Taking on the GR5: Walking from Holland to Nice
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
At the end of July, I’ll be setting off on my next big adventure — taking on the GR5, one of Europe’s most iconic long-distance trails.
The GR5 stretches from the North Sea in Holland all the way to Nice on the Mediterranean coast, covering over 2,200 kilometres and crossing multiple countries, landscapes and mountain ranges along the way. It’s a route that has been on my radar for a while.
The plan is to complete the GR5 in around 70 days.
Which means walking approximately 20 miles every day.
One of the things that interests me most about this challenge isn’t the Alps.
It’s the beginning.
From what I understand, the first section of the GR5 is very different from what many people imagine when they think about hiking through Europe. Rather than dramatic mountain scenery from day one, there are long stretches of flatter terrain, cycle paths and harder surfaces. And strangely enough, that’s partly why I’m choosing to do the full route.
Why the Full GR5?
I could have chosen to start further south and focus on what many people would consider the “best” or most scenic section — the Alps and mountains. But there is something about completing a full trail, not just doing a section.
I want to walk the FULL GR5. From beginning to end.
Part of that decision comes from reflecting on my experience hiking in New Zealand on the Te Araroa Trail. I still look back on parts of that journey — particularly the North Island — with mixed feelings.
I hadn’t expected so much road walking (over 60% of the North island was on road, main roads, busy roads). It was marketing with the picutures from the South Island, but the North island was a massive dissapointment. I hadn’t anticipated how soul-destroying long stretches of hard road could feel — or how mentally draining dangerous road walking could become.
That experience stayed with me. And maybe because I hitched to avoid some of the dangerous road sections. It didn't feel like a proper thru-hike. And perhaps because of that, the first long section of the GR5 genuinely interests me.
This time, I'm aware. I know there will be hard services and I’m choosing to do it.
I am expecting to walk 1000km on hard surfaces for the first part of the journey.
I know it's going to be tough on the body and tougher on the mind. But I’m curious about what changes mentally when you enter that experience willingly and with open eyes.
How much of the struggle comes from the terrain itself? And how much comes from expectation? That’s something I want to explore.
Training for the GR5
Training for this challenge has focused on durability and consistency. The goal is to build the ability to move for long periods of time, recover well and repeat that effort day after day.
My training has included:
Long endurance walks - on hard surfaces
Back-to-back days on feet
Incline treadmill hiking
Strength training
Pack carrying - building up from 4kg to 11kg
Recovery work - including mobility
Low-intensity aerobic conditioning - bike
One of the biggest lessons so far has been learning to slow down.
If you’ve followed Tough Girl Challenges for a while, you’ll know I enjoy training hard. But preparing for something like the GR5 has reminded me that not every session needs to leave you exhausted.
In fact, for long-distance endurance challenges, the opposite is often true.
A lot of my training has focused on easy aerobic work — often called Zone 2 training — which at times can feel surprisingly easy. But that’s part of the process. The aim is to build an engine that can keep going for hours and recover overnight, rather than producing short bursts of effort.
Alongside the physical training, I’ve also been paying close attention to recovery. Strength training remains an important part of my week, but so does mobility, sleep and looking after the body between sessions.
I’m fortunate to have access to a range of recovery tools including red-light therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, cryotherapy and compression trousers, all supporting the broader goal of staying healthy and consistent. Because ultimately, arriving at the start line healthy matters more than squeezing in one extra training session.
The Things I’m Still Figuring Out
One thing I’ve learned from previous adventures is that you never have everything completely figured out beforehand. And that’s okay. There are still decisions to make and systems to test.
The biggest question at the moment is probably accommodation.
I prefer to wild camp as it's a great way of keeping costs down. The challenge will be in the first seciton of the journey, leaving Holland, as I'm not sure how urban it's going to be and how easy it will be to wild camp and how safe I feel wild camping. (Wild camping in the wildnerness is very different - I feel safer away from towns). So the early sections of the route will likely involve a mixture of campsites and indoor accommodation, but I suspect this is something I won’t fully understand until I’m actually on the ground and moving through those areas myself.
I’m currently exploring options like Welcome To My Garden — a platform where people open up their gardens to travellers and cyclists to camp. I love the simplicity of the idea and the potential to meet people along the way.
I’ve also intentionally put aside an additional funds to give myself more flexibility on the trail. Whether that means paying for accommodation in areas where I don't feel camping. Or for those nights when the weather is super bad, or I need to recharge electronics. Having extra funds, gives me more options. Which feels like the right decision.
Then there are the practical logistics. Footwear is one of them.
I’ve covered around 1,000 miles in INOV8* trainers before and feel confident in what works for me, but hard surfaces are notoriously brutal on trainers. I already have a second pair ready to go.
The question is simply how best to get them to me. Do I ask a friend to hold onto them? Arrange a handover somewhere along the route? Post them ahead? Carry them with me.... That’s still being worked out.
*use TOUGHGIRL15 to get a 15% discount!
Technology and charging systems are thankfully in a good place.
Filming and documenting adventures has become second nature over the years and I feel confident with that side of things. The vlogs themselves won’t be released while I’m walking — previous experience has taught me that editing and uploading long-form content during an expedition adds unnecessary pressure. Instead, they’ll come out after the journey.
But I will still be sharing daily updates on social media throughout the challenge. (@toughgirlchallenges)
One other logistical piece I’m currently navigating is being able to use my phone while in Europe. Thanks to Brexit and the end of free EU roaming, staying connected while moving across Europe now requires more planning than it once did. Reliable data matters for sharing updates, (I've got my ZOLEO for safety and weather reports) so I’m exploring eSIM options to support the journey.
More Than Just a Walk
Like all my challenges, it's not just about the walking. It’s also an opportunity to share and bring people on the journey with me. I plan to document the experience through social media, video and ultimately create a film about the journey. Because while I love the physical challenge, I also love sharing the reality of adventure — the highs, the lows, the logistics, the problem-solving and the small moments that often matter most.
Plus, there isn't a recorded women’s time for completing the full GR5 route. So while pursuing an FKT record is not the reason I’m taking this on, it does add an additional and meaningful dimension to the journey. If/when I complete the route as planned, it would mean I set the first recorded women's FKT record for the GR5. That’s not the driving motivation, but it is a motivating factor. It's important for women to see other women and girls taking on challenges and showing women what is possible. I want to encourage more women to get outside and to take on their own adventures.
The GR5
So that’s the next adventure.
The GR5. Holland to Nice. Over 2,200 km. Approx 70 days. (Maybe quicker, maybe slower)
I’m excited to share the journey with you!
GR5 Resources
Useful Websites
Created by David May https://grfive.com
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