Sarah Williams: Hiking the GR5 – 2,200km from Holland to Nice in 70 Days

17 hours ago

4 min read

On 20 July 2026, I set off from Hoek van Holland in the Netherlands, with the goal of hiking approximately 2,200km all the way to Nice on the Mediterranean coast. 70 days later, I reached the finish line after an incredible journey through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and France, tackling the French Alps and pushing myself both physically and mentally along the way.

In this episode, I’m sharing the numbers, the stats, the preparation and the reality of taking on a challenge of this scale. From training and planning to wild camping, navigation, food, kit, motivation and the highs and lows of hiking solo, I’m answering your questions and sharing what I learnt along the way.

I also reflect on why I chose the GR5, how I make time for these adventures, how it compares to my previous long-distance hikes, and what happens when you finally reach the finish line and have to adjust to normal life again.

Whether you’re planning your own long-distance hike, dreaming about a future adventure, or simply curious about what it takes to walk 2,200km in 70 days, this episode is for you!

So grab a cuppa, get comfortable and join me for a deep dive into my GR5 adventure.

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Show notes

Welcome to the episode
Who am I and the Tough Girl Mission
Focusing on the GR5, the numbers, the stats and answering your questions
How do I make time in my life for doing these walks
A brief overview of my backstory
You can listen to other solo reflections episodes (see below)
How tough girl challenges came about
Starting the tough girl podcast in 2015
Taking on my own personal challenges since 2016
Watch the short film - “TEN”
Why the GR5
Doing a trail knowing how much road walking there would be
Road walking through Holland and Belgium
Wanting to do the full distance
Getting the guidebooks from Cicerone
Checking out the FKT website
"women have always been 50% of the population, but only occupy around 0.5% of recorded history”
How long is it, how do I get to the start, how do I get back from the finish
Training for the GR5
Putting a plan together with the help of Chat GPT
Having a base level of fitness
Incline treadmill walk
Back to back training days
Training on concrete
Doing the Two Saints Way as a Training hike
The plan to arrive healthy at the start line
Tracking my training and making tweaks when needed
Daily stats posts while being on adventures
Measuring my fatigue levels
Talking through the numbers
Total Stats blog post
Welcome To My Garden
Hiiker App
Vitality bits
Food
My schedule
Decompressing on the trail
Insights from the trail
Tracking my weight via HUME
Wild camping and navigation
Charging electronics
Motivation tips and tricks
GR20 vlogs
Hygiene and washing clothes on the trail
Battery packs and a fast charge plug
Essentials for your backpack
Benefits of a ground sheet
My 2 fears
Trainers
Cooking and being stove less
Women backpacking resources
The French Alps
Adjusting back to normal life
Gear I would add to my pack
Do you need to carry a tent
4G in the mountains
Meeting other hikers
How the hike compares to the Camino hikes and the Appalachian Trail
Trail Angels…
Donations
Direction of travel
Cooking on trail
Feeling lonely on the trail
Adventure blues
The next adventure
The best and the worst part
Would I change anything?
Vlogs coming soon
Applying for the FKT
GR5 info on the TG Website