With the finish getting nearer, I’m trying to enjoy the present moment while taking in every bit of this incredible journey.
Day 57🥾GR5 - 2,200km from Holland 🇳🇱 to Nice 🇫🇷
ℹ️Stats: Weather: sunny ☀️
From: before Bessans
Start time: 7.51am
To: Refuge du Plan du Lac
End time: 7.14pm
Accommodation: bunk bed - bottom bunk
Terrain: Rocky, grassy, gravel
Cicerone guidebook stages: end of 11 & 12
🥾Km: 29.03
🥾Miles: 18
🦶Steps: 36,518
Ascent: 1,564m
Descent: 1,055m
Total Distance 1,850/2,200 km
84% Done ✅
💰Costs: €17.51 - resupply - protein yogurt, snickers, sweets, biscuits, chocolate croissants
€64 - bed, dinner (3 courses) and breakfast
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 10/10
Fatigue: 5/10
Ease of terrain: 5/10
⭐️Highlights: great day - so pleased to have made the refuge, decided to stay inside, have dinner & breakfast - makes my life easier and I’ll be able to start earlier tomorrow- fingers crossed.
🏔️Challenges: some of the climbs… it was a real push. I didn’t know if I was going to make it. Plus as it’s a national park - I can’t wild camp. You need to camp outside the refuge.
💭Thoughts: today was a great day. I really pushed myself to make the distance and it paid off. So nice to be warm and in a bed. A really great day. Plus the weather has been amazing.
Day 58 🥾GR5 - 2,200km from Holland 🇳🇱 to Nice 🇫🇷
ℹ️Stats: Weather: sunny ☀️
From: Refuge du Plan du Lac
Start time: 8.04am
To: Refuge de Plan Sec
End time: 7.06pm
Accommodation: camped at the refuge (which was closed)
Terrain: Rocky, slate, grassy, mountain tracks.
Cicerone guidebook stages: 13
🥾Km: 28.43
🥾Miles: 17.7
🦶Steps: 37,128
Ascent: 1,540m
Descent: 1,591m
Total Distance 1,878/2,200 km
85% Done ✅
💰Costs: €0 can’t remember the last time I didn’t spend any money!
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 10/10
Fatigue: 5/10 - towards the end was hard going
Ease of terrain: 5/10 some tough/rough terrain - but also some lovely walking
⭐️Highlights: the views were amazing, walking around the edge of the mountains was spectacular. The weather was perfect!
🏔️Challenges: it was a long day, felt like never ending. I had to reach the refuge - as it’s a national park - so you can’t camp anywhere.
💭Thoughts: I’ve picked a sheltered spot for the tent and it should be ok. I know I will be warm enough - it’s if the wind picks up. I have set the tent up well and added rocks to help.
Day 59 🥾GR5 - 2,200km from Holland 🇳🇱 to Nice 🇫🇷
ℹ️Stats: Weather: sunny ☀️ 23 degrees
From: Refuge de Plan Sec
Start time: 7.29am
To: before Refuge du Mont Thabor
End time: 6.46pm
Accommodation: camped 🏕️
Terrain:Rocky, gravel, more rocks.
Cicerone guidebook stages: 14 & most of 15
🥾Km: 28.50
🥾Miles: 17.8
🦶Steps: 39,888
Ascent: 1,718m
Descent: 1,754m
Total Distance 1,908/2,200 km
86.7% Done ✅
💰Costs: €7 apple juice, pineapple juice, water
€2.50 wafers
€0.20 banana 🍌
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 10/10
Fatigue: 4/10 - towards the end of the day. I was done in
Ease of terrain: 5/10 the long descent was brutal
⭐️Highlights: amazing views, finishing the stage and most of the next one. Double rainbow!
🏔️Challenges: quads are on 🔥. Managed to avoid most of the rain - it’s rained for 20 mins then the sun came out.
💭Thoughts: it’s been a big couple of days! But I’ve almost caught up. 2 more days and I will be on track to finish on time! 🥳 just got to work really hard to make it happen and hope the weather stays in my side! 🤞
Day 60 🥾GR5 - 2,200km from Holland 🇳🇱 to Nice 🇫🇷
ℹ️Stats: Weather: misty in the am - then sunny ☀️
From: before Refuge du Mont Thabor
Start time: 7.48am
To: before COL DE LA LAUZE
End time: 6.40pm
Accommodation: camped
Terrain: Rocky, large rocks, small rocks, gravel & more rocks
Cicerone guidebook stages: end of 15, 16
🥾Km: 27.99
🥾Miles: 17.5
🦶Steps: 38,285
Ascent: 1,405m
Descent: 1,431m
Total Distance 1,936/2,200 km
88% Done ✅
💰Costs: €33 pasta, orange juice, cookie, ice cream, & a pizza dough roll thing
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 10/10
Fatigue: 6/10 - wiped
Ease of terrain: 5/10
⭐️Highlights: good food, good weather, good walking!
🏔️Challenges: stage 17 in the cicerone guidebook is different from the markers and Hiiker GPS I’m using - so it’s put me out of synch - which is really annoying. I’ll have to do 11 miles to get me to the end of stage 17.
💭Thoughts: can’t believe it’s day 60 - these past 2 months have flown by. 10 days to go!!! Wow!!! Can’t believe I’m getting to the end!
Day 61 🥾GR5 - 2,200km from Holland 🇳🇱 to Nice 🇫🇷
ℹ️Stats: Weather: sunny ☀️ 23 degrees
From: before COL DE LA LAUZE
Start time: 7.58am
To: after Chalet des Ayes
End time: 7.32pm
Accommodation: wild camped 🏕️
Terrain: Rocky, roads, urban, gravel
Cicerone guidebook stages: half of 18
🥾Km: 29.41
🥾Miles: 18
🦶Steps: 39,426
Ascent: 1,346m
Descent: 1,504m
Total Distance 1,965/2,200 km
89% Done ✅
💰Costs: €35.60 - apple juice, hot chocolate, fish & chips, chocolate mousse
€13.90 - chicken sandwich, 2x chocolate croissant, 1x croissant 🥐, 1x cookie.
€8.90 snickers x2, m&m, skittles, sweets, 2x drinks
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 9/10
Fatigue: 4/10 - plenty of rest breaks
Ease of terrain: 5/10
⭐️Highlights: still did a solid day despite all the delays and hanging about.
🏔️Challenges: shops being shut, having to wait 90 mins before the kitchen was open and I could order food - all very stressful which I wasn’t expecting - but I did get to charge electronics.
💭Thoughts: can’t believe how much I’ve spent on food!
Day 62 🥾GR5 - 2,200km from Holland 🇳🇱 to Nice 🇫🇷
ℹ️Stats: Weather: sunny ☀️
From: after Chalet des Ayes
Start time: 8.13am
To: before Col Fromage
End time: 6.23pm
Accommodation: camped 🏕️
Terrain: Rocky, grassy, meadows, gravel
Cicerone guidebook stages: 2nd half of 18 & most of 19
🥾Km: 24.32
🥾Miles: 15.2
🦶Steps: 32,334
Ascent: 1,635m
Descent: 1,459m
Total Distance 1,988/2,200 km
90% Done ✅
💰Costs: Proxi €23.44 - biscuits, crisps, banana, icecream, snickers, jelly sweets, water, croissants
€6.50 chicken sandwich
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 9/10
Fatigue: 5/10
Ease of terrain: 5/10
⭐️Highlights: amazing descent - fast, good concrete - ran a few km - felt strong. Views were epic
🏔️Challenges: so many climbs today - felt like all I did was take steps uphill
💭Thoughts: can’t believe I’m in single digits - can’t believe the adventure is almost over! It really has gone so quickly.
Day 63 🥾GR5 - 2,200km from Holland 🇳🇱 to Nice 🇫🇷
ℹ️Stats: Weather: sunny
From: before Col Fromage
Start time: 8.18am
To: past Saint Antoine
End time: 7.35pm
Accommodation: wild camped 🏕️
Terrain: slate, grassy, rocky
Cicerone guidebook stages: end of 19, 20 & start of 21
🥾Km: 27.95
🥾Miles: 17.5
🦶Steps: 39,260
Ascent: 1,253m
Descent: 1,912m
Total Distance 2,015/2,200 km
91.6% Done ✅
💰Costs: €10 sandwich, quiche, pastry
€2.50 orange juice
Subjective feeling out of 10 on:
Enjoyment: 10/10
Fatigue: 5/10 - I was moving very slowly on some of the climbs
Ease of terrain: 7/10 - some dodgy sections!
⭐️Highlights: views were amazing! The mountains in all directions was unbelievable.Lake St Anne - was the most beautiful turquoise colour. Well worth walking to.
🏔️Challenges: some gnarly descents and crossings on slate / bit slippy. Would not do in the wet
💭Thoughts: my thoughts are moving to Nice and the future and what I’m going to do when I get back. I want to stay in the present and enjoy this moment - this time - and not think too much about what happens when I finish.
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